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Vintage Cornucopia helps resuscitate Whistler

Seminars, wines, restaurants full of surprises and fun

Cornucopia wrapped up last weekend across Whistler and the flood of guests, not to mention some timely snow, appears to have had a bit of a resuscitative effect on the village.

One cab driver told me he his final fare the night of the Bearfoot Masquerave was at six in the morning, but he was not complaining.

Nor were the thousands of tickets holders that made their way through the four-day wine and food bash that is already planning for a bigger and better 10 th anniversary Cornucopia next fall.

One seminar that is sure to return will be The Battle of the Sexes . The action-packed 90-minute, blind tasting pitted the men against the women in two panels of three with the rest of the interested participants divided by gender on either side of the noisy tasting room.

In all, eight wines were served "double blind" to the panels leaving none of the tasters on the panels or in the room with any clues about the wines. Despite the secrecy, six times out of a possible 16, the panels guessed the exact wine in an impressive display of deductive reasoning.

In the end the women’s panel that included D.J. Kearney (instructor, Vancouver Wine Academy), Jane Ferrari (storyteller, Yalumba Wines) and Michelle Bouffard (resident sommelier, Marquis Wine Cellars), narrowly defeated the men’s panel led by (David Scholefield, (consultant to the British Columbia Wine Institute) with Mark Davidson (founder/instructor Vancouver Wine Academy and Joshua Wesson (New York City wine retailer).

It all came down to the final wine that the men described perfectly but failed to put a name to. When the women pegged the label name, a South African Graham Beck Shiraz, they won the final challenge and the entire event by a single point. It was great fun and no doubt a seminar that, should it be repeated next year, will sell-out quickly.

Wine Guys and Their Picks

featured another sold-out audience that came to taste an eclectic mix of wines presented by an equally eclectic group of wine types.

Restaurateur Manuel Ferreira has run Le Gavroche for nearly two decades in Vancouver and recently opened a casual Portuguese/Spanish/southern Mediterranean bistro on the west side of town called Senova. He brought along two European picks: a clean, fresh, slightly fizzy, non-vintage Casal Garcia Vinho Verde ($11), and a French pinot noir – Moillard 2003 Mercurey Clos l’Eveque 1er Cru only available at Le Gavroche for about $38.

Bob Bath, a master sommelier who consults to California-based Jackson Family Farms chose the delicious, fruity Quails Gate 2004 Limited Release Dry Riesling ($16) from B.C. and the ultra smooth and savoury Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2003 Garnacha from Calatayud, Spain ($16). Las Rocas was a showstopper with its peppery, licorice, black raspberry, mineral flavours. Turkey would be a perfect partner.

Educator Mark Davidson split his picks between Flagstone 2005 Noon Gun ($13) a delicious South African white wine made from several grape varieties and a one-off blockbuster Yalumba 2003 MGS ($59) made with mourvèdre, grenache and syrah and tasting of ripe black raspberry jam, vanilla and licorice.

Former BCLDB wine buyer David Scholefield brought along two solid reds. First up was the screw-capped Bottle Tree 2003 Shiraz Cabernet ($12.95) from New South Wales a perfect hamburger red. His second pick was a See Ya Later 2003 Ping ($22) a much bigger Bordeaux blend made by the folks at Hawthorne Mountain.

Wine buyer/sommelier Tom Doughty for C and Nu restaurants in Vancouver showcase a very tasty and ready to drink Thomas Hyland 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon ($19) from South Australia and knockout Basel Cellars Vierra Vineyards Claret ($45) from Washington that is only available at C restaurant.

I brought along two bottles as well. First up was the Errázuriz 2004 Merlot ($13.50), my anti-Sideways, anti pinot noir pick. I also opened the Cusumano Nero d’Avola ($17) . Both are superb value reds, the latter was chosen as a Cornucopia top 25 wine to boot.

Food was front and centre at Cornucopia with winemaker dinners spread across the village.

At the Four Seasons Fifty Two 80 Bistro diners enjoyed a sumptuous menu wrapped around the wines of Napa Valley wine giant Caymus Vineyards while at the other end of the village diners plunked down $660 each to taste several decades of Dom Pérignon paired with Bearfoot Bistro chef Steve Ridley’s fabulous fare.

I spent Saturday night at Araxi where dish after dish that came out of the kitchen was impeccable.

If I had to pick a favourite course that night it would be the Nova Scotia lobster dish that featured a lobster and pumpkin ravioli, a poached tail and claw, Pemberton Valley winter squash and lobster broth paired with three outstanding chardonnays: Highland Estates Camelot Highlands 2002, Stonestreet Upper Barn 2001 and Hartford Court 3 Jacks Russian River .

There wasn’t much down time during Cornucopia but I did manage to drop by Après to check out chef Eric Vernice’s new winter menu and it’s terrific. Owner Chris Cheney is the brains behind this intimate wine bistro you simply must check out. Wine pairings with each menu item are suggested and over 40 wines are available by the glass.

Some of my favourites included the chestnut cappuccino and parmesan snap with truffle paired with your choice of viognier. The Dungeness crab roll "facon cannelloni" root vegetable jus, tomato and Banyuls salsa with baby watercress is the perfect chardonnay foil. Finally, for pinot noir fans check out the canarolli risotto with braised rabbit and porcini foam. Need I say more?

Next year Cornucopia turns 10 and Whistler officials are already planning further improvements there are rumours the festival could be pushed back to late November during the American Thanksgiving holiday. It could be a wild opening weekend you won’t want to miss.

Anthony Gismondi is a globetrotting wine writer who makes his home in West Vancouver, British Columbia. For more of his thoughts on wine log onto www.gismondionwine.com