Fundraising Dinner to be Held in the Palm Court at The Fairmont Empress
Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Robert Bateman and The Fairmont Empress in Victoria are partnering to raise funds for the Robert Bateman Centre’s new nature education program targeted at grade 3 – 8 students across British Columbia.
On Friday, July 11, 2014, 75 guests will gather in the Palm Court at the Empress to be the first to experience the new Robert Bateman Artist’s Series wines from Kelowna’s Summerhill Pyramid Winery. The ‘Grasslands’ collection includes three 100 per cent organic red wines, lovingly crafted by internationally acclaimed winemaker & viticulturist Eric von Krosigk. The series includes a 2010 single vineyard Cabernet Franc, a 2010 Merlot and a 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon / Syrah blend. Each wine has been aged in French and American oak and are unfined and unfiltered, preserving their full aromatic and flavour potential. They are age worthy, or can be enjoyed today. Each super premium wine will be available in limited quantities between $45-50 per bottle.
For $150 per person, guests will enjoy the wines as part of a five-course dinner created by The Fairmont Empress’ executive chef Morgan Wilson and led by Summerhill’s CEOEzra Cipes and proprietor Stephen Cipes, who is also on the Bateman Foundation’s board of directors. Ensuring the bottles are as valuable as the wine that is poured, each bottle displays a high-resolution reproduction of an original painting by Robert Bateman, who will also be speaking during the dinner. The Cipes family has also promised to bring extra wine to the event so that guests may purchase bottles and have the labels signed by Robert Bateman, to add to their own wine collection. Following the launch, the wines will be available for purchase with free case lot delivery anywhere in Canada and the USA by contacting the winery toll-free at 1-800-667-3538 or by visiting summerhill.bc.ca.
A portion of the funds from the dinner will go towards the creation of a comprehensive school program at the Robert Bateman Centre that will launch this September. Using the extraordinary collection of artwork by Robert Bateman, learners will deepen their understanding and appreciation of our natural world, while developing their visual literacy skills.
When: Friday, July 11, 2014, 6:30pm
Where: The Fairmont Empress, Palm Court, 721 Government St., Victoria, BC
Price: $150.00 per person
Reservations: Fairmont Empress Reservations at emp.diningres@nullfairmont.com or
call 250-389-2727. Space is strictly limited.
Quotes:
“For more than 60 years, Mr. Bateman has touched our hearts with his genius portrayal of nature and its wild creatures and now, we are so deeply honoured to have him recognize the essence of pure nature in the organic, biodynamic, permaculture-produced Bateman Series Wines by Summerhill Pyramid Winery. This is a true triumph as in his wisdom; he unites us all in our quest to be stewards of our precious planet.” – Stephen Cipes, proprietor, Summerhill Pyramid Winery
“Summerhill’s slogan is ‘celebrate nature’s perfection‘, and we like to think that with every painting of Robert’s we are reminding people to celebrate and protect the magic of nature, every day. Now people who enjoy Summerhill wines can also learn more about the Bateman Foundation’s mission to bring nature back to the centre of life, and know they are also helping to put more nature into education.” – Paul Gilbert, executive director of the Bateman Foundation
About The Robert Bateman Centre:
Opened in May 2013 in the historic Steamship Terminal along Victoria’s Inner Harbour, The Robert Bateman Centre showcases more than 100 works by Robert Bateman, spanning his seven decades as one of Canada’s premier artists. The exhibit invites guests to explore their relationship with the environment and pay homage to the majesty of nature. For more information, visit www.batemancentre.org.
Summerhill Pyramid Winery, located for more than 20 years in the Lakeshore district in Kelowna, BC, is Canada’s premier certified organic winery, BC’s first Demeter certified biodynamic vineyard, Canada’s foremost producer of sparkling wine.
Winemaker Eric von Krosigk oversees the portfolio of BC VQA wines that suit every occasion and has earned the winery the ‘Canadian Wine Producer of the Year’ award at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, England. The winery, owned by the Cipes family, is also home to the Sunset Organic Bistro, serving food grown and raised by local organic producers, including Summerhill’s own on-site permaculture-style vegetable garden. The mission of the entire Summerhill team is to produce exceptionally good-tasting wines organically, support local organic food growers, and provide unforgettable experiences for all guests.
More background reading on Summerhill Pyramid Winery’s organic and biodynamic farming practices can be found here.
For more information, visit www.summerhill.bc.ca, find Summerhill on Facebook or follow the winery on Twitter @summerhillwine.
