OKANAGAN FALL WINE FESTIVALS KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND
(Directly from the press release.)

 
The Okanagan Fall Wine Festival kicks off from October 2 through October with over 180 events throughout Okanagan Wine Country. The spectrum of events for the 10 day Fall Wine Festival – one of the Top100 Events in North America – offers something for every wine tourist. Consumers can enjoy funky laid back wine tastings, grape stomps, inter-active wine seminars, live music, performing and visual arts all paired with the world class wines of the Okanagan.

The beautifully designed 60 page free Okanagan Fall Wine Festival Events Guide features original cover art by British Columbia artist - Brian Romer. Mr. Romer’s works are well known for capturing the natural beauty of B.C. Brian currently paints in his West Vancouver and Sechelt studios, and whenever possible, outside on location. The events guides are available at any of the 87 member wineries of the Okanagan Wine Festivals or any Tourism B.C. Visitor Information Centre in the Okanagan, at VQA wine stores and BC Liquor Stores in the Okanagan.

Many of the popular events at the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival are close to selling out including the very popular WestJet Wine Tastings on Friday October 3 and Saturday October 4. For those looking for a culinary experience that showcases the bounty of the Okanagan, look no further than the Masters of Food and Wine – Cooking with Terasen Gas on Sunday October 5 from 1:30 p.m. to  3:30 p.m. at the historic Laurel Packinghouse in Kelowna.  This celebration of fine food and wine pairs local restaurants from Kelowna with Okanagan wineries in a way that allow guests to sample food and specially paired wines in a tapas style setting. Tickets are $55 and include a souvenir wine glass, all your wine tasting, food samples and a free taxi ride home. This event is jointly sponsored by BC Liquor Stores and the Johnston Meier Insurance Group. The menu is stunning and will provide all patrons with an amazing afternoon of food and wine this coming Sunday.

Tickets for the WestJet Wine Tastings and the Masters of Food and Wine – Cooking with Terasen Gas are available online through www.ticketmaster.ca or by phone 250-860-1470.

The food and wine pairings for the Fall Wine Festival Masters of Food and Wine are:

*   Saputo Foods Alexis de Portneuf Cheeses serving Bleubry, Brise du Matin, Aged Cheddar, and Bari Cocktail Bocconcini paired with Noble Ridge Estate Winery 2005 Meritage and 2006 Pinot Noir and paired with Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery 2006 Red Willow Shiraz and 2006 Townsend Jack Unoaked Chardonnay.

*   Cabana Grill serving Lamb Mini Burger with a plum jam and grainy mustard aioli paired with Gray Monk Estate Winery 2007 Gewurztraminer 2005 Odyssey Merlot Desert Hills Estate Winery 2006 Pinot Gris and 2007 Gamay Noir   
 
*   Memphis Blues serving mini pulled pork sandwiches and short ribs paired with St. Hubertus Estate Winery 2006 Pinot Noir and 2006 Marechal Foch
 
*   Fi Bistro serving charred kangaroo loin carpaccio, smoked ratatouille, aioli grana padana served with Ex Nihilo Estate Winery and Mission Hill Family Estate 2006 Riesling and 2006 Merlot.
 
*   St. Andrews serving dark chocolate pate with a mocha creme Anglais paired with Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery 2006 Merlot and 2007 Vinho du Sol
 
*   Dairy Farmers of Canada serving Double Cream Brie– Rondoux, Rosenberg Blue, Boerenkaas, Cheddar– 3yr Canadian Reserve, Oka Classique and Naramata Bench Blue paired with Sonoran Estate Winery 2005 Cab Merlot and 2006 Oraniensteiner Icewine
 
The full calendar of events is available to download at www.thewinefestivals.com or www.owfs.mobi. For further information, please call the Okanagan Wine Festivals at 250-861-6654 or email info@thewinefestivals.com.