Posts tagged with “Cornucopia”

This week as the calendar flipped one week closer to the end of the world, my wife Candace and I began celebrating our one-year anniversary of life in Whistler. With time ticking down to the Mayan apocalypse we can’t help but to be thankful for spending the last year of modern civilization hunkered down in the safety of Whistler’s bubble. And while we’re still not sure what makes a Whistler local a local, we’re proud to call Whistler home and look forward to digging in deeper here.

Because we have kids and live on a ski-bum budget, we opted to celebrate our one-year Whistler anniversary in style: at home in front of the fire sampling a few local seasonal’s paired with Samurai Sushi take-out. Real baller.

Anyhow, through the course of the evening Candace and I began compiling a list of Whistler favorites from our first year. So, in alphabetical order, this is what we came up with.

A. Walk to Awesome – The neighborhood we live in is straight up awesome. If you read The Proof you’ll notice that many of the featured artists live somewhere around the corner from us. It’s beautiful here; we can walk to the lifts, saunter down to the beach, ski out when the snow’s in, and it always feels better than the suburbia that groomed us.

B. Fix Café @ Nita Lake Lodge – Coffee, tasty food, free wifi, great staff, resident’s discount, and a ton of local’s who float in and out. Hands down our favorite coffee shop.

C. Cornucopia – A last minute addition to my calendar this year, it won’t be missed next year. With it’s scheduling doubling for 2013, we’d be crazy to miss it.

D. Whistler Museum – Some of the best events I’ve been to this year were hosted by the Whistler Museum. A hub for culture & heritage in Whistler, Whistler Museum and its’ program director Jeff Slack have brought us such events as the Whistler Speaker Series and Whistler Debates.

E. Pure Bread – Pour-over coffee, cinnamon buns, Guinness cake, and awesome served up four or five days a week. I can never remember what days they’re open but, when I hit it right, I feel like I’ve won the lottery.

F. WORCA – I joined WORCA to do a story on the Tuesday night toonie rides. It was supposed to be a one-off but somewhere between “Go!” and being passed by a couple hundred dudes in spandex I decided I would give my Tuesday’s to WORCA. Besides, no one in the back of the pack wears spandex and I fit right in.

G. Scandinave Spa – Every time I go to the Scandinave it’s the best night of my life. If you’re local, hit it up on Tuesday’s.

H. Samurai Sushi – Yum yum.

I. Shopping Local – Candace likes this. I avoid shopping at all costs and, when fate conspires against me and I have to go buy some shoes or something, the closer to home the better.

J. Ski School – I’m not sure how the rest of the WB Ski Schools work, but Maz and the crew down at Creekside Whistler Kids kill it. My 4-year-old is in his second year of ski-school and is about one year away from turning pro. I don’t have enough good things to say about the WB ski school. I have a future post scheduled for January where I’ll gush and make WB blush.

K. Leisure Time (Friendly Whistler Vibe) – I’m not sure why or if anyone but me will get this, but Whistler reminds me of Wycleff Jean looping Pink Floyd.

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By Tyler Mills and Michelle Leroux

It was Tyler’s idea to attend the  Cornucopia Whistler event called”What did Chardonnay ever do to you?”

Checking out the wine seminars is a fairly new addition to my and Tyler’s festival line up of events. In the past the late night parties have always been our preference. Really, what better way to cure a Cornucopia hang over than participating in an 11am wine tasting? Here’s our thoughts on the event and the Chardonnays we tasted.

Michelle: I thought it was odd that you wanted to go to this one since if a wine glass is involved I never see you with a glass of anything but red in your hand.

Tyler: You’re right. I rarely ever feel like ordering white wine and Chardonnay seems like the red headed stepchild of white wines. I did have low expectations when it came to Chardonnay.

Michelle: So, we started with some bubbles called Champagne de Venoge Blanc de Blancs.

Tyler: Yes, immediately this won me over. Anything that includes bubbles is a winner for me. Not much more to say…bubbles equals crazy delicious.

Love Chard O’Meter – 8

Michelle: And then we tasted the Domaine de Chaude Ecuelle Chablis…

Tyler: I feel like Chablis must be the French term for shitty.

Cornucopia’s Crush Grand Gala Tasting event is, quite simply, a good place to be. A flagship tasting event and among the most popular events of Cornucopia year-after-year, Crush offers wine aficionado’s a venue to get dressed up, grab a glass, and swirl, sip, and savor their way through a huge list of wines offered up from dozens of wineries.

