Mount Washington's Alpine Wine and Food Festival is the perfect summer event for those seeking the ultimate indulgence.
Featuring great wines, live music, local food product tastings and an amazing view, guests should be warned: sensory overload may occur.
“We've taken two great standalone events from previous summers and combined them into one amazing weekend,” explains event co-ordinator Marina Stevenson. “Our Wine and Food Festival connects local wine and food producers with consumers in a gorgeous mountain setting.”
This year’s event includes a wine festival at the beautiful Raven Lodge on Aug. 26. Various vineyards and distributors will provide an array of wines for guests to sample from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets for the festival are $30 per person.
As if wine isn’t delicious enough on its own, fresh B.C. salmon, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, B.C.-grown oysters, locally produced Hot Chocolates and a barbecue dinner will be on hand for palate pairing perfection.
The Melissa Hill Jazz Quartet will provide vibrant piano playing and upbeat music with an attractive undercurrent of global influences.
Also included will be a silent auction benefiting the Vancouver Island Mountain Sports Society, an organization that seeks to nurture emerging mountain sports athletes on the Island and help prepare them for elite national and international competition.
Mount Washington will offer free shuttle buses to and from the event. Shuttle buses will depart at 5:15 p.m. from the Driftwood Mall in Courtenay and will return guests safely after the event. Bus capacity is limited and will accommodate passengers with pre-purchased ticket orders only on a first-come, first-served basis.
The festival continues Aug. 27 with cooking demonstrations throughout the afternoon at the Alpine Lodge.
Local chefs will prepare recipes using fresh local ingredients and include wine pairing suggestions for each dish. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions, take home the recipe and sample the finished product after the hour demonstration, all for just $15.
A sumptuous wine pairing dinner on Saturday evening will also highlight local food in a six-course meal served in the Alpine Lodge. With commentary provided by a sommelier, this meal will not only delight guests with taste and culinary perfection but also provide wine education.
To book your spot, go to the online store at mountwashington.ca or call the reservations line at 1-888-231-1499. For the complete list of summer festivals at Mount Washington Alpine Resort, visit mountwashington.ca.
— Mount Washington Alpine Resort