Silver Star Wine Festival returns to the mountains near Vernon, BC August 10-13, 2023

SILVER STAR WINE FESTIVAL RETURