Media Releases
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Every budget can enjoy Cornucopia presented by North Shore Credit Union
Tourism Whistler media release
For immediate release - November 1, 2012
Every budget can enjoy
Cornucopia presented by North Shore Credit Union
Suggested tweet:
@CornucopiaWine has
events for all budgets. From free to money is no object -#Cornucopia2012
has you covered. #Whistler http://bit.ly/S3rAKI
Whistler, B.C. – Whistler’s Cornucopia
presented by North Shore Credit Union offers five days of impressive
events for every taste – and budget.
“Cornucopia is a festival for all budgets and we’re thrilled to be able
to offer something for everyone,” says Jess Smith, communications manager
with event producer, Watermark Communications.
“Sometimes people assume they can’t afford to attend Cornucopia because
it is a ‘wine festival’. But we have worked hard to dispel this myth by
showcasing a range of events, from free
seminars to over-the-top
winemaker dinners.”
Who doesn’t love FREE? This year’s festival kicks off with a series of
free events beginning with Wednesday and Thursday’s spectator friendly Whistler Chef’s Challenge presented by Viking –
a showdown of skills, food and egos.
And for those who are mixology inclined, Wednesday’s Cornucopia
Cocktail Competition presented by Alta
Bistro is another not to be missed event where master bartenders and
black-belt mixologists must be as creative as possible in the allotted 15
minutes.
On Thursday night for $30, wine and film enthusiasts can a
selection of B.C. wines and enjoy the show at Best
of the VINOS . Attendees are introduced to a
selection of short films about B.C. wines and wineries as selected from
VINOS, the world’s first wine-based film festival in Osoyoos.
For festival goers who want to learn from the best, a must do is the Viking
Stage Series, ten casual and fun instructional
demonstrations on everything from wine and chocolate pairing to locally
distilled spirits and caviar to sushi featuring local and national chefs,
producers and beverage professionals. It’s the battle of the grapes in
Sunday’s Mini
Tasting Series. Attendees will have to choose
between Spain (who is making their seminar debut at Cornucopia), or Italy
in four 1-hour sessions.
If you enjoy the finer things in life, or just want to show off and tell
your friends you went to “the” events at Cornucopia, be sure to check out
Friday’s over the top, blow your mind winery dinner at the Bearfoot
Bistro’s The Best of Italy. This extravagant dinner
begins with a cocktail reception accompanied with oysters, caviar, and
shellfish followed by a fall-inspired five-course tasting menu paired with
wine from Italy’s most iconic wineries. Eau de Vie - A Spirited Affair makes its
debut to Cornucopia on Friday night when 5280
Bar at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler will be transformed into a
‘chic sanctuary of innovative cocktail culture’. Patron Tequila, Remy
Martin Cognac complemented by DJ music with an international flair
set the tone for this ‘Water of Life’ late night affair.
Visit whistlercornucopia.com
for ticket and event information. Cornucopia
packages are available on Whistler.com starting at $94 per person/per
night. In addition, guests will want to book their winter vacation packages
by November 15 and save up to 39 per cent on winter stay and ski packages
that include lodging and lift tickets. Plus, kids
stay, ski, rent & shuttle for free. The Book Early and Save
promotion promises the lowest rates of the season and the Best Price Guarantee.
Faces of
Cornucopia - Executive Chef Melissa Craig, Bearfoot Bistro
In a profession traditionally dominated by men, Melissa Craig is a
rarity. A graduate from the Culinary Arts Program of Malaspina University
College in British Columbia, she was the first Canadian female to win the
National Apprentice Competition, after completing her apprenticeship at the
renowned Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island at age 20. Now 31, Melissa
is Executive Chef at the renowned Bearfoot Bistro, commanding a team of 20
in the open show kitchen. Her menu is best described as modern Canadian
cuisine, using a blend of West Coast and international ingredients with her
immaculate presentation and simple yet passionate artistry. A Red Seal
Certified Chef, this young culinary phenomenon has already achieved more in
her 31 years than many of her peers twice her age. Now also leading
Bearfoot Bistro’s new catering division, Melissa Craig shows no signs of
slowing down. www.bearfootbistro.com
-30-
Cornucopia is a five day dazzling display of gourmet food and
wines, attracting more than 10,000 people to the resort – and catering to
everyone from amateur enthusiasts to aficionados. Respected industry
professionals, judges and presenters headline each event, seminar and
tasting, offering the best possible opportunity to garner as much
information and insight as possible. Held on the cusp of the opening of
each ski season in beautiful Whistler, British Columbia, Cornucopia was
designed to showcase and support the local food and wine industry. Now
encompassing wineries and restaurants from Vancouver, greater B.C. and
beyond, Cornucopia has become internationally recognized as a preeminent
representation of the culinary and viticulture tourism industry in Canada. With
widespread appeal shown through the immense variety of events available,
the festival is truly a food and wine festival with a Whistler attitude.
Whistler is Canada’s premier year-round leisure and meeting
destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north
of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski
resort in North America, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range
of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as
townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100
restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity
options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and
golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of
Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent
residents.
Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization
representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler
Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and
whistler.com – Whistler’s official source for visitor bookings and
information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort
Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000
members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort
lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.
Media can visit whistler.com/media for Whistler facts,
media releases, story starters, local personality profiles and access to
images and B-roll.
Media
Contact
Tourism
Whistler
Mary Zinck
Coordinator, Travel Media
T: 604.938.2702
C:604.698.0645
E: mzinck@tourismwhistler.com
W: www.whistler.com/media
T: @mediaTWhistler
F: www.Facebook.com/GoWhistler