Whistler's CRUSH Gala Grand Tasting

Whistler, B.C. – There’s an exciting new conversation brewing about this year’s CRUSH Gala Grand Tasting.

Whistler’s 14^th annual Cornucopia is taking the social media world by storm with an initiative that will bring wines featured at CRUSH to the masses, all the while creating a buzz about the wines, the event and the players.

CRUSH features a multitude of wineries and is so popular it takes place over two nights – Friday and Saturday. With the addition of the Twitter Wine Tastings, the far-reaching popularity of CRUSH is about to broaden even more.

Tourism Whistler and event producer Watermark, are pleased to announce that a new component has been added to this year’s CRUSH events – Twitter wine tastings. The craze has hit many wineries in the U.S. and Canada, with vintners exploring social media wine tastings as a way to open up the experience to more people and increase interest in wine events.

The Twitter hash tag is #cornucopiataste. Event attendees, winemakers, media and industry representatives will be participating by tweeting about the wines they are tasting at CRUSH. So, while an influential winemaker, industry professional or media rep tastes a wine, you can be sipping the same bottle and join in the conversation with your own comments, or just take down their recommendations for the next time you want to explore a new taste.

To participate in following and contributing to the online conversation on Twitter, users simply include the hash tag in their tweets and they will automatically join the thread. Media are reminded to follow @mediaTWhistler for the latest story ideas, quirky facts and updates on what’s new in Whistler.

Cornucopia: Whistler’s Celebration of Wine and Food takes place November 11-14 offering wine seminars, luncheons and parties galore. Never a dull moment to be had– tickets are still available to a myriad of events sure to please all palates and budgets.

Slow Food Artisan Market takes place at the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler on Saturday. This free event has become a Cornucopia favourite, showcasing the bounty of the region. Bring a tote bag because you’ll want to shop for organic cheeses, vegetables, baked goods and stunning artworks. The Westin’s executive chef, Bradley Cummings, will be preparing food stations throughout the market created with ingredients from the artisans. Sample tickets are just $1 each with each food and wine station priced at 1-7 tickets.

Wine Access presents Killer Value Wines on Sunday at the Whistler Conference Centre. Discover what makes wines a great value, whether they’re in the $10 range or the $25 range. A panel of wine experts will champion the domestic and international wines they believe offer consumers the best value. A wide range of wines from around the world will be selected and served blind. Following that, the panel will introduce their picks and explain the who, what, where, when and why for each wine. All wines sampled are available in B.C. Guests will also receive a copy of Wine Access magazine featuring the results of the 2010 International Value Wine Awards. Tickets for this event are $45 per person.

Wineries in Residence at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler offers a luxurious experience featuring the new Sidecut restaurant and winemakers from some of North America’s most distinguished wineries. At this reception-style luncheon, Chef Edison Mays will showcase samples from the Sidecut menu with pairings and presentations from featured wineries including Ehlers Estate, Merryvale Winery, Pahlmeyer, Miner Family Winery, Pepper Bridge Winery and Amavi Cellars. Tickets for this event are $150 per person.

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