British Columbia’s Art and Wine Collide at Four Seasons Resort Whistler

British Columbia’s Art and Wine Collide at

Four Seasons Resort Whistler

Fort Berens Estate Winery and SIDECUT Modern Steak + Bar at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler celebrate their sixth year of the SIDECUT ARTIST LABEL Wine Series.

2012 saw the inception of the SIDECUT ARTIST SERIES; aimed at blending the best of British Columbia’s local wine and fine art. The series mixes the expertise of local sommeliers, winemakers and visual artists to create an exclusive vintage for guests at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler.

Launching in the summer of 2019, the team at Fort Berens Estate Winery and Four Seasons Resort Whistler have yet again culminated their combined passion to launch another limited blend, the 2017 SIDECUT ARTIST SERIES RED.

“The Fort Berens team are family; we have been involved from the day the winery opened its doors and have seen it evolve into to the established winery it is today. It has truly been a special time for me, growing alongside the team and assisting to develop the series to where it is now. The 2017 SIDECUT ARTIST SERIES RED is a merlot orientated wine with softer tannins. I believe it’s ideal to be shared among friends and one that I would personally enjoy with a prime piece of tenderloin,” says Damien Bagnoud, Sommelier at SIDECUT Modern Steak + Bar.

Each year, a BC artist is selected to be the in-house artist at Four Seasons Whistler. As part of this program, the artist can select a piece to be featured on the vintage’s bottle.

The 2017 series displays a piece from in-house artist Karen Love. Hailing from Pemberton, a small mountain town 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) north of Whistler, Karen can be found in the lobby of the Resort teaching guests her craft and completing further pieces. Speaking of her piece, Karen says her painting reflects “the echoes of how we remember our time spent in the richness and beauty of nature, at every scale and perspective.”

The 2017 SIDECUT ARTIST SERIES RED blends merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. It displays aromas of dark roses, chamomile and black currants. Speaking of the vintage, owner Heleen Pannekoek notes, “2017 was a very warm year with a cool start, resulting in a relatively low crop. The low crop made the fruit very intense in flavour that shows in this rich yet elegant wine.”

Fort Berens Estate Winery is a product of the dreams, vision and pioneering spirit of several entrepreneurs who share the common belief in the incredible winemaking potential of British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon in the Coast Mountains. Fort Berens is the first winery in Lillooet and closest winery to Whistler. A scenic two hour drive, the area features a dramatically different, hot and dry climate.

Media release and image provided by Krista Lochhead, Colley Communications.

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