Rick Rake

Win two tickets to SIT STAY SIP at Stanley Park

Want to win two tickets to SIT STAY SIP Jun. 13 (Thurs., 6:30 - 8:30 PM) at Stanley Park Pavilion?  Just go to Kathleen's blog and tell her in the comment section there which of these wines you've tasted already. 

Haywire
Bartier Scholefield
Bella
Harper's Trail
Owen
Bartier Bros.
Perseus
Sage Hills 

She'll throw your name in the hat and select a winner Mon., Jun. 10. Get your entry in by midnight Sun., Jun. 9. Go here for more information and to buy tickets.

This fundraiser for PADS promises to be a feel-good, wine-filled evening. Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
RR 

Whistler's tribute to fine wine and food: Cornucopia

Mmmmmm ... I can taste, smell and hear it already.  Flavours, aromas, laughter . . . all those synergies of eating, drinking, tasting and sharing stories at Whistler's Cornucopia, the ski centre's 15th annual celebration of wine and food.

It starts this Thursday  (Nov. 10) and you have an opportunity to enjoy culinary fare (plus beer and wine) like the offering on the tray below at the Best of BC House Party at the Whistler Convention Centre.

Before I get your tastebuds dancing the funky chicken, take a look at the complete schedule, ticket info and rosters of winemakers dinners, incredible tastings, special parties and dynamic seminars that you will never forget.  Click on Cornucopia. 

Yes, there will be wine.  Good wine.  And great people sharing their knowledge of it like wine educator Iain Philip below who, with his wife Barbara, presented the Wines of Argentina last year at the amazing Four Seasons Sidecut restaurant.

Then there's the laughter and the camaraderie . . . you might recognize wine broadcaster Terry David Mulligan and promoter Dana Lee Harris doing the tango after a serious wine session.

After that there's more food.  Top chefs from Whistler hotels showing you how presentation and flavours make Cornucopia-goers swoon.

Culture isn't forgotten at Cornucopia.  Last year the Top 25 wines celebration was housed in the beautiful Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Centre (below), and again the food and wine offered exemplary taste explosions and smiles for Cornucopia patrons.

There is so much more to tell.  But again, click on the word Cornucopia above and discover for yourself the excitement of the many events.  Many of the wine sessions sell out quickly, so be hasty.  This group of perpetual wine students below  (wink, wink)  made sure they were in the right place at the right time.

 A highlight for Kathleen Rake and myself this year is meeting Canada's most widely read wine writer Natalie MacLean who Wine Library TV host Gary Vaynerchuk says brings "more fun to a buttoned-up and stodgy game."

On Friday (Nov. 11) . . . that's Remembrance Day . . . she will be at Whistler Conference Centre from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and at Fairmont Chateau Whistler from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.  You can get her book for $20 (a steal).  See the book trailer here.

Cornucopia, according to its promoters, is a four-day and night dazzling display of gourmet food and wines, attracting more than 10,000 people to the resort and catering to everyone from amateur enthusiasts to aficionados.

Held on the cusp of each ski season, Cornucopia now encompasses wineries and restaurants from Vancouver, greater B.C. and beyond.  The event has "become internationally recognized as a preeminent representation of the culinary and viticulture tourism industry" in Canada (with a Whistler attitude).

If you need to stay in Whistler, reference this site and save.

So if you're in the mood this weekend for some Whistler wine and food excitement, come to Cornucopia.  This our third year attending . . . and we enjoy it more each time.  Cheers.

 

Mahogany at Mill Lake, Abbotsford Canuck Place: Wow!

 

Diane Delves is a trend setter in Abbotsford.  The CEO and president of Quantum Properties, the developer of the 26-storey Mahogany at Mill Lake, doesn't spend a lot of time in the spotlight, but when she does something, heads turn.

At last night's Abbotsford Canuck Place announcement,  Mayor George Peary told me Delves is setting the standard for highrise development in the community, and the $272,000 she committed to the children's hospice shows her incredible generosity.

No wonder George started to get emotional while he spoke to his audience at The Viewpoint yesterday.

My job was a simple one.  I played the role of master of ceremonies and made sure the media was well connected and well informed.  We kept officialdom to a minimum and allowed the many guests to do what they do best ... socialize, sip wine and enjoy delicious appetizers.  

Click Media Works enjoyed working with Delves and her professional Quantum Properties crew these past few months.  People like Bev Hasenpflug (VP of Design), Lisa Lowry (marketing manager) and Kristofer Hansen (senior VP and CFO) made sharing the Quantum boardroom an experience we will never forget.

