Cornucopia 2018: Winemaker Dinners Worth the Trip to Whistler

Our picks for this year’s food and wine festival.

The culinary calendar marches firmly into the pre-winter season with the advent of Cornucopia, Whistler’s annual smorgasbord of food and wine festivities. The possibilities for eating and drinking are seemingly endless, with tastings, seminars, lunches, brunches and cooking classes all on offer, but the real jewels are the winemaker dinners. This is where the resort’s best chefs can stretch their culinary chops and show off their skill, creating dishes to pair with specially selected top quality wines. They’re not cheap, but if you’re going to splash out on a trip to the mountains, why not really make it one to remember?

Thursday Nov. 8: Small Farms at Fairmont Chateau Whistler

Thursday is the new Friday, right? So drive up the Sea-to-Sky before it gets busy, and settle in for your first spectacular event, featuring vintages from some of B.C.’s hard working micro producers, including wines made on Synchromesh and Anarchist vineyards. This intimate dinner will take place in the private dining space within the hotel’s Grill Room restaurant.

Friday Nov. 9: Meyer Family Vineyards at Bearfoot Bistro

It’s hard to imagine a more exquisite pairing than back vintages from the wonderful Meyer Family Vineyards and Chef Melissa Craig’s sublime cookery. Add in the surroundings of the Bearfoot Bistro‘s jaw-dropping wine cellar, and you have the ingredients for an unforgettable experience.

Saturday Nov. 10: Big Guns at The Cellar by Araxi

Aptly named, this festival institution sees Araxi‘s sommelier breaking out some of the best vintages of Old Growth European vines most of us could ever hope to enjoy. Chef James Walt is not shy in his dedication to making his dishes match the quality of the contents of your wine glass.

Sunday Nov. 11: Spa Day at the Scandinave

And….relax. Yes, of course there are more opportunities to keep on quaffing but honestly, we cannot fully endorse such gluttony. Indeed, with your colleagues and friends in mind, we urge you to take the time to chill out and detox a little before heading back down to sea level.