Simmer Fine Wine & Spirits is a new liquor agency serving the Western Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. With a regional population of over ten and a half million it boasts one of the highest standards of living and disposable incomes in the world.

Simmer is focusing on a smaller strategic portfolio to maximize its marketing efforts. Simmer is the product of a collaborative endeavor between four very ambitious and talented people who share a common goal and passion; the love of wine and the desire to provide Western Canada with exceptional products and outstanding service by meeting and exceeding the needs of liquor retailers, the hospitality industry, and consumers.

We believe it is the spirit of a valued partnership with our customers and suppliers that makes Simmer. Our agency has many years of experience and knowledge of the wine and spirits industry, outstanding and well-versed financial management, marketing and business development aptitude.

Each of our highly skilled team members brings unique talents and skills to Simmer, and most importantly, has a great time doing so!

Brian Koshman, CA
President  

Brian, based in Edmonton, Alberta brings indispensable business savvy and skills to successfully manage the financial aspects of our company.

He attended the University of Alberta where he received both his B.Sc and B.A. A well-respected Chartered Accountant since 1981, Brian was also a Tax Partner in the accounting firm of Ernst & Young until 2005 and is currently a consultant to the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. He has provided business structuring as well as corporate tax advice to many local, national and international clients.

Moreover, Brian’s past board / volunteer work is impressive; he embraces co-operative vision with optimism, enthusiasm and pride. He was the Treasurer of the 2001 World Triathlon Championships, Treasurer Vice President, and President of the Belvedere Golf & Country Club, Treasurer of the Art Gallery of Alberta, an organizer of the Craig Simpson and Friends Charity Fund, board member of The Effort Society, and board member of the Burn Treatment Society - Evening of Magic.  

His unwavering commitment towards charitable contributions is a sound investment in the quality of life for the communities to which we owe our success. Through his professional and charitable work, Brian has created and nurtured trusting relationships that presents an impressive list of contacts for Simmer.

Tim Walger
Vice President,
Acquisitions/Logistics/Operations

Tim, based in Vancouver, British Columbia manages our business operations as well as Simmer’s British Columbia market. He is currently the Managing Director of WalFam, a privately held company managing commercial real estate and investment assets in Western Canada and Argentina, including vineyards in the latter.

Previously Tim oversaw web technology, governance, policy, business strategies and project management at “Fortune 100” companies IBM and Kodak in Vancouver, and most recently with Enviance in San Diego, California. Tim is an experienced senior business and IT manager with over 25 years of leadership encompassing a wide range of industries.

He is an actively involved member of the West Coast Whisky Society, and his knowledge of single malt whiskies is extensive. Tim strives to continually learn and educate himself and is currently pursuing the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) diploma in Wine and Spirits.

Craig Simpson
Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Craig, based in Edmonton, Alberta is our brand ambassador. His ten-year career in the National Hockey League started in 1985 when he was chosen second overall in the entry draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and continued his playing career with the Edmonton Oilers and finally the Buffalo Sabres. As an Edmonton Oiler, he won two Stanley Cups and led the NHL playoffs in scoring. With 56 goals in 1988, he is the last Oiler player to score over 50 goals in one season. Craig has spent time as an NHL Assistant Coach, ten years as a broadcaster, and is currently the Lead NHL Analyst on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.

As an athlete, coach, broadcaster, performer, business entrepreneur, philanthropist and motivational speaker, Craig is widely recognized and highly regarded throughout Canada. While he is too shy to ever admit it himself, he is proud to be the inaugural winner of the CBC reality TV show Battle of the Blades with partner Olympian Jamie Salé. The show took on the daunting and highly entertaining task of matching a hockey player with a professional figure skater to compete against one another by performing choreographed figure skating routines. An example of Craig’s diversity and willingness to try new things is inspirational and an asset to the team.

Craig’s commitment to strategic planning, product launches, promotion and public relations to promote the awareness and value of the Simmer product portfolio is unstoppable, on or off the ice, chilled or served at just the right temperature.

In addition, Craig has raised millions of dollars for local charities through his Craig Simpson and Friends Charity Fund. He is highly involved in community events and is deeply respected within the business community of Alberta.

Roberta (Bobbie) Koshman
Senior Sales Manager, Alberta

Bobbie, based in Edmonton, Alberta brings to Simmer an extensive retail and sales background. She has more than 15 years experience as a merchandiser, sales representative, and area manager with several large international companies. Her most recent position was as a western Canadian sales manager for Mosaic Sales and Service.

Jack Wear
Sales Manager, Northern Alberta

Jack is based in Edmonton and has an extensive knowledge of the liquor industry, both from a sales and business point of view. His previous career was spent with Xerox in customer service, winning the President’s Trophy for excellence several times.

Jack’s interest in wine spans several decades. He started by working in the the government Alberta Liquor Stores prior to their privatization. He has been fortunate to visit many wineries, especially during the winter months of Alberta.

He is also an author, with published works with Samhain Press and Melange Books. Among his learned talents as a writer, Jack operates his own writer’s website with a strong following on his blog.

Laura Vaughn
Sales Representative, Northern Alberta

Laura, based in Edmonton is the newest member of the Simmer team. She offers her expertise on customer service with more than 12 years experience in hospitality and 3 years in wine/ liquor sales. Laura takes pride in knowing the 'ins and outs' of this ever expanding industry. With several tasting events under her belt, she looks forward to covering even more territory in the near future!

In the last year Laura has taken an active interest in fundraising for CAMTA (Canadian Association of Medical Teams Abroad), and hopes to continue to support local and world wide charities.

Toni-Rae Prusky
Sales Manager, Southern Alberta

Toni-Rae, based in Calgary is our Sales Manager for Calgary and Southern Alberta. She is a high energy self-starter and has over 12 years experience in Sales & Marketing. She has worked in the liquor industry for several years and has been successfully promoting and selling wine and spirits to Calgary’s retail establishments, retail chains and at major events. She was awarded with the “One Million Case Milestone Award” for sales in excess of one million cases annually, as part of the Alberta team while working for Corby Distilleries. As Area Sales Manager for Southern Alberta with Independent Distillers Canada, Toni-Rae introduced new products to the market place significantly increasing sales revenues, particularly in the chain accounts.

She attended the University of Lethbridge where she received a Bachelor of Education degree and taught school for 9 years. Discovering her entrepreneurial spirit she developed and expanded a successful Candy Box business distributing to 40 locations. This led to a continued career in sales and marketing with many years of experience in positions demanding strong sales and problem-solving skills.

Toni-Rae has excellent rapport with her clients and is very strong at building and nurturing customer relationships. She has a passion for wine and is thrilled to be promoting such a high calibre portfolio and working with such an amazing group of people at Simmer. Her enthusiasm, hard work and persistence are a definite asset to the team. She has an entrepreneurial spirit that goes the extra mile providing positive results for Simmer.

Christine Wright
Product Research/
Sales Manager, British Columbia

Christine, based in West Vancouver, British Columbia is not only an extremely creative individual with exceptional sales abilities, but she also has a very discerning palette that is both intuitive and market driven. Christine has spent many years in the event planning industry using her locally renowned cooking abilities and knowledge of wines to create delicious food pairings for some of Vancouver’s most exclusive celebrations. 

After completing an intensive sales and marketing retail-training program in Tucson, Arizona, Christine spent many years working in the printing industry and as co-buyer and Creative Director for a prominent stationary company.

Christine’s progressive vision regarding consumer trends is what makes her vital to Simmer’s strong sales team. Her excellent research skills and ability to internalize product knowledge in this forever evolving industry will consistently deliver the very best quality wine and spirits to Simmer’s clients.

She strives to continually learn and educate herself and is currently pursuing the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) diploma in Wine and Spirits.

Graham Woodruff, Sommelier
Sales Representative, Metro Vancouver/Whistler  

Graham, based in West Vancouver, British Columbia is a passionate and knowledgeable food and wine lover.

As a young man, Graham had a true appreciation for the beauty of pairing tasty food with delicious wines at the expansive family dinner table; his passion and knowledge drives him in perfecting his skills through education and practice. He has over thirty year’s management experience in the food and wine industry. Graham welcomes the opportunity to share and impart; experiment and have fun hosting wine and food events with family, friends and industry. His dry sense of humour is refreshing in delivery and responsive in engagement.

Graham received his Sommelier diploma through the International Sommelier Guild as well as a diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Administration. He founded the Ambleside Farmer’s Market in West Vancouver plus co-founded the highly regarded Slow Foods Lions Gate chapter that honours biodiversity in the food and beverage industry.

Additionally, Graham has served the local community as an active facilitator/volunteer for various sports and was most recently a “Blue Jacket” for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. It was an unforgettable experience; he was assigned to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and was rewarded a special collection of NHL wines which will be savoured in the coming years.

His endeavors have taken him to many parts of the globe. He delights in finding ‘hidden gems’ from the vineyards of the world and to bring them to the Simmer portfolio for enjoyment of our customers… with a satisfied grin, of course!

Isis Wright
Sales Representative, British Columbia

Isis, based in Vancouver, British Columbia brings to Simmer several years experience working in sales and management in both the retail and food/hospitality industries, she brings exemplary sales skills and product knowledge forward for the benefit of her clients. She is also an aspiring actress and has landed several TV and movies roles during the past few years.

Unparalleled customer service and product knowledge, exceptional management, a strong sales team, as well as a sincere desire to provide the best representation of all products represented are sure to help Simmer become the agency that all sales representatives want to work for, and that all suppliers want to be represented by. We believe Simmer has found the winning blend for success and so will you!