Cornucopia means “horn of plenty”, which is a symbol of abundance and nourishment and that is what Whistler puts on each year in November. This year’s Whistler Cornucopia runs from November 9 to 19, 2023. The festival has been running for 27 years and it is a celebration of food and drink. What is unique about Whistler Cornucopia is that there are over 75 events including signature events, drink seminars, culinary stage demonstrations and winery dinners. The festival has something for everyone so you can pick and choose a buffet of events to suit your interests and mood.
I wanted to highlight some of the signature and new events available at this year’s Whistler Cornucopia (prices do not include applicable fees and taxes):
Mekong Fine Thai Cuisine & Meyer Family Estate Wines Dinner (November 10, 6 to 10 p.m., $215) - Mekong Fine Thai Cuisine, a fairly new Whistler restaurant has thoughtfully curated a menu based on Thai culinary traditions to match with wine pairings from Meyer Family Vineyards.
Crush Grand Tasting (November 11, 8:30 to 11 p.m., Whistler Conference Centre, $95) – this is one of the flagship tasting events of the festival. Crush spotlights wineries from the Pacific North West along with tempting bites from restaurants in the Sea to Sky Corridor. Over 50 international and regional wineries will be pouring a number of their wines.
Taste of Indigenous Worlds (November 12, 7 to 9:30 p.m., Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, $85) – this is a new event to the festival which brings together six Indigenous chefs from across B.C. who will showcase traditional cooking and ingredients paired with modern twists. Attendees will be able to wander through the gallery while sampling small plates paired with beverages.
Night Market: Taste of the World (November 17, 8 to 10:30 p.m., Whistler Conference Centre, $75) – Take a global culinary adventure and sample food accompanied by wine, beer and spirits in a vibrant street market atmosphere.
Audain Artist Dinner: Garden of Shadows (November 18, 7 to 10 p.m., The Audain Art Museum, $99) – this is another new event showcasing art, nature and gastronomy. Attendees will enjoy a cocktail reception, then a curated tour of Karin Bubaš’ Garden of Shadows exhibition followed by a gourmet multi-course dinner.
Bearfoot Bistro World Oyster Invitational & Bloody Caesar Battle (November 19, 3-7 pm, Whistler Conference Centre, $159) – This is the 11th annual competition where the best oyster shuckers, bartenders and mixologists from around the globe come to Whistler to compete. Net proceeds from the event will be donated to Myeloma Canada
The Culinary Stage Series events are also very tempting. It is like being in the audience of a live cooking show where attendees also get to enjoy the food creations complete with drink pairings. This year’s Culinary Stage Series features renowned chefs including Robert Clark, Julian Bond, Alana Maas, Luis Valenzuela.
There are also some great drink seminars. Some of the seminars I wouldn’t want to miss include Masi: Exploring the Great Amarone Vineyards of Verona on Nov. 12 and The Loire Valley on Nov. 19.
My wine recommendation in this column is the Ornellaia 2020 Le Volte. This is an entry-level wine produced by Super Tuscan superstar Ornellaia. It is a blend of 50-per-cent Sangiovese and 50-per-cent Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that is aged 10 months, partly in barrique used for Ornellaia and partly in cement tanks.
It is meant to be a wine that can be enjoyed right away but also can age. It is on sale at BC Liquor Stores this month at $30.99 (reduced from $34.99)
Until next time, happy drinking!
Tony Kwan is the Richmond News' is a lawyer by day, and a food and wine lover by night. Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