Working from a laptop on the lanai of a forest house on the Big Island of Hawaii or a Seattle hotel room was always a source of entertainment for all of us involved in Mahogany's Canuck Place project.

You should see the suite at The Viewpoint put together by Bev.  You get 15th floor views from the windows and experience efficiency in how well a space can be put together.

 

Laurie Shopland, the Canuck Place campaign manager; Filomena Nalewajek, Canuck Place CEO; Diane Delves and Debbie Lehmann, executive director of the Abbotsford Hospice Society shared a few smiles with us.  Also there was Jay Teichroeb from the City, Councillors John Smith and Dave Loewen, and MLA John van Dongen.  Eugene Klassen from Matthew's House (another part of the Campus of Care) also enjoyed the event.

 

Yes, there was the great cheque presentation with Quantum senior management and Filomena . . .

 

The Viewpoint presentation centre was put together beautifully and on time.

 
Thank-you's were in order . . .

 

 The press release read lke this:

A commitment to provide $1,000 from the sale of each of 272 units at the Mahogany at Mill Lake development means Abbotsford’s future tallest building will have its stamp on the Great Room at the new 30,000-square-foot Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

Diane Delves, president and CEO of Quantum Properties, the developer of Mahogany, said Canuck Place is “an important addition to our growing city and region. The compassionate care that they provide will be a huge benefit to Fraser Valley families.”

 Abbotsford’s $10 million Canuck Place Children’s Hospice essentially doubles the capacity of the Vancouver house. It is being built near Abbotsford Regional Hospital on Marshall Road as part of a cluster of three hospice facilities called Campus of Care.

“We encouraged Canuck Place to build in Abbotsford when we first heard of their intention for a second facility. We believe the generosity of Abbotsford residents will assist in making this vision a reality,” said Delves.

 Details of the new relationship forged between Mahogany at Mill Lake and Canuck Place were announced at a special wine and cheese social at The Viewpoint, Mahogany’s newly completed presentation centre.

 Canuck Place CEO Filomena Nalewajek expressed her sincere gratitude to Delves and the Quantum Properties Group of Companies for their wonderful support of Canuck Place.

“We are so appreciative of this significant donation towards building the Great Room at our Abbotsford hospice – an inviting, multi-functional gathering space that will be used by the children and families who visit the hospice, along with Canuck Place volunteers and staff,” said Nalewajek.

 Abbotsford Canuck Place, now under construction, is just down the street from the Mahogany at Mill Lake project site at the corner of Gladwin Road and Bevan Avenue.

The Canuck Place Great Room sponsored by Mahogany will have enough space for up to 30 people. It will be welcoming and home-like, with couches, cushions, and upholstered chairs.

 In the evenings, the Great Room will be a respite for individuals or groups wanting to find a quiet place to read or relax.

 Once a week the Great Room will be used for Clinical Rounds, important meetings with care team members from every area of the hospice, joining the doctors and nurses to review the care needs of the children currently admitted to the hospice, those recently discharged, and those to be admitted next.

 
Refreshments were consumed.  People talked about the great promise of Canuck Place and the Mahogany at Mill Lake, and we all left with a little chocolate as a reminder of our visit.

 

Cheers.

Mad dash for Dish and Dazzle fun

 
After throwing on a crisp white shirt, a colourful silk tie and my best dark suit, it was time to fire up the Mustang, pick up my wife and head to our first Dish and Dazzle fundraiser at the swank Vancouver Convention Centre.

The event raises hundreds of thousands of dollars through the B.C. Hospitality Foundation to offer support for members of the hospitality community who find themselves facing insurmountable costs brought on by serious health issues. Funds also supply scholarships and bursaries for students enrolled in hospitality programs.  It is a great concept.

Kathleen and I have to thank Coletta and Associates, a new Click Media Works client, for inviting us as guests to this incredible food and wine event.  Tickets are $250 each.  We were sure to bid on silent auction items and purchase raffle tickets for a Napa Wine Country two-night stay and VIP wine tour and tastings for two at some pretty interesting vineyards and wineries.

It was quite a networking night for us as we made our way into the various rooms offering food and wine pairings.  Another section of the convention centre was action central for the bartender shakedown, a competition among six of  the province's best mixologists, including Danielle Tatarin of the Keefer Bar at The Keefer; Simon Ogden from the Veneto Lounge at the Hotel Rialto; Shaun Layton from L'Abattoir; Lauren Mote of the Refinery; Shawn Soole of Clive's Classic Lounge at Chateau Victoria and pictured below, Jacob Sweetapple from the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel.  

