Media Releases

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Expert panel reveals Top 20 wines for the 22nd annual Cornucopia, presented by BlueShore Financial

Whistler, B.C. - A panel of 13 esteemed industry experts has announced the Top 20 winning wines for the 2018 Cornucopia, presented by BlueShore Financial - taking place November 8-18, 2018.

With an impressive number of submissions, the day-long judging is not a simple task. 
DJ Kearney, head judge, gathered the diverse panel of professionals - who hail from Whistler and Vancouver - on September 28 in Whistler Village's The Cellar by Araxi for the closed blind-tasting.

Kearney commends the quality of admissions for this year's competition, particularly the support of BC entries. "Thanks to all the judges, volunteers and wineries that participated. Cornucopia participants keep raising the bar on the selection of wines put forward for this competition. Holding the judging in Whistler makes so much sense, and our venue, The  Cellar by Araxi, was brilliant! Congratulations to all the winners."

Every winery participating in Cornucopia was given the opportunity to enter their choice of wines into the Top 20 competition.

The Top 20 wines for 2018 are:

Top White: TIME Winery Riesling 2017

Top Red: C.C. Jentsch Cellars Small Lots Malbec 2015

Best of the Rest, in alphabetical order:

• Arrowleaf Pinot Gris 2017
• Basel Cellars Claret 2014
• Basel Cellars Co-ferment Syrah 2015
• Blasted Church Sauvignon Blanc 2017
• Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars Gold Label Brut NV
• Bodegas Monterebro Seleccion 2013
• C.C. Jentsch Cellars Syrah 2016
• Church & State Marsanne 2017
• Church & State Viognier 2017
• Deep Roots Winery Parentage Red 2016
• Deep Roots Winery Syrah 2016
• Hedges Family Estate ‘La Haute Cuvée' Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
• Lunessence Pinot Blanc Oraniensteiner 2017
• Narrative Rosé by Okanagan Crush Pad 2017
• Road 13 5th Element 2013
• Rodney Strong Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2015
• Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec 2016
• Zuccardi Q Chardonnay 2015

Ticket holders can catch many of the judges at various seminars or as a host at their respective restaurant's winery dinner. The festival schedule lists all seminars and presenters so participants can take advantage of learning from this esteemed group. The panel consisted of:

• DJ Kearney, Head Judge
• Eric Blouin, Cornucopia Ambassador
• Samantha Rahn, Cornucopia Ambassador
• Daenna Van Mulligen
• Darin Newton
• Darryl McDonald
• David Brownridge
• Isaac Hampson Thorpe
• Joanne DiGeso
• Kurtis Kolt
• Luc Trottier
• Michael Kompass
• Paul Street

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Cornucopia, presented by BlueShore Financial is Whistler's Celebration of Food + Drink. The dazzling eleven-day display of gourmet food and drink attracts over 15,000 visitors to the resort and caters 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 local restaurants, restaurateurs and the food and wine industry. With wide-spread appeal 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.

Media Contact

Mary Zinck
Media Program - Cornucopia
Manager, Travel Media - Tourism Whistler
Phone: 604-938-2702
mzinck@tourismwhistler.com