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In Focus | Andrew Melville of The Hatch

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Andrew Melville

What do you always find yourself saying?
“I don't like where this is going” and/or “I like where this is going”.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Can't pick just one, so I'm going with three. I would hang with Tom Brady, Salman Rushdie, and Robert Mugabe.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Order of the British Empire

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
Julius Caesar because without a doubt he's history's greatest figure.

Who inspires you?
The demons of my past.

What are three things on your bucket list?
1. Meet Robert Parker.
2. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
3. Make love to Bar Rafaeli.

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
“The HMS Victory”. I'm a history nerd.

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
June 9th, 2037. Goes without saying why.

What are you passionate about?
Grapes and fantasy football. I've been in the wine game a long time and that quest for the next great bottle of wine genuinely excites me and keeps going; desiring to live another day. Now that I'm in a position to help craft equally great wines the excitement has doubled, along with my will to live. The constant opportunity for us to make greater and greater wines is amazing and I love it.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
Well, I have a five and a half year old and he's fantastic little charterer and the day he was born was a real stand out day.

The last Super Bowl left me pretty chuffed as a diehard Patriots fan (repeat!).

April 14th, 2002 was a crucial day in my life. The 14th was the day I moved to Vancouver and that's really the date I feel I started my life.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Getting “the hatch” open, and so far keeping it open (fingers crossed). The fact I've been given the chance to leave my mark on the BC wine industry leaves me pretty amused. I owe that to Jesse and Jason, two of the most delightful critters I've ever met and I'm lucky and mildly honoured to be working for/with them. Huzzah to “the hatch”!

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
Oh man! That's tricky. This town has some fab food in it and some great places. RauDZ and Micro are both exemplary but along with them some serious new places like Krafty (love 'em), Bacaro, 27, and Pilgrim & Pearl. It's an exciting time here food wise.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
If I were remotely active I'd point out how many great things there are to do from hiking and swimming and that sort. But I'm pretty inactive so I'd say the great eating and drinking we can do here. Beautiful city though you really need to get out and enjoy it.

What is the name of your business/organization?
the hatch

What does your business/organization do?
Pour wines, tell tales, and have fun.

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.thehatchwines.com

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
hatch wines

What is your Twitter account?
hatch wines

What is your mission?
To create unique, beautiful, and flavourful wines that showcase the wonderful diversity of the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys.

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
The first 100-point wine from The Wine Advocate in British Columbia.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in five years?
We just want to continue being who we are.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
Blue Mountain. They're the gold standard and I really admire them.

What three qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
1. The diversity of antique shovels in the tasting room is unparalleled in the industry.
2. The gift of art and the art of our labels, thank you Paul Morstad. We wouldn't be who we are without your art.
3. We're raising the bar for the quality of wines here in BC.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
I couldn't be more chuffed with the team at “the hatch”; I'm really impressed with how they've done so far. I'd simply say, “keep up the good work!” also, remember your sections.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
By adding a whole lot of love to an already lovely community.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
We have the good fortune of having a wonderful financial benefactor, and I wouldn't trade him and Mo for the world. We're so lucky to have who we do back us up dollars wise. I'm also mildly agoraphobic and somewhat anti-social, so in this situation I'd probably just stand in the corner and cry regardless of whom else was in the elevator with me. That said, I love pouring wines so yeah, come on down! Just don't put me in an elevator!

If I could change one thing about Kelowna, it would be:
Less MMA. Also, the highway is pretty grim.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
Pretty much everything else. The setting is unreal in its beautifulness. The lake, the hills, and the beaches. It's young and vibrant and of course all the wonderful wines right at our literal doorsteps. I was driving up in the hills in East Kelowna last week and was truly awed by just how amazing this place is to look at. Also BNA because I love beer a lot and they're rad.

Some general comments I would like to share are:
The Okanagan, and Kelowna in particular are a genuinely special place and personally I couldn't be more pleased to be playing a small roll in making this area what it is. A happy huzzah to everyone who calls this place home, and thank you to everyone who comes and visits and enjoys everything we have to offer. We are indeed blessed to be doing what we're doing and where we're doing it. The best is yet to come!

Also, as wine drinkers, y'all need to drink more Riesling. So delicious! (Syncromesh, I'm looking at you.)

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!



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