 

When we first arrived, we were offered some delectable treats from Yew Restaurant and Bar (below) and a sip of  Segura Viudas Brut Rose from International Cellars. If you want the entire lowdown on who served what food and wine, click here:  http://www.bchospitalityfoundation.com/events/dish-n-dazzle-2010

 

 
We spotted Chef Ned Bell (pictured below) of B.C. Belgian Endive fame, a company with Abbotsford roots.  He was busy building an endive treat for the Cabana Bar and Grille and The Waldorf Hotel featuring Spanish-style Salt Cod 'Brandade', oven dried Windset Farms allegro tomatoes and lemon garlic parsley.   

 

  
We met some wonderful food and wine industry people along the way, including Dana Lee Harris (below) who is putting together seminars for the Whistler Cornucopia event in mid-November.

 
We stopped for a shot of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, then moved onto the table of sweets.

 

 
For $180 in Seattle, you too can acquire a jacket like this one worn by esteemed Canadian Professional Bartenders Association director David Wolowidnyk (2008 Bartender of the Year).

 
We watched our bids on some of the auction items, mingled with the masses, and took the time to soak up the ambiance.

 

 
More nibblies . . . more wine . . . more good conversations . . .  and we started to say our goodbyes, in particular to our Coletta and Associates friends, Leeann Froese and Christine Coletta (with Kathleen on the right, below).

 
Still hungry?  Why not join us next year? 

 
Still thirsty?  Try this, but don't drive.  Cheers!

 

 

Fall tasting at Lepp Farm Market: October sunshine

 
 
Pick a pumpkin . . . any pumpkin.  Halloween is on its way and the weather is sunny enough to keep most people from acting a little scary.

Kathleen and I hopped into the car today to explore local farm markets, and this was one of two stops that drew us in.  Stay tuned for installment No. 2.

Lepp Farm Market on Highway 11 between Abbotsford and Mission showcased a number of businesses outdoors, and it was a joy to network with friends and meet new people.  We at www.clickmediaworks.com and www.betweenthevines.ca love doing that.

Everything from hazelnuts to ice-cream, balsamic vinegar to Canadian Angus Beef was showcased and ready for tasting.

 

Abbotsford's very own Chef Dez (above) was grilling skewered Angus beef and mushrooms for a wine pairing with samples of red from Cedar Creek Estate Winery in Kelowna.

So at the same time we met Cedar Creek winery president Gordon Fitzpatrick who was very helpful with his wine knowledge.

Lepp Farm Market also offers cooking classes in its teaching kitchen inside, and we were thrilled to see a pamphlet listing some of the incredible people we've met over the years.  The full list includes Chef Dez, of course. 

There's Chef Jeff Massey of Restaurant 62, Darlene Tanka, Chef Travis Rea and Chef Ned Bell who has been doing some incredible work with B.C. Belgium endives, a farming operation based in Abbotsford.

We watched the crushing and weighing of hazelnuts, marvelled at the huge pumpkin offerings, explored the sandwich selection as we fought through the market crowds inside and finally relaxed in the sun at one of the patio seatings.

If you are from out of town and would like to visit the Lepp Family Market, the address is 33955 Clayburn Rd. You can email them at [email protected].

Below are just a few more of the fun images we shot during our visit to Lepps today.  Enjoy!  Cheers.

  

 
 

 

  

 

Dreamers

Sometimes I like to dream.

I think my wife Kathleen does, too.

Today we ventured into downtown Vancouver for a number of reasons, one of them to explore the B.C. Children's Hospital lottery prize condo on Smithe Street near the Orpheum.

 While waiting for the lottery people to open the doors, we sat on a bench outside the Vita Symphony Place entry and just soaked in the atmosphere of the neighbourhood.

Uva, a wine bar and restaurant, was right across the street.

Funny that . . . Kathleen (with her blog at www.betweenthevines.ca) is a perpetual student of wine who will be presenting at Tradex Sept. 17-19 in Abbotsford for the huge and always entertaining Eat! Fraser Valley. 

So if by chance we won the 28th floor, sub-penthouse suite with its two bedrooms and wrap-around windows offering a spectacular view of the city, we would have a venue suited to her passions only a few steps away .

Wonderful.

We've mentally moved into the condo already.  I don't know what we will do with all the years of stuff that's accumulated in our 'other' home.

But today was a day for dreamers.

We lived well, ate well and smiled a lot.

How many of you dreamed today?