Are your taste buds tired of being confined to the basics during the pandemic? Now they can run wild with Cornucopia from November 4 to 28. Whistler’s food and drink festival will open your palate to fresh tasty ideas. Nine special Signature Events will be held Thursday through Sunday during November from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
Kicking off the festival is the Taste of the World on Thursday November 4th ($72.52). Sample ten signature tapas from all over the world and pair them with a selection of exotic beverages: wines, beers, and liquors.
For a local perspective, choose the BC Regional Tasting on Friday November 5th ($89.02). Winemakers from BC’s Tinhorn Creek, Gray Monk, Red Rooster, Black Hills, and Sandhill winery will lead the tastings and introduce you to their favourite wines. Each winery presents both white and red wine. This seated tasting has some delicious palate cleansers but it’s mainly a beverage event.
Saturday, November 6 is Winery Speed Dating ($79.58). This fast-paced event will introduce you to wines from ten different wineries. This too is mainly a beverage event so eat prior to arrival.
The next Signature Event starts Thursday, November 11 with BC House Party ($77.09). Immerse yourself in BC’s delicious food and drink culture with a buffet dinner showcasing the most magnificent dishes BC chefs have to offer paired with a selection of BC’s favourite wines poured at your table.
On Saturday, November 13, experience Cornucopia’s 25th Anniversary Dinner ($286.27) featuring the cuisine of five premier executive chefs from all over the Sea to Sky area. Each chef has partnered with a winery of his or her choice to present an extravagant food and wine pairing.
Early in the day, there are several Drink Seminars beginning Saturday November 6th at 11 am. Wine expert D J Kearny will lead you through New Zealand: Doing it Right for Future Generations ($64.54). The Kiwi wine industry has been a leader in sustainability for decades. But over the years they’ve discovered that protecting people and places also results in superior wines.
Kearny will guide you through nine premium wines including Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and other tasty varietals.
If you’re a hardcore Chardonnay fan, then Chardcore on Saturday, November 6 at 11:15 am ($67.45) is the seminar for you!
The Chardonnay grape is a blank canvas on which winemakers work. It’s easily influenced by terroir and winemaking choices. So it’s not surprising that Chards from across BC express such a range of colours, aromas and flavours. Wine presenters Christine Campbell and Jason Stubblefield guide you through ten Chards from the Okanagan, Similkameen, and Lillooet.
Take a wine journey to the south of France at the Game-Changing Wines of Gerard Bertrand ($64.54) on November 6th at 11:30 am. Despite its long viticultural heritage, the Gerard Bertrand Group is leading the charge to making wines in a better way. Gerard is committed to biodynamic agriculture, sustainability, and innovation in the vineyard right through to designing the bottle.
The winery’s Nicolas Galy hosts this guided tasting of eight wines that show how Gerard and his team are blazing a trail that will be followed by forward thinking wineries around the world.
At 1:30 pm on the 6th, experience Explore BC’s Best: TIME Family of Wines Portfolio at 1:45 pm ($64.54). BC’s TIME Family of Wines recently expanded to include four labels: TIME, Chronos, Evolve, and the McWatters Collection, named after local industry legend, Harry McWatters.
McWatters’ daughter Christa-Lee, the GM of TIME Family of wines will share her insider viewpoint as she co-hosts a guided tasting of ten wines with Christine Campbell of Girls Go Grape. All of the wines featured are handcrafted in small batches, following the family’s vision of embracing innovation and putting quality above all else.
Also on Saturday afternoon at 2 pm is Argentina: Malbec and Beyond ($64.54). Riding the Cool-Climate Wave: Australia’s Rathbone Wine Group ($64.54) is at 4 pm, and Single Malt Seduction: Secrets of the Cask ($76.19) is on at 4:15 pm.
There are lots more Signature Events, Food and Drink Seminars, as well as Restaurant and Bar Events on Cornucopia weekends until November 28th. And if you stay 3 + Nights you will receive a Free $100 Dining Voucher. Visit http://www.whistlercornucopia.com/ for more juicy details!
