A handy, decidedly un-stuffy guide to 50 of the best Ontario wines under $50 a bottle.

In this handy portable guide to the top 50 Ontario wines under $50 a bottle, wine expert and educator Luke Whittall abandons the usual language of tasting notes in favour of a more personalized, approachable style, focusing on experiences, good company, and where a wine might take your thoughts.

As a wine industry professional, Whittall has often found himself inspired more by the way non-professionals talk about wine than the “hints of fresh cherries, dried herbs, and soupçons of eucalyptus” style typical of traditional wine writing. Sipster’s Pocket Guide describes the experiences bound up in the tasting of 50 of the most amazing wines this province has produced, including reds, whites, rosés, sparkling, and dessert wines.

With offbeat pairings that leapfrog from Frank Sinatra to truffle brie, digital detox to charcuterie, and an index of attitudes that lets you choose a wine based on your mood (be it cottage country or campus house party, accessible or argumentative) it’s anything but stuffy. Before you head to the liquor store to deliberate over your next sip, take a glance through Sipster’s.

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 Guide to 50 Must-Try BC Wines: Volumes 1 & 2

"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

"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