Between the Vines

Is it a stretch to think my weekend up at Whistler's Cornucopia will contribute to world peace?

Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

This year's charity recipient at Cornucopia is Playground Builders, whose tag line reads exactly what it does: "Creating play, building hope."

Playground Builders goes to war-torn regions worldwide and creates safe play spaces so kids can just be kids. When a community's children can safely play, it begins to feel empowered and this empowerment quite naturally leads to a stronger foundation and new, peaceful, possibilities. Let's face it—when our kids are happy, we're happy. It's no different for people in unstable and poverty-stricken areas of the world. And because local labour and supplies are used, an injection to the local economy helps to further bolster the empowerment.

 

To date, 45 playgrounds have been built in Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza, and the West Bank. And because of its efforts, Playground Builders has been nominated for the YMCA International Peacemaker Award.  

 

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved. 

Cornucopia: a celebration of wine and food in Whistler, B.C.

This weekend we're missing the Okanagan Fall Wine Fest, next weekend is Thanksgiving, which we won't miss since we're hosting it, and before we know it, November will be upon us.

But that's okay because November brings Cornucopia: Whistler's Celebration of Wine & Food, one of the top 10 wine-and-food events in the world, according to www.forbestraveler.com.

And we're going!

 
Cornucopia is an annual event made especially for food and wine nuts (a.k.a. enthusiasts), by other food and wine nuts (a.k.a. professionals). From November 12 to 15, there are events, parties, tastings, seminars, and get-togethers to tantalize every palate from morning to night to morning again.

This year's extravaganza has a fabulous line-up of events and chefs, sommeliers, vintners, and restaurateurs. You can choose your events by browsing the easy-to-figure schedule.

I'll be blogging live from Cornucopia as well as making notes for my wine column in The Abbotsford News and my monthly contribution to Palate Press.

Why don't you come along?

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

Another B.C. wine: La Stella Allegretto 2006 with our barbequed prime rib and roasted vegetables

I served the La Stella Allegretto 2006 ($38.00/13.9% ABV) with our barbequed prime rib and roasted vegetables. (Scroll way down to my previous post to read the skinny on the veg.)

This La Stella wine, a merlot, comes from B.C.'s Okanagan Valley. I found plums, dark berries, and rose petals on the nose. On the palate, this wine had supple tannins that worked with flavours of plum, dark berries, black cherries, and chocolate that finished long. Oh, and if I haven't mentioned this before, La Stella is the sister winery to Le Vieux Pin.

La Stella Allegretto 2006

As for the prime rib (which worked well with the wine, by the way) I made another pseudo pesto: this one had olive oil, fresh rosemary and thyme from my herb garden, garlic from yesterday's adventure at the farmers market, some sea salt, white pepper corns, mustard seeds, and about two tablespoons of a rich balsamic vinegar—all processed in my counter-top KitchenAid. I brushed the concoction on to the roast several times as it did its twirly thing on the rotisserie. Yum.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

Day three of wine-soaked gal pal weekend (part two)

It's late, I'm tired, but I want to give you all a quick overview of our day, along with some snap shots. I had a groovy video going, but my gal pals got a little sassy so I had to ditch it.

I will, of course, fill in the gaps and expand where appropriate over the next week or two. Maybe three.

7:00, Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa: Rise, have breakfast, post on blog, shower, drink coffee, pack, cram car full, and check out.

Mountain view from our balcony at Spirit Ridge

10:00, Chandra Estate Winery

Me 'n my gal pals at Chandra Estate Winery, Oliver's only organic winery

 
Flor Torres pours tastes at Chandra Estate

Mr. Dhillon, owner/operator at Chandra Estate Winery, smiles big!

11:00, Hester Creek Estate Winery

View from the breezeway at the villas at Hester Creek Estate Winery

 
'Floor as art' at Hester Creek's almost-finished new tasting room

12:30, Cock and Bull for lunch

1:00, Inniskillin

JoAnn Peachey takes us for a tour and tasting

It's me between the vines at Inniskillin's Dark Horse Vineyard

Grapes in the Dark Horse Vineyard start to turn colour

2:30, Jackson Triggs

Suzanne Coles, guest services manager, pours three flights for us:
Merlot, Shiraz, and Meritage

4:00, on the road toward home again.

