Brian Storen, sommelier for Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa, is a seer, a visionary and, most of all, a very adept judge of wine. While most north-of-the-border sommeliers can tell you that Venturi Schulze Brandenburg No. 3 is a "nice" Vancouver Island dessert wine, only Storen has the cajones and literary verve to argue that its structure and complexity is as bold as taking a dagger in the heart from a Spartan soldier in the heat of battle.

Storen is one part Walt Whitman (he even has the flowing white hair to go with his stream-of-consciousness verse), and one part ubersommelier. Mixing poetry, "this new wine is like a baby with all its limitless potential," with sage advice, Storen has a knack for knowing what his guests will enjoy the most in any varietal or style.

Leanne Cadden, director of public relations for Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa, describes him as the man who has taught her the nuances of wine, British Columbian and otherwise. This is not PR-speak. Over a seven-course dinner in Arbutus Grille & Wine Bar − the beautiful dining room at Brentwood Bay − Cadden revealed the shocking fact that she’d never met a pinot noir that she liked. Within moments, Storen produced − alley oop and as if by magic − a bottle of 2003 pinot noir from Salt Spring Island Vineyards. Cadden and your humble writer were gobsmacked by the perfect combination of big fruit, low acid and complex flavors. Poetic? A touch offbeat? Storen is not your average bear wine & food expert. And Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa is not your run-of-the-mill Five Star boutique hotel. Located along the sloping Saanich Inlet just north of Victoria, this hotter-than-hot property (Bill Gates and his family gave it two thumbs up after a recent visit) is a true original.

Arbutus Restaurant

DESIGN & STYLE POINTS: Rather than settling for your standard high-end hotel, owner Dan Behune hired Vancouver architects Ron Lea, Melissa Higgs and Dimitri Harvalias to invent a marine-cum-boathouse West Coast ambience of cool, grey comfort. The interior design of the guest rooms − 33 oceanfront suites − accentuate relaxation and the indoor/outdoor integration of the pale blond ash furnishings (bed frames, headboards, armoires, tables, shutters) complementing an exterior landscape of arbutus, hemlock and chestnut trees.

ART FOR ART’S SAKE: Cadden is way more than a media coordinator for this awesome property. After years of owning a successful Victoria art gallery (exhibiting her own paintings exclusively), she now sources local artists to show in the Brentwood Bay Gallery and to adorn the walls of the lobby area, restaurant and guest rooms. The merging of art, design and natural/organic elements helps to cement the unique Vancouver Island/West Coast vibe of the interior spaces.

GOURMET DREAM TEAM: Matthew Opferkuch took over as general manager in October and immediately went to work assembling a B.C. dream team for food and beverage. Besides Storen, who has done his wine thing at Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler and Sooke Harbour House in Victoria, the team includes Executive Chef Alain Leger and Executive Pastry Chef Bruno Feldeisen.

Arbutus Chef Alain Leger

Leger, an integral cog in the staff at Diva in Vancouver’s Metropolitan Hotel from 1997-2002, merges European technique with a reliance on local Vancouver Island/B.C. produce, meats and cheeses. The two signature dishes of Leger’s Euro-Canada cooking alliance are his sweet bread tortellini served with sautéed chanterelles in a veal jus and a smoked bacon wrapped veal strip loin anointed by celeriac pave and braised cabbage. The latter is a German standard cooked in a veal glaze reduction to insure the flavor and tenderness of the meat.

Feldeisen is best known for working with Joachim Splichal at Patina Restaurant in Los Angeles, and for being nominated for two James Beard Foundation Outstanding Pastry Chef Awards. His caramelized banana cream pie with chocolate ice cream and mango caramel sauce is worth the trip to Vancouver Island alone.

BONUS TIME: Besides five-star dining and unlimited relaxation options, Brentwood Bay offers a first-rate spa, scuba diving trips with PADI-certified experts and eco-touring via kayaks and/or glass-domed boats with glib and intelligent guides to show you the natural beauty of Tod Inlet and Finlayson Fjord.

Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa
849 Verdier Ave.
on Brentwood Bay
Victoria B.C. Canada
V8M ICS
1-888-544-2079
www.brentwoodbaylodge.com