To ensure a full understanding of wine in its key context, with food, Rhys has also completed a professional culinary diploma. He has taught hundreds of wine classes for WSET®, Okanagan College and privately to wineries, restaurants and corporate groups. He consults to the industry on marketing, new winery development, wine evaluations, viticulture, business planning, food and wine pairing and staff training and sits on the board for the Okanagan Wine Festival Society as Judging Chair. Rhys is a regular contributor on wine to publications Wine Access, Savour, Taste, CityFood and Montecristo. Rhys judges with the Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards and International Value Wine Awards, the Decanter World Wine Awards, Vancouver Magazine Wine Awards and the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition. He has also recently launched rhyspender.com to provide wine reviews and comment on the wine world. In 2008, Rhys was named by Western Living magazine as one of the “Top 40 Foodies Under 40” in Western Canada.

In 2009 Rhys and his wife Alishan planted a small 4 acre vineyard at their Cawston home to sweat out some of the calories associated with a life of food and wine. Rhys’ future career plan is to wait for Robert Parker to retire so he can finally claim back his initials RP for wine reviews.

Rhys instructs the WSET® and educational programs for Wine Plus+ .