Feasting and tasting at the Tenth annual Okanagan Ice Wine Festival January 14th to the 19th 2008.
The tenth annual Okanagan Ice wine Festival is to be held at the alpine surroundings of the Sun Peaks Resort from the 14th to the 19th of January 2008. This picturesque ski resort is located in the village of Sun Peaks in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada .Sun Peaks is the second largest ski resort of the region and is easily accessible by road from the cities of Vancouver and Seattle through the well maintained Cquilhalla highway which connects Hope to Kamloops. The resort is renowned the world over for its excellent winter recreation and the hosting of the Okanagan Ice Wine Festival increases its appeal further as a choice winter destination .
The Resort is also well served by air links through two nearby airport gateways in Kamloops and Kelowna. This makes getting to the resort from other cities of Canada and North America relatively easy. The combination of the numerous recreational activities available at the resort and the wide array of fine wines and splendid food at the festival made the Okanagan Icewine Festival one of the most highly acclaimed wine festivals in Canada.
The festival is a celebration of food throughout the village of Sun Peaks and a number of village restaurants are participating in the festivities by taking part in the Sun Peaks Wine and Dine Event which takes placer from Monday the 14th of January to Thursday the 17th of January. During this period choice restaurants in the village will offer specially prepared gourmet prix-fix menus to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the festival. These menus will offer wine pairings with wines chosen from Okanagan vineyards for a true gourmet safari. The prix-fix menus will range from $39.95 Canadian dollars upwards.
On Tuesday January 15th the Delta Sun Peaks Resort Hotel will host chefs from various village restaurants for a culinary evening that involves food and wine tasting. The event will also feature live music.
The hotel will host two events on Wednesday the 16th of January with an afternoon event featuring the pairing of desserts with Icewines in an event called the Magic of Dessert and Ice wine while the evening event will be the much sought after Wine Master’s Dinner which is always a great hit with food and wine connoisseurs who flock to the festival. The Wine Master’s Dinner carries a price tag of $120 but the event has a limited availability so it is advisable to book in advance.
On Thursday the 17th of January there are events scheduled that showcase the pairings of the Ice wines with the various cheeses of Canada such as the Triple Cream Brie, Gouda, Cheddar and the many varieties of Blue Cheeses that are produced by the Dairy Industry in Canada. On Thursday there is yet another Wine Master’s Dinner which is to be held at the Steakhouse at the Sun Peaks Lodge.
The seminar scheduled for Friday the 18th should prove to be extremely popular as it features the pairings of Ice wines with heavenly chocolates. Wine Expert Paul Clark will be on hand to conduct the seminar which has an admission charge of $40.
The festival this year will feature a new seminar on Friday the 18th which will highlight the pairings of port style wines with chocolates and freshly brewed coffees sourced from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory located in Sun Peaks. This admission to this seminar costs $55.
Friday the 18th also features the signature event of the entire festival which is called The Progressive Tasting event which will exhibit the ice wines and late harvest wines from 20 different vineyards at tasting stations which will be set up in the entire Sun Peaks village. Guests are invited to taste these wines while strolling through the village. The event has an admission charge of $55 too.
Yet another raucous event which is a part of the festival is the Sip and Savor event at Mackdaddy’s Nightclub. This event will feature a fun filled adventure during which guests will have to follow clues to unravel the pairings of six mystery wines and cheeses. The event has a cover charge of $40.
The last day of the festival wraps up with two events the first of which is a Brunch prepared by Chef Ian Riddick and his team at Delta Sun Peak Resort Hotel. At the Brunch the team’s delectable creations will be paired wines which have been judged at Canada’s only all Canadian Ice wine and Late Harvest Judging competition.
The last event of the festival is the Medal Winners Tasting which will feature a tasting of the award winning wines which were featured at the prestigious Okanagan Fall Festival Wine Judging competition. Both these events have a cover charge of $55.
All event prices are further subject to 5%GST. Tickets are available by calling Sun Peaks Central Reservations on 1-800-807-3257. On can also book tickets online at the website of Sun Peaks Resort at http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/.
In fact the Sun Peaks Resort has a variety of packages which feature a mix and match of events taking place during the festival which can be tailored to your convenience.
