Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

A sneak peak inside Cornucopia 2010

Only three more weeks to go before Whistler is wrapped up in the whirlwind of food and wine that is better known as Cornucopia. 'Tis the season to taste wines from around the region - and the world - and blow your diet to smithereens.

Only three more weeks to go before Whistler is wrapped up in the whirlwind of food and wine that is better known as Cornucopia. 'Tis the season to taste wines from around the region - and the world - and blow your diet to smithereens.

This indulgent event has been coordinated by the team at Watermark Productions since 2008, but is actually entering its 14 th year.

Lilli Clark, event producer for Watermark, explained that they wanted to "breathe new life" into the festival when they took over. But, with a track record of producing sports- and music-oriented events like Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, she admits that there was a definite learning curve to planning an event that focused on the wine industry.

"But we loved the challenge," she said. "We loved the event and we thought it was such a great event and we thought we could bring something different to it, and I think that that's why we won the bid.

"That being said, we have brought on experts," she added.

They teamed up with industry professionals to help coordinate wine seminars and parties, and have grown far more comfortable in the process.

And while they wanted to maintain the festival's higher-end programming, they also wanted to include more events that were accessible to people who were just beginning to explore the world of fine wine and food. Contrary to what some people may think, this festival isn't just for industry people and wine aficionados. Sure, you'll probably encounter your fair share of wine snobs sniffing, swirling, sipping and spitting, but this event is where industry folk come to let down their hair.

"It's absolutely open to so many different people: to people who are just learning about wine and food and to people who are experienced in wine and food," Clark emphasized. "We have to be careful that we don't exclude people who are the next generation of Cornucopia attendees."

Clark points out that they've lowered the ticket price on many events, including the Crush galas, and strive to keep the workshops and seminars affordable for everyone.

For the 2010 festival, there are a few changes in store; most significantly, organizers are making an effort to move some seminars out of the conference centre and into the more intimate setting of local restaurants.

"We want people to come and experience Whistler," Clark explained. "We don't want people to be at the conference centre the entire weekend. This is as much about bringing tourism to Whistler as it is about the event itself."

They've also opted to eliminate the tiered dinners that were built into the Crush events for the past two years and bring back the popular Best of B.C. theme for the House Party for a second year running. The Four Seasons' Sidecut will be dishing up an incredible BBQ spread, while wineries and breweries from around the province will be pouring all night long - all that for just $35.

For the full 2010 Cornucopia schedule, head to www.whistlercornucopia.com/schedule.

 

An extra scoop

For two nights only (Thursday, Oct. 21 and Friday, Oct. 22), seven Whistler restaurants will be holding candlelit dinners to help raise awareness surrounding energy consumption.

The Elephant & Castle, Players Chophouse, Ric's Grill, The Wine Room, La Bocca, Tandoori Grill and the Wildflower at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler are the local participants among the 100 restaurants around the province that have signed up for BC Hydro's Candlelight Conservation Dinner.

The event, which is entering its second year, is presented in partnership with Tourism Whistler and the Resort Municipality of Whistler. It is part of BC Hydro's Power Smart Month campaign. People who are members of Team Power Smart can visit BC Hydro's website to access special dining deals at some of these restaurants, as well.

"The Candlelight Conservation Dinner is one example of how the business sector can reduce their energy use and help make their customers aware of how they too can make a difference," Mayor Ken Melamed said in a recent press release. "Energy consumption in Whistler continues to grow every year. We have a shared responsibility to take real action to conserve energy in order to meet our community greenhouse gas emissions targets."

 

Another round

Whistler Brewing Co.'s Black Tusk Ale is still causing quite a stir in the industry, despite the fact that they stopped making the seasonal brew back in March. Since then, it has won medals at two world championships: North America's Best Dark Brown Ale at the 2010 World Beer Awards and the Bronze Medal for the Best English Mild Ale at the 2010 World Beer Cup.

"We are extremely excited to have our brewmaster's art recognized on a global scale," Bruce Dean, President of Whistler Brewing, said in a recent release. "For 2010, our Black Tusk Ale is one of only two Canadian beer entries to be recognized in both the World Beer Cup and the World Beer Awards, proving that you don't need to travel too far from home to experience some of the best beers the world has to offer!"

Black Tusk Ale will be returning to liquor stores this month.