The atmosphere is sophisticated as it is relaxed. A vibrant mix of high heels and bottomless glasses, at Crush you’re constantly on the move sipping and sampling your way from region to region and from Old World to New World, all the while rubbing shoulder’s with tourists and the large number of Whistler local’s who made it out this year.

For the “best-kind-of-wine-is-Pabst” crowd, you’ll be happy to know that earlier this year a bunch of industry professionals took part in blind taste testing submissions to this year’s Cornucopia’s Top 25 contest. The winners are clearly marked throughout the exhibit and, if you don’t know what you’re supposed to like, just ask for the winner.

If you missed last night’s event, you’re in luck – Crush runs for two evenings, last night and tonight (Nov. 9^th & 10^th). Dig out your dress-to-impress clothes, hire a cab, and if you’re apart of the aforementioned “Pabst crowd” just remember: hold the glass by the stem, look at the wine before you drink it, swirl it around a bit, smell it, sip it, and then say something clever about its after-taste and I guarantee you’ll fit right in.

For tickets for Crush and other Cornucopia events, visit www.whistlercornucopia.com

This year marks the 16^th Anniversary of Cornucopia Whistler, and personally my sixth year in attendance (time flies when you’re downing vino).  So by now, you’d think we would all know what to expect when it comes to the Cornucopia Festival. However, this year, it’s out with the old and in with the new. Parties of Cornucopia past, such as Casino Royale & Masquarave, are no more, and events of Cornucopia future, Eau de Vie, High Rollers, & Night Market, are the new players in town.  So, I’ve decided to give our Whistler Is Awesome readers the low down on the “must dos” of this year’s festival and break it down into my top two events for each day of Cornucopia Whistler.

November 7^th – It All Starts With Cocktails

This year, Cornucopia Whistler kicks off with a cocktail competition at the Whistler Conference Centre, hosted by one of my favourite restaurants, Alta Bistro. This event is free to attend and I’m lucky enough to be one of the judges for this year’s competition. I fully plan on being the Simon Cowell of cocktail judging (though to be honest, after a few drinks I’ll probably be closer to being the Paula Abdule of cocktail judging).

Follow up on your afternoon of cocktail sampling with the official dinner party for the event. Alta Bistro’s “The Muddle” is a five course dinner for $50 and you’ll get a chance to mix & mingle with some of the top bartending personalities from Whistler and Vancouver.   Read more

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been slowly digging out my winter gear, swapping my gear closet around, and taking inventory of what needs to be replaced for this season. With the cold mornings, dustings of snow right down to the valley, and my fireplace running most days, the first thing I grabbed from my winter bin was my toque. And while the toque is always in fashion here in Whistler, it’s also at this time of year when the toque acts as a good-luck charm to remind winter to arrive early and deep.

If you’re Canadian you probably love your toque as much as I do and sometimes feel offended when our weekend-warrior friends from the great Canadian province of Washington State would rather call it a “beanie.” However, as much as I hate to admit, it does make more sense to wear a beanie into the mountains rather than a toque.

A toque, if you didn’t know, is Canadiana-speak for a French term previously borrowed from the ancient Greeks who themselves borrowed the idea from the Assyrians. Classically known, the toque is a tall and important looking hat worn by professional chefs that looks ridiculous unless you have a sharp knife in one hand and a sprinkle of seasoning in the other.

In the Assyrian tradition, servants who cooked for their masters had every opportunity to poison their master. The master, wise as he was, decided that giving a large and important looking hat to the cook would make him feel important and curb his desire to kill. Apparently this worked because the Greeks picked it up as did a certain pirate from the Caribbean; but, unsurprisingly, it’s the French who made it classy.

The burn-ya-at-the-stake environment of Medieval Europe set the stage for a rise in toques among the class of professional chef. The chef, lumped into the same suspicious group of characters made up of artists, scientists, and philosophers, had to sneak from kitchen to church-sanctuary and adopted the toque as a means of camouflage – blending in with local clergy. This might have been a good plan except that the clergy ended up spending as much time burning at the stake as did the witches and artists who they hunted.

Anyhow, times changed and French chefs eventually became the Roquefort Cheese of chefs the world over and the toque became commonplace around the kitchen. Oddly, French and Metis fur traders came to call their furry winter caps a toque as they explored the Canadian frontier. Then, in the early 1800’s a rouge toque even became the symbol of French-Canadian nationalism…which, as a Canadian, is not surprising.

