Winemaker dinner at the Bearfoot Bistro.Mike Crane
Wine and food festivals are all about eating, drinking and being merry – but at this year's Cornucopia in Whistler, lovers of fine food and drink can also add "get healthy" to that list.
The festival has long been a destination for wine lovers who flock to the resort town for tastings, winemakers' dinners and seminars, and for foodies seeking fabulous pairings. But this year, organizers have extended the fest from five days to 11, and they have added Nourish, a mostly mid-week series of health-minded dinners and seminars that run the gamut from stress-busting foods to yoga to Feng Shui: The Art of the Table.
"It's all about the ancient Chinese art that's devoted to the position of objects and how to incorporate that when you're hosting your friends, and how to cook with colours," says Tourism Whistler VP Louise Walker. "It's something really new that you won't have seen anywhere else."
But those who prefer cabernets over carrots and lagers over legumes will still have more than enough to keep their palates happy, with winemakers' dinners at renowned hotspots, including Araxi and Bearfoot Bistro; chefs' luncheons in swanky private homes; myriad wine and beer tastings; seminars that range from artisan cheese making to the evolution of the grape; a culinary Asian night market and more.
Then there are the ritzy galas, including the new event Poured, which focuses on brewing and spirits, and Cornucopia's signature event Crush, where more than 50 top wineries converge for two evenings of high-end swirling and sipping.
"It's such a celebration, and you get to taste lots of different wines, so it's a fantastic experience. And we always like to put on our nice clothes in Whistler," says Ms. Walker, with a laugh. "Any opportunity to save us from the old ski suit."