Chris Turyk, aka FarmerSomm, is a Canadian wine and hospitality professional based in Vancouver, BC. With one foot in the vineyard and the other in the dining room, Chris utilizes his unique skill set in all aspects of wine production, marketing, sales, and education. After graduating from the world renowned Culinary Institute of America Greystone in the Napa Valley, Chris passed the Court of Master Sommeliers Certified Sommelier Exam. Following his passion for wine, Chris was the youngest North American to achieve the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma. After becoming a finalist at the 2015 British Columbia Sommelier of the Year competition, Chris worked as a sommelier at the iconic Hawksworth Restaurant in Vancouver.

Although living abroad in such a prestigious wine region was tempting longterm, returning home to BC to help start Unsworth Vineyards in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island with his family was too strong of a pull. Since 2009, Chris has helped bring Unsworth from a 2 acre vineyard with a garage winery into one of Canada's premium producers. Throughout the course of this growth, Chris was a major part of preparing the land and planting over 10 acres of estate vineyards and is involved in the winemaking process from root to bottle. Chris and Unsworth are pioneers of Charmat Method sparkling wine in the region and have planted exciting new varieties, insuring more environmentally friendly farming practices, and have continued to push the Cowichan Valley into uncharted and exciting new territory. 

Chris currently works in Vancouver as the Assistant General Manager of Unsworth Vineyards, primarily coordinating marketing and sales. Chris also consults with a number of private clients and independent restaurants. When he's not working, Chris thoroughly enjoys growing vegetables on his deck, volunteering at UBC Farm, and putting his culinary degree to work in the kitchen.