It's here. Cornucopia: the wine and food event that should have every attendee bulging at the waistband.
If you've taken a casual glance at this year's schedule, chances are you've found it a bit overwhelming. So much food. So much wine. Such precious little time. What to choose! Events lap over others and those unacquainted with the festival's offerings will have no idea whether to spend Saturday night at, CRUSH or Araxi's Big Guns Winemakers Dinner. Heck, you might not even know what those are!
Thankfully, we at Pique have your back, or belly, in mind. We have poured over this year's schedule, nitpicked the pros and cons of each one of these events, rolling around restlessly in bed, unable to sleep, to decide on an itinerary for you, faithful reader (or out-of-town non-reader: welcome!).
Our decisions have come down to a mix of parties and tasting events. The sold out events have not been included here. Several of the events listed here overlap and so it will be up to you to decide which to attend. Given the cost of some of these events, however, it might be your wallet calling the shots.
So, without further adieu, here's Pique's guide to Cornucopia 2011.
Thursday:
Whistler Chef's Challenge (11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Whistler Conference Centre): This is the big kickoff. It's like Iron Chef without the cameras: Whistler's finest chefs go head to head to produce a delicious meal utilizing a themed ingredient. The ingredient will be announced just five minutes before each heat and all they know now is that they'll include duck, apple or chili. There will be two heats, with each team given 45 minutes. Heat 1 includes Whistler Cooks vs. the Shirtless Cooks; Heat 2 includes Araxi vs. Four Seasons. A panel of judges (which includes our very own food columnist John French) will decide the winner.
Tickets: The event is free and open to all, which is another way of saying that food will not be available for tasting.
House Party (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.): This, actually, is the big Cornucopia kickoff - a big ol' tasting session, featuring barbeque from the Four Seasons' Sidecut, home-made vodka, micro-brewed beer, more cheese than humans should even think about eating and, the best feature of any party, live music. It's a teaser for what's to come over the next three days - great food, great drink, rotten hangovers. It will be held at the Whistler Conference Centre.
Tickets: $40.
Friday:
Sushi Village (12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.): As locals know, if you're not a fan of Japanese cuisine, there's very little for you in Whistler. Chefs Keisuke Matsuzaki and Shogo Yonaha of Sushi Village will discuss the ins and outs of Whistler's Japanese cuisine while drumming up dishes of seaweed salad, miso marinated black cod and the ever-popular Superhiro roll. Will there be sake? You'll have to come to find out. (Ed. Note: sake will be available.)
Tickets: $25
Araxi Big Guns -Icons of the Wine World (6 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., Araxi): With a name like that, Araxi better be bringing the really big guns. Fortunately, with eight courses and wines to match, this might be not only the most ambitious Big Guns dinner yet, but the most ambitious event Cornucopia has seen. With Araxi's executive chef James Walt at the helm, each course will be paired with wines representing the world's foremost wine regions. It will also represent the single greatest exercise of gastro-intestinal expansion this year.
Tickets: $250
CRUSH (8:30 - 11 p.m., Whistler Conference Centre): If Big Guns is out of your price range, we hear McDonald's has a fine selection of exquisite hamburgers that pair nicely with the fabulous selection of wines featured at the CRUSH Gala Grand Tasting, Cornucopia's flagship tasting event. Dozens of wineries from around the world will be offering their wines for sampling. CRUSH is held over two nights, on Friday and Saturday, but since you'll be busy with all those other events, Friday's the day. No food will be available at the event, so fill up before you get here (McDonald's, remember?).
Tickets: $85
Casino Royale: (9 p.m., Ric's Grill): Next, you'll head/shuffle/stumble over to Ric's Grill for Casino Royale for a round of decadent glory. Featuring delicious food, dozens of wineries, bartenders mixing up creative concoctions, talented DJs, dreeeeeamy Vegas Showgirls and steeeeeeamy Goldmember Girls and, don't forget, the gambling parlour, you won't know what to do/drink/spend your money on. Good luck to you.
Tickets: $150
Saturday:
Artisan Slow Food Market (11 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Hilton): After the vinous shenanigans of Friday night, and the much-expected throbbing headache, it's best to take the morning easy. Maybe go for a little stroll and let the cool mountain air work it's magic. Stop off at the Artisan Slow Food Market, which will include booths from a variety of wineries and restaurants, selling their wares and offering samples. Expect some creative and clever interpretations of ingredients and traditional food items. (For more on this, see Epicurious on page......)
Tickets: Free, with food sample tickets available for purchase for $1 each. Tasting samples will range from three tickets to ten.
Chef's Table Luncheon with Dale McKay (12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.): Hunger strikes around noon. Thankfully you've booked a spot at this luncheon with Canada's Top Chef winner and Ensemble Restaurant's executive chef Dale McKay. The meal will be held in one of Whistler's lavish mansions and will include multiple courses, paired with wines prepared by Ensemble sommelier Kevin Van Hullebush. (For more on McKay, turn to page....)
Tickets: $125. Transportation will be provided to the location from the Whistler Conference Centre. Please meet at the Conference Centre Valley Foyer at 12:30 p.m.
Masquerave (7 p.m. - 4 a.m., Bearfoot Bistro): Obviously. This is the big 'un, THE 2011 Cornucopia event: The heralded return of Masquerave. There will be 10 guest chefs from Vancouver, Montreal and Quebec City preparing their finest dishes. There will be enough drink to cover the costly ticket. If that's not sealing the deal, how about the legions of gorgeous women dolled up in exotic paint? Still no deal? Well, proceeds for the event go to ONE DROP, an initiative of Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, which ensures everyone access to drinking water. If that still hasn't swayed you, well, you're missing the one of the greatest parties ever invented. Okay?
Tickets: $295 + HST
Bubbles + Oceans (9 p.m. - 4 a.m., Araxi): While Masquerave is raging, stop over to the Araxi for a few hours of seafood and deluxe champagne and sparkling wine from 30 of the world's top wineries. Fill up on freshly shucked oysters, sushi and Tofino Dungeness crab. And we suggest you keep it down, lest you write Sunday off completely. Once you've had your fill, head back to Masquerave. You probably shouldn't miss too much of that, if you have a ticket.
Tickets: $155
Sunday:
Killer Value Wines (11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.): By this point, your dehydrated, five pounds heavier and, if you're dwelling in the 99 per cent, flat broke. Here, we'll suggest a cheap bagel or a muffin at one of the fine cafes around town (sorely under-represented at Cornucopia, if you ask us).
But if you're new to wine and want to learn more, or are simply looking for the best values, Killer Value Wines will offer insights (and, yes, samples) into quality and affordable wines that will win you some friends and impress the ladies (or men, as it might happens).
Mini Tasting Series (1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Whistler Conference Centre): Okay, one final fling before we all go our separate ways. There are four mini-tastings happening here, including Make Mine Chardonnay, Tiny Bubbles and Pinot Noir: Wine's Holy Grail. It really depends on what you prefer but we're going to recommend Get Me a Cab, both for it's clever title and it's fine selections of cabernet sauvignon.
Tickets: $30 each.