Salut!

Day two of gal-pal wine weekend

Day two started with an 8:00 a.m. rising, cava & orange juice, freshly made fruit salad and home-made muffins. And then some coffee before we scrambled out the door at 9:00 a.m. to make our first appointment: Township 7 Vineyards & Winery.

10:00, Township 7: Winemaker Bradley Cooper poured us all a glass of his 2007 Gewurztraminer, then he and winery dog Sage took us for a walk in the vineyard. After our walk and lessons, we got down to the tasting. We sipped 10 of the T7 wines, including a barrel tasting of the 2006 Black Dog. My fave red of the day was the 2006 syrah ($27.99) and the 2007 Gewurztraminer ($18.99) was the unanimous white favourite. Of course, the 2008 rosé was delicious.

Gal pals with T7 winemaker Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper draws samples from his 2006 Black Dog

12:00, See Ya Later Ranch: Noon found us up at See Ya Later and meeting with Allison Markin, media relations and wine professional extraordinaire. We started with a glass of SYL non-vintage Brut, a crisp,  citrusy sparkling wine made in the traditional method. Then we headed to the Major Fraser Room for an extensive tasting of the SYL goodies. My favourite white was the 2008 Jimmy My Pal and my favourite red was the 2007 Rover, a blend comprised of 95% syrah and 5% viognier. My gal pals preferred the Bordeaux-style blend, Ping. After our tasting, we headed to the patio to enjoy a lovely lunch while we soaked in the view of vineyard and desert mountains.

Allison Markin, wine professional extraordinaire, tells us some wine tales

4:00, Le Vieux Pin: Our last official stop of the day was at Le Vieux Pin in Oliver, at the northern end of the Sonora Desert, for a visit with winemaker James Cambridge. James took us through the winery and explained his wine-making philosophy. We tasted some fabulous wines and even got to feel, smell, and taste the effect different barrels can make on the same wine. My favourites of the day? Hands-down the Périgée pinot noir ($45) and Voila rosé ($25).

Le Vieux Pin winemaker James Cambridge draws barrel samples for the gal pals

The winery's namesake: The old pine

 

Day one of gal-pal wine weekend

We had a winery-packed afternoon here in Osoyoos...and were treated like real-life VIPs...

9:00, Susan, Suzie, Cindy, and I took off from McDonald's on Sumas Way in Abbotsford. We didn't make any stops, but we did manage to have a lot of laughs. We even remembered all the words to Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Lights.

Kathleen's gal pals: Susan, Suzie, and Cindy

1:30, Nk'Mip: Wanda Leary left the tasting bar to show us around and share her knowledge about North America's first Aboriginal-owned and operated winery that overlooks Osoyoos Lake and acres of vineyard. We tasted several wines in their Riedel Room, including Cindy's two favourites, the unoaked 2007 QwAM QwMT (kwem kwampt) unoaked chardonnay ($24.99) and the Winemaker's Series 2006 Merlot ($19.99).

Wanda in the Riedel Room at Nk'Mip

2:30, A & W: We hadn't eaten since breakfast so we figured we'd better stop for a quick burger. Sure, I'd been spitting, but the others hadn't.

3:00, LaStella: Jocelyn Doucette, who is taking a break from her profession as an accountant, poured wines for us in the tasting room and wine maker Daniel Bontorin came out to chat. The three stand-out wines were the 2008 Leggiero unoaked chardonnay ($25.00), 2008 Vivace pinot grigio, and 2006 Maestoso merlot ($85.00).

Jocelyn in the tasting room at LaStella

4:00, Road 13 Vineyards: It was raining, which meant that the tasting room was full of people who were tired of getting wet at the campsites. The crowds didn't bother us, though. We were lucky that cellar master Bailey Williamson took us for a fabulous tour, filled us with all sorts of interesting information, and poured wines for us in the barrel room. The 2008 Riesling ($18.99) was a huge hit with our small crowd, and I loved the 2007 Jack Pot syrah. I thought the syrah was wonderfully meaty and earthy with dark red fruits and pepper. Susan said, "It stinks but tastes good!" And hey...I nearly forgot...I got to spit in the drain! I wasn't too good at it, but it did give the others something to laugh at.

