"Luke Whittall avoids the stuffiness and pretension all too common in wine writing and instead approaches the topic with humour and joy." —Montecristo Magazine

The eagerly awaited second installment in the offbeat BC wine guide the Vancouver Sun calls “the perfect go-to.”

Following on the popularity of Volume 1, the second installment of The Sipster’s Pocket Guide brings the same offbeat, lateral thinking and experiential focus to a whole new batch of BC wines. Wine expert and educator Luke Whittall shares his love of and sense of humour about the industry as he presents his top 50 wines under $50 (including many under $30).

With food and activity pairings that range from romantic to radical (berry-laced desserts and long-distance relationships, poached salmon and puns, hot dogs and off-grid living), and an index of attitudes that let you choose a wine based on your mood (be it drill sergeant or rancher, pastoral or paisley), the Sipster’s guides are anything but stuffy.

Divided into chapters on sparkling, white, rosé, red, and dessert wines, the book finishes up with a beginner’s guide to grape varieties in BC and a primer on the grand cru designation and how it pertains to our province. Sipster’s Volume 2 is the perfect companion for that on-the-fly wine purchase and for those who want to dig a little deeper.

Learn about classics like Pinot Grigio, how Chardonnay in BC almost went the way of Merlot post-Sideways, and how to not only find but also pronounce a great Siegerrebe.

Luke Whittall
is originally from the Eastern Townships of Quebec but has called BC home since 2000. He has worked in British Columbia's wine industry since 2005 and lived in the Okanagan Valley since 2007. Through his career, he has had the privilege of working in vineyards and cellars in Okanagan Falls, Naramata, Oliver, and Osoyoos.

Switching to sales in 2009, he spent time in wine shops and wine stores in Penticton, Oliver, and Okanagan Falls before getting into wine writing and education. He has produced a podcast and blog called "Wine Country BC" since 2009 and has contributed articles to various publications and websites ever since. In 2016, he began teaching at Okanagan College.

Luke lives in the south Okanagan Valley with his two children and more than a few guitars.

Luke Whittall's profile page

Praise for The Sipster's Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try BC Wines: Volume 2

"Luke Whittall avoids the stuffiness and pretension all too common in wine writing and instead approaches the topic with humour and joy" —Montecristo Magazine

"A fun and informative guide, useful for people just starting to explore BC wines, as well as long-time winos like myself." —Brian Glaum, Past President, BC Wine Appreciation Society

"Bravo to Luke Whittall for creating this user-friendly guide to entice readers to dive deeper into our exciting BC wine country and to encourage us go wild with our wine pairing descriptors . . . he has literally expanded our tasting note lingo while at the same time giving us permission to loosen up and have more fun with the whole wine experience. Words like‘Operatic’, ‘In your face’, ‘studious’ or ‘happy’ are clever and are also incredibly en pointe. Bravo Luke!" —Jennifer Schell, author The BC Wine Lover's Cookbook

Praise for The Sipster's Wine Guide series

"The perfect go-to guide for those looking to sip and savour the province’s best and brightest releases." —Vancouver Sun

"This may be the most original wine book you will read this year. Luke Whittall’s iconoclastic tasting notes offer a new and thoroughly refreshing way to approach British Columbia wines." —John Schreiner, Canada's most prolific wine writer

The portable pocket guides to Ontario and BC wines are very approachable in style, zeroing in on experiences, good company, and "where a wine might take your thoughts" or attitudes." —Dean Tudor, food and wine writer

"Without dumbing down the knowledge. . . You can choose a wine to match your attitude. From happy to herbal. From rock star to romantic." —Mulligan Stew

"Sipster’s Pocket Guide describes the experiences bound up in the tasting of 50 of the most amazing wines this province has produced" —My VanCity

"Outlandish advice and recommendations in an atypical wine book." —Kelowna Now