In Whistler, we like to have our cake and eat it too. We want the chef hat and the shred hat – the toque and the toque. Thankfully, in a town shelved full of world-class chef’s who surprise and delight with their food-creations paired with the massive vertical and huge annual snow-fall in our front-yard – we have the best of both worlds.

It’s hardly a surprise to find that the passion for deep snow in Whistler is nearly matched by the passion for great food. And like it or not, it’s common-place to have your secret pow spot tracked by a lone skier or to be passed on the Dave Murray Downhill by a dude riding switch only to find out they’re on their way down the mountain to put on the chef’s hat and create the mouth-watering morsels Whistler has become known for.

So, to my dear friends from Seattle and from the rest of the great USAmercia – when you come to Whistler, leave your beanie at home and bring your toque for the mountain and make sure to sample the food of the toque clad chefs who have put Whistler on the foodie map. You’ll honor a great Canadian tradition, fit right into life in Whistler, and maybe even be convinced that your beanie is actually a toque.

Winter is coming. We’ll see ya’ll soon.

-Jer

If you can’t wait for winter, check out Cornucopia! The 16th annual celebration of food and wine graces Whistler on November 7th – 11th, 2012 and is sure to delight all of your senses.

Wow. Seriously. What were they thinking?! Like, you’ve got to be kidding me! There’s literally TOO much to choose from.

So, I’m meant to go to a wine seminar, a Viking stage, a winery dinner, Crush AND an after party..?! What do they think this is.. Whistler?!!

On second thoughts, maybe they’re onto something. Maybe this is a town that celebrates even when it’s not a pow day. Maybe this is the place that doctors, lawyers, bankers and civil engineers go to become line chefs, bartenders and restaurant managers just so they can enjoy the rest of life too. Maybe this is the place where we revel in good food, good wines and great company. So maybe, just maybe, those Tourism Whistler and Cornucopia peeps are right.

I may be biased, but I think they know that early November would be a pretty dismal time without our little wine soaked shin dig. Snow on the peaks but no chairlift open. Rain somedays and the promise of cooling temperatures but not just yet. So, what better time to join your fellow foodies, wine lovers, party animals, professional or enthusiast, and kick up your heels a bit before the season really kicks in. Ours bars and restaurants need just as much support to pull through the ‘dead season’ as we all individually do, so this is a chance to show your support but donning your party finery, and indulging in some delicious eats and drinks in a variety of incredible locations. Sounds tough? Ah, I think you’ve got it in you..

Cornucopia has a plethora of options this year, from an insane amount of incredible Winery Dinners, perfect to start of your night right, to educational and entertaining wine seminars where it’s encouraged to swallow, not spit, after-parties to take you past the witching hour, cooking demos with wine pairings, an Asian Night Market, luncheons, brunches and more! With the openings left by Casino Royale and Masquerave, the Fairmont and Four Seasons have stepped up to the plate and you can get your party fix at the High Rollers casino themed affair on Friday November 9th; 10pm-2am or at the Eau du Vie Party at 5280 Bar the same evening, 9.30pm-1am. Araxi has their ever-popular and utterly delicious Bubbles + Oceans event to round out your Saturday night from 10pm. Don’t miss these lavish affairs where you can party with the best of them, dance, eat and drink the night away! There’s no pumpkins at midnight for these party princesses!

Tickets are selling like champagne soaked hot cakes and we recommend snapping up your favourite ASAP. Visit www.whistlercornucopia.com/schedule for the full line up, and get your itinerary planned and tickets booked. And remember, now is as good a time as any to try something new and delicious!

I call this piece, Signs of Nature.

 Hello again locals, visitors, kids, friends and families!

I usually don’t get to nervous about gigs but this upcoming one in November is starting to give me some signs that I am not ready yet.  It shows me that there is still much work to do.  I am curating a show at two venues in the middle of the month of November  and it might just be a race to get it all done by then the way I want.  Once the show is up I can relax a little and enjoy the festivities.  Until then there is much work and a couple of other gigs along the road.

The show I am hosting is one concept that I have worked with previously.  What the proposal to the artists is:  To take a wooden wine box of varying size and paint it, draw on it, spray it, put stuff on it, whatever the artists vision is.  As long as they adhere to the theme, Issue and they keep the piece P.G.  I don’t ask for much in my shows except for of course, some good old creativity that makes the people go ahhhh.   There is almost nothing better than to view a well produced, honest and fun art show.  That is what I am hoping for this time.  The main venue is Millennium Place and a other not confirmed location is still in the works, wish me well in securing it and the logistics around the deal.

The show will correspond with Cornucopia and be a part of it.  As usual the artists are generally from the Corridor with some exceptions.  This time around I have enlisted the help of some foreign artist that I felt needed to showcase their work outside their respective country.  I invited a favourite pop artist from San Diego, Monty Montgomery, to join the group, I also asked country man and super rad dude Chris Crites, aka, The Bag Painter to be a part of the show.  If you’re not familiar with these lads then, please take a gander at their work which inspired me to invite them in to the show.  Both are established artists with quite unique styles.  They must be seen to be understood.   I personally own a Bag Painter print and think you should too!

Over the next couple of months I will highlight and discuss the other artists involved in the show.  I hope you are as excited as I am to see this awesome and unique show that will certainly be a highlight in the Whistler art scene for 2012.  Stay tuned as there are many exciting artists that I have not worked with previously but look forward to immensely .

I am running off to a photo shoot this afternoon that I will surely let you know of next week.  I can’t say anything yet as it is before the printer and we just don’t wanna talk to much till it is in the proverbial can.  Then, it will be blah, blah, blah. You know me.  Ol Arne motor mouth, hahahaha.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to wax your gear before you forget.

arne

1. Tell us about yourself.

I am extremely lucky to be the Communications Manager at Watermark, the company that produces events such as Cornucopia and TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival. You may have heard of us..? I consequently now have a Twitter addiction that I tried to cure with Instagram, but it only got worse.

I have lived in Whistler for six years, did the ubiquitous WB thing for a few years, frolicked with bartending/wine directing, finally found myself a ‘big-girl’s’ job and am putting my Communications degree to good use. I was born in Australia, and have Canadian parents, so am legitimately a Can-Aussie with dual citizenship, two passports and a messed up accent to prove it. I also know how to tip.

Random facts: I love Christmas more than any sane person should. I am working towards Read more

The Diva Dishes On Breakfast Bubbles + Others

“You realize you are in the hands of a bubblehead, right?” chuckles Terry David Mulligan, referring to co-presenter and The Wine Diva Daenna Van Mulligen.

Judging from the assembly line of liquid in front of me, I was certain I was in good hands, bubblehead or not. For these pours to make the table, they must be something special. Daenna is truly a professional wine drinker, tasting over 2,200 wines a year and reviewing around 1,000 of them on her tongue in cheek website  www.winediva.ca.

It is not even noon yet but we are eager to tackle the impressive array of sparkling wine, Prosecco and white-to-rose-to-red varietals placed before us. Wine glasses chime, and sips, slurps and murmurs of approval rise from the packed room. Terry and Daenna dish on breakfast pairings, the Wine Diva shares her  first wine experience (Daenna – Moody Blue with a straw) and Terry reveals his wine hunting tactics for superstores like CostCo – he looks for whatever row is empty since “Someone out there obviously knows something I don’t.”

One of our group’s favourite tastings was a cherry blossom pink Prosecco called Cantina Bregganze Rosa di Sera. I would gladly start each day with this long finishing bubbly. Talk was breakfast pairings but Daenna did point out this would be a great aperitif at any upcoming holiday meals, and the $21.99 bottle wouldn’t offend any red or white wine lover as a gift.

The $25 Stellar’s Jay Brute 2007 was also savoured. With Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc acting as the dynamic duo for this sparkling, it handily cuts rich and buttery brekkies. The Oyster Bay Sparkling Cuvee, also for $25, is pure Chardonnay and another fresh and feisty pairing for a rich breakfast.

Last, but not least, is the Fresita Sparkling Wine, quite possibly my new favourite thing. In. The. World. This vivid strawberry coloured nectar is what I imagine the liquid in Alice’s “Drink Me” goblet tastes like. At just $15.95 a bottle I am seriously rethinking Earl Grey tea as my morning libation.

Other Breakfast Pairing Recco’s

Pfaffenheim Pinot Gris 2009, $19.99 – Pairs well with mushrooms, cream, white meat

J Brut Rose, $40 – Try this with salmon

Santa Julia Syrah Rose 2010, $14 – Pairs well with bacon, sausage, smoked or spicy meats…how about Heuvo Rancheros? yep.