Road 13's cellar master, Bailey Williamson, shares wines with us in the barrel room

5:30, Liquor and grocery stores: We picked up non-wine beverages and some snacks and breakfast foods to take back to Spirit Ridge.

6:00, Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa: Check in and pack all our luggage, groceries, and newly acquired bottles of wine into our lake-view two-bedroom villa. Took some time to look at wedding pictures (all three of Susan's kids got married over the last year), chat, laugh, snack, drink, laugh, chat, and then get ready for dinner.

9:00: Dinner at Passa Tempo, on site at Spirit Ridge.

10:30: Back to the villa, relax, blog, and go to bed to get ready for day two, which is starting with a vineyard walk and barrel tasting at Township 7 Vineyards & Winery.

Good night!

Annual gal pal wine weekend starts!

And they're off...

We're (Cindy, Susan, Suzie, and me--Kathleen) heading up to Osoyoos today and our home base, Spirit Ridge. We've a  jam-packed weekend that starts on our arrival with a tour and taste at Nk'Mip, North America's first Aboriginal-owned and -operated winery.

I'm taking my net book along so I hope to report along the way. Hopefully I don't fall prey to "The best laid plans..." and all that.

Salut!

Fish, drink wine, tell tales: fundraiser offers it all

So you tell me, what's better than four solid days of guided fishing in pristine wild surroundings, while drinking good wine, dining on gourmet food, and telling tales—all for a good cause?

The hospitality industry and its friends are invited to "cast a Line and raise funds" at the inaugural fishing tournament for the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation from Saturday, September 5 to Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at Langara Fishing Lodge.  The tournament kicks off with a reception in Vancouver on Friday, September 4.

If you're interested, contact Harry McWatters at wine@harrymcwatters.com or 250-490-7946.

The Hospitality Foundation Fishing Challenge brings together leaders in the restaurant, hotel, wine & food service, and retail industries from across the province for four amazing days of fishing, wine, dining, and entertainment at Langara Fishing Lodge. Participants have the opportunity to network, catch the ‘big one’, and help raise funds for their host charity. With McWatters overseeing the program, participants are guaranteed an exciting, fun-filled experience.

And, since there are just 25 spaces available, it's important to reserve your spot soon.

The cost, which includes transportation, accommodation, guided fishing, tournament prizes, meals, featured winemaker's dinner, special wines with dinner, and the sorts of memories you only dream of, is $5,000 per person.

“We have an opportunity to experience world-class fishing, make some new friends, and most importantly raise funds for a very worthwhile charity,” noted McWatters. “We hope to make this tournament an enjoyable annual event and one that provides the Foundation with a source of revenue for many years to come”.

ABOUT THE BRITISH COLUMBIA HOSPITALITY FOUNDATION

Founded in 2006, the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation is a charity that helps the hospitality industry look after its own. Borne by the desire to financially assist long-time wine agent Michael Willingham, the foundation was established to help anyone within the foodservice, beverage, and hospitality industry that required support due to illness or accident.

An endowment fund, with a goal of raising 1.5 million dollars, has been established and deserving individuals have been helped through this worthwhile program. The foundation also supports an educational program that awards bursaries to those aiming for a career in the industry. Fundraising efforts include an annual golf tournament, the Founder’s Dinner, the Chilean Wine Festival, and a fishing tournament. For more information please visit www.bchospitalityfoundation.com.

ABOUT LANGARA FISHING LODGE

Twenty-five years ago, Langara Fishing Adventures first brought sport fishing to the unexplored waters of Langara Island in British Columbia’s remote Queen Charlotte Islands. Since then, the lodge has introduced thousands of anglers and outdoor enthusiasts to the beauty and bounty of this incredible location, and has earned Langara Island a place among the world's great fishing destinations.

From the beginning, Langara Fishing Adventures’ goal has always been the same: to provide the greatest fishing experience possible, and to ensure the resources we rely upon are abundant, healthy, and sustainable for generations to come.

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Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

Bradley Cooper and Juliana Hayes blog live from WEST event

This just in...

 

The B.C. Wine Museum & VQA Wine Shop presents:

Wine Industry Trends- Blogging and Social Media

Thursday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m.

 

The B.C. Wine Museum & VQA Wine Shop presents wine tastings with a twist at The Wine Education Series of Tastings, or WEST. Explore British Columbia wines and meet some of the winemakers and producers from wineries across the Okanagan Valley while you learn about current trends in the wine industry.

 

All WEST events are hosted by Julianna Hayes, who is the editor of the Official Wine Tour Handbook to B.C. Wine Country.

 

Growing trends among those in the wine business include blogging and participation in social networking sites such as Twitter. Hayes publishes her own blog and is well aware of these rising trends. "Many winemakers are out there publishing and writing their own blogs," she comments. "Blogging is an immediate means of communication and one that anybody can try, making it very accessible and effective."

 

On Thursday, May 7, WEST welcomes guest winemaker Bradley Cooper from Township 7 Vineyards & Winery and Black Cloud. He'll pour a flight of Township 7 wines and discuss what's new on the B.C. wine scene, including how social media is affecting how we access wines.

 

Township 7 has locations in Langley and on the Naramata Bench. Cooper has been the winemaker for Township 7 since 2005 and he recently launched his own wine brand, Black Cloud Wine.

 

Tickets are only $25, $20 for Kelowna Museums members. Seating is limited. To reserve tickets now call 250-868-0441.

 

Hayes and Cooper will be live blogging this event.

 

You can read Cooper's blog at www.steepcreek.blogspot.comand; you can read Hayes' blog at www.vineliving.blogspot.com.

 

Follow Cooperand Hayes on Twitter.

 

All WEST events take place at the B.C. Wine Museum & VQA Wine Shop, located inside the Laurel Packinghouse at 1304 Ellis Street in Kelowna's Cultural District.

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Dinner at Ravens on the Beach last week: New friends, new menu, more wine

We had dinner last week with new friends, the soon-to-be-wed Karen and Brent—yes, this is the Karen of www.WineBard.ca fame.

 

Karen and Brent hopped in their zippy new car and made the trek to Mission from North Vancouver and then we travelled together to Harrison Hot Springs, where we planned to dine from the new spring menu at Ravens on the Beach.

 

We arrived in Harrison Hot Springs with plenty of time to spare before our reservation so we walked alongside the lake to the old Harrison Hotel. We popped inside the gracious property, explored a little, and then headed for the bar and cocktails—Bloody Caesars for three of us, a beer for the other. After some chatting and laughing we made our way to Ravens.

 

Ravens has a great site, beachfront, within the Harrison Beach Hotel complex. It's just too bad the spring evenings aren't yet warm enough to make dining outside an option.

 

 I can't wait until it's warm enought to sit on this gorgeous patio!

 

We started dinner with a four-way shared appetizer of brie-and-honey fondue, followed by Yarrow Meadows breast of duck in blueberry and ginger pan jus for Karen and me (we picked our food to go with the wine...but I'll get to that in a minute), the halibut feature for Brent, and herb-roasted 1/2 chicken for Rick.

 

The duck and accompaniments were lovely. The savoury richness of the duck and its blueberry and ginger pan jus worked wonderfully with the Black Cloud pinot noir and its earthy aromas and blueberry and black cherry flavours. And I’m not just saying it. It really did. I, of course, snuck (I don’t suppose it’s really sneaking when he knows it’s coming) a taste of Rick’s chicken and I’m happy to report it, too, proved wonderful with the wine.

 

I spotted a couple of plates of the fish & chips go by: tempura-fried pacific cod, Ravens’ tartar sauce, potato and yam fries, all served with fennel and apple slaw. I have to go back to give that one a try!

 

Salut!

 

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.