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Thursday, November 5, 2015

The wait is over – Cornucopia is here! Check out our tips to survive 11 delicious days

   

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Whistler B.C. – Oenophiles, gourmands, mixologists and cicerones alike can breathe a sigh of relief with the much-anticipated return of Cornucopia, presented by BlueShore Financial – starting today and running through Sunday, November 15.

Now in its 19th year, Cornucopia’s 11 day calendar is bursting with a diverse selection of events fit for the keen connoisseur’s palate, to those simply eager to learn. From cooking demonstrations to drink seminars, winery dinners to tastings and after-dark revelries – this year’s festival will leave patrons counting down the days until next year.

A survival guide for 11 days of food + drink at Cornucopia would not be complete without the following tips:

  • Bring your appetite – with multi-course meals, culinary stage demonstrations, chef table luncheons, winemaker dinners and much more – food is by no way in short supply.
  • Explore the variety of festival offerings – with such a diverse calendar of events at Cornucopia, festival-goers are encouraged to indulge in a variety of food, wine, beer and cocktail events to explore new tastes, techniques and to keep things fresh and exciting.
  • Sleep when you can – with a bustling after-dark schedule set to take guests through to the early hours of the morning, be sure to grab some sleep whenever possible.
  • Stay nourished – with food and drink in excess, Cornucopia has created the Nourish series aimed to balance guests’ food and drink intake with health and wellness-inspired seminars and workshops.
  • Visit the Cornucopia Liquor Store – guests can purchase their favourite wines, beers and liquors from Cornucopia’s signature tasting events.
  • Bring warm clothes – as Whistler is heading into the cooler winter months the snow-line starts it’s decent from high atop the mountain peaks down toward the valley. Guests should bring a toque, to keep their head warm, a jacket, to brave the outside chill and sensible footwear, should the snow reach the village.
  • Book early – with a number of events at Cornucopia already sold out, be sure to book now to avoid the disappointment of missing your favourite event.

A few of Cornucopia’s signature events:

*TONIGHT (Thursday)* House Party: Best of B.C. (November 5) is one of Whistler’s most scrumptious events of the year. As the official kick-off for the 2015 festival, House Party invites guests to ‘our’ house, to let their hair down and delight in the best of British Columbia’s local talent in music, food and drink. Indulge in BBQ from our backyard, home-grown vodka, micro-brewed beer and much more from B.C.’s land of plenty. Get your last minute tickets HERE.

*TOMORROW* Cellar Door (November 6) unlocks the gate to the world of fine wines, uncorking top-shelf bottles of wine and champagne ($35 and up) to sip, savour and salivate over. Indulge, and live the high-life when Cornucopia opens the Cellar Door. Get your ticket HERE.

CRUSH Grand Tasting (November 7) is the signature tasting event of Cornucopia, creating a vibrant atmosphere for attendees to sip, savour and sample their way through the night. From New-World to Old-World, sparkling to Champagne, an opportunity to discover a new gem, or ten! This event is for those who have a (not so) secret love affair with wine. Get your ticket HERE.

With a Twist (November 8) places attendees in the proverbial driver’s seat, to pick and choose their cocktail creations, taking world-class mixologists and teaming them with an array of liquors and mixes to deliver cocktails beyond expectation. Get your ticket HERE.

The Picnic: Chefs' Choice Cookbook Launch Party (November 12) is a celebration of Whistler’s culinary expertise, when Cornucopia and Pique Newsmagazine present The Picnic: The Chefs' Choice cookbook. Get up close with some of Whistler’s hottest culinary talent as Whistler’s favourite chefs prepare recipes from the cookbook. Get your ticket HERE.

POURED (November 14) is an intimate tasting experience in wine, spirits, cider, beer and food. Attendees can explore multiple styles in both bites and brews. Get your ticket HERE.

The London Chef (November 15) is a West Coast Seafood exploration, with B.C. Studio wine pairings. Join ‘London Chef’ Dan Hayes – chef, culinary instructor, TV host, and lover of all things from the sea – at this four-course tasting exploring B.C.’s fresh, delicious and sustainable West Coast seafood. Get your ticket HERE.

Cicerone Vs Sommelier (November 15), in the age-old love affair between food and wine, has beer been nudged off the dinner table? Beer vs. wine – which is better? You be the judge! Get your ticket HERE.

*NEW* BREWED: BC Craft Brewers Guild Winter Beer Market (November 15) provides beer lovers the opportunity to kick-start the winter season sampling a sneak peek of local brewers’ winter recipes. Get your ticket HERE.

There’s still time to receive exclusive rates with last minute stay and play packages. Enjoy the flagship tasting event: CRUSH, paired with top-shelf wine tastings at Cellar Door, plus accommodation for just $129 per person, per night. Check out this, plus more exclusive deals HERE.

Whatever your plans may be, the countdown is on to get your tickets to Whistler’s premiere culinary event, Cornucopia – 11 dedicated days to celebrating food + drink and the pleasures that surround it.

For detailed event information or to purchase tickets visit www.whistlercornucopia.com

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Cornucopia, presented by BlueShore Financial is an eleven day dazzling display of gourmet food, wines, spirits and beer 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 drink industry. Now encompassing wineries, breweries, distilleries, chefs and restaurants from Vancouver, greater B.C. and beyond, Cornucopia has become recognized as a preeminent representation of the culinary tourism industry in Canada. With widespread appeal shown through the immense variety of events available, the festival is truly a food and drink 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 1.800.944.7853 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.

Broadcasters: Whistler now has the capability to take you live with our enhanced fibre network. The significantly expanded network of more than 200 kilometres of fibre optic cabling throughout the resort allows instant transmission of HD signals to any location at any time. Details on how to access, and book the fibre are available on our media site.

Media Contacts

Mary Zinck
Manager, Travel Media
T: 604.938.2702
E: mzinck@tourismwhistler.com

Katie Brockett
Coordinator, Communications
T: 604.938.2726
E: kbrockett@tourismwhistler.com

W: www.whistlercornucopia.com
T: www.twitter.com/CornucopiaWine
F: www.facebook.com/WhistlerCornucopia