Jackie Cooke

Jackie began working as a server in the restaurant industry to earn money for her university education. After graduating with an honours degree in environmental studies, she remained working in the industry as a server in Toronto and then made a move to the west coast; Whistler and eventually Vancouver. It was 1998 when Jackie decided she wanted to pursue a wine career after spending a month exploring the wine regions of the Pacific Northwest and California. Eager to learn more about wine and the restaurant industry, she took assistant manager positions first at Quattro at Whistler in 2000 and in 2001 at Raincity Grill in Vancouver.

In 2002, Jackie earned her sommlier diploma from the Dubrulle Culinary Institute in Vancouver and is now an instructor for the International Sommelier Guild. Since earning her diploma, Jackie has held various postions in the wine industry: cellar worker at Tinhorn Creek Winery; Sommelier at Mission Hill Winery and Sommelier at Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler. During this time, she took the opportunity to travel to wine regions in Italy, France, Spain, the USA and Canada.

in 2006, Jackie moved to Calgary with her partner to launch Garage Wine Mechanics. In 2007 and 2008, she was a preliminary judge at the Wine Access International Value Wine Awards. Also, she has been part of the sommelier staff at the International Pinot Noir Conference in Oregon and the Wine Summit at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise. She eventually hopes to tackle the Master of Wine program when she can find time to study!

While growing up in Cape Breton, Kirk had an early interest in wine. He was an adamant reader of the weekly wine column in the Halifax Herald and always tried to track down some value driven Riojas.

Upon moving to Toronto, he somehow found himself working at the bastion of nouvelle cuisine, Statlanders. This was where Kirk first met many kind souls who furthered his education in the world of the grape. For one, Peter Boyd, who can now be found on the floor as wine director at Scaramouche or working as a wine consultant. After a year at Statlanders, Kirk headed off to Vancouver where a burgeoning wine industry had developed in the wake of Expo.

Shortly thereafter, Kirk had the great fortune to meet Robert Simpson (his mentor), who was operating the lone-at the time-Liberty Wine shop in Point Roberts, Washington. The weekly trips to "the Bob" provided an invaluable education in not only the grape, but also the business. It was a regular haunt for the giants of the wine trade and regular Sunday le vin mystиre dinners allowed him the opportunity to taste with some of the most educated palates.

Whistler was the next destination for Kirk who began working with the infamous Andre St. Jacques at the Bearfoot Bistro. Kirk was the Wine Director at the Bistro for over 6 years (a record he believes will never be broken). A recent move to Calgary finds him dedicated to exploring and nurturing the burgeoning food and wine scene locally and globally with Jackie. Most days, Kirk can be found planning fabulous events at Bonterra.