Drinking like an Islander is not about coconuts. In the past week or so we've received so many press releases from Victoria related to wine, we started keeping a folder with the idea of making a Victoria wine feature for the website. Then today we realized, oops, better hurry up, the big wine festival has already begun. Not the Vancouver International Wine Festival, but the other big annual fest in Victoria. You'll find more on this below, as well as three additional upcoming wine events, plus news about two island-based companies in the wine touring business. Happy wine drinking.
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MARCH 14, 15: 6th Annual Victoria Wine Festival
Defining the vine is the seminar theme for the Victoria Wine Festival which takes place today and tomorrow. The two-day event is an opportunity for wine lovers to raise a glass and sample some of the world's tastiest offerings. This year's focus is for participants to learn more about the delicate art of fine winemaking directly from the winemakers themselves.
"Defining the Vine� gives the winemaker a chance to explain a complete philosophy on what they are trying to accomplish from vineyard all the way to the bottle. Our objective is to provide a platform that offers consumers insight into the whole process of wine production.� says festival director Glenn Barlow.
Included in today's highlights are the Public Tasting which features hundreds of wines from around the world, also a wine tasting seminar with Sinclair Phillip of Sooke Harbour House. Tomorrow (Thursday) offers many opportunities to dine with a winemaker at some of city's top restaurants, plus the chance for both beginners and experts to learn more about wine at various lecture seminars.
To wrap it all up Marc Atkinson Sideways, is the acoustic virtuoso and Juno nominee plugged in with special guests for an intimate late night event featuring a selection Pinot Noirs.
Proceeds raised from the annual Victoria Festival of Wine go to Theatre SKAM, a Victoria-based arts organization dedicated to creating and producing provocative theatrical works.
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MARCH 15: Spinnakers Turns Up Titanic Treasures for the Stout Hearted
When the Titanic collided with an iceberg on April 14, 1912, untold treasures and valuables were lost forever to the icy ocean depths. Some 281 of those items will soon be on display at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. But never found were some 20,000 bottles of stout that were on board. To any lover of craft beer, this qualifies as a lost treasure. And while many people have searched long and hard for the crates containing the beverage, until now no one has been successful.
Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub, Canada's oldest brewpub, has long had an eye on the mystery of the missing stout. On the morning of March 15, 2007 Publican Paul Hadfield, will be on hand at Spinnakers to talk about the missing stout and the long-rumoured quantities of ale that may have also been on board.
"My staff have come up with something that we want to share with the public," said Hadfield. "I'm looking forward to seeing what they've come up with and I'm sure it'll be a great surprise for everyone. We have to admit we are curious. We'll let you know what gets washed ashore.
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MARCH 14 - APRIL 29: Elephant Island Wine Makers Dinner at Bear Island
Elephant Island Orchard Wines and Westin Bear Mountain Victoria Golf Resort & Spa are going fruity! To celebrate the season a four-course prix fix menu, featuring the local harvest, is matched with fruit wines. The flirtatious and flavourful spring fling takes place Wednesday through Sunday evenings beginning March 14 through to April 29, in Panache, Bear Mountain's fine dining room, for CAD $75 (USD $65*) per person (taxes and gratuities extra). Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 250-391-7160.Z
About Elephant Island Orchard Wines: Located in Naramata, Elephant Island uses classic winemaking traditions fused with fresh, local fruit.
About Bear Mountain Resort: The resort community situated on 1,300 acres of mountainside property, features the first and only 36-hole Nicklaus-designed golf offering in Canada, a spa, five restaurants an athletic club. 1-888-533-BEAR.
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MARCH 26: Mark Restaurant presents Australia's Jacob's Creek
The Hotel Grand Pacific's International Winemakers Dinner series continues March 26 with The Mark Restaurant's presentation of Australia's award-winning Jacob's Creek.
The event begins at 6:30 pm with a wine and canapés reception and an introduction from Chief Winemaker (and former Australia Winemaker of the Year), Philip Laffer.
Executive Chef Andrew Stigant, Restaurant Chef Michael Minshull and Jacob's Creek Chief Winemaker Philip Laffer will strive to offer pairings that will more than double the pleasure that the food and
wine provide individually. Dinner follows at 7 pm. Tickets are $125.00 per person (all inclusive), and reservations are available by calling 250-380-4478. Hosted in The Mark, an intimate dining room with only 28 seats, the Jacob's Creek Winemakers Dinner is expected to sell out quickly.
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Home to Victoria, British Columbia's capital city, Vancouver Island is home to the newest winegrowing region which covers about 200 acres of scenic hillside vineyards. Boasting one of the mildest growing regions in Canada, Southern Vancouver Island proves a mecca for growing cool climate grapes and unique varietals including Pinot Noir, Ortega and Pinot Gris. Two companies are making it their business to show visitors the best of Vancouver Island Wines
ONGOING: CRUSH WINE TOURS VISIT THE BEST OF VANCOUVER'S FOOD AND WINE SCENE
Imagine an afternoon spent roaming the endlessly undulating vineyards sprinkled throughout Vancouver’s Island’s Cowichan Valley or Saanich Peninsula. Toss in a little time to nosh, and, of course, the opportunity to indulge in a tipple or two. Sound like an ideal excursion? Crush Wine Tours is dedicated to showing off the very best of Vancouver Island’s vintners and artisans. Luckily for Crush, there’s plenty of producers ripe for exploration (favoured locales include Cherry Point Vineyards, Winchester Cellars, Blue Grouse Vineyard and Garry Oaks Winery, to name a few). Guests can join in on the fun with treks that include a Cowichan Valley day trip which boasts three stops amid pastoral farmland. Samples at the vineyards and even a cidery will tempt, while revelers can prolong the pleasure (for a little extra) with a tasty lunch stop at either Vinoteca (Zanatta Winery) or La Pommeraie (Merridale Estate Cidery). Alternatively, a jaunt to the Saanich Peninsula, featuring three winery stops, will prove an equally sumptuous celebration of food and wine.
SIP & SAVE WITH ACCENT INNS' WINE PACKAGES IN BC!
Accent Inns is offering “bunches� of wine packages that make it easy for guests to nose their way through award-winning BC wineries. Packages are available year-round in Okanagan Valley or “Napa North�, and from April to October on Vancouver Island. The later is available in two versions, the Victoria Wine tour and the Cowichan Valley Wine tour.
The Victoria Wine tour explores scenic Island wineries along backcountry roads and includes one night accommodation at Accent Inn Victoria, escorted wine tour to three wineries from $228 CAD / $193 USD based on double occupancy, including taxes.
The Cowichan Valley Wine Tour introduces guests to four “up-Island� wineries on an escorted wine trip, with one night accommodation at Accent Inn Victoria. From $259 CAD / $220 USD based on double occupancy, including taxes.
For reservations or more information, call 1-800-663-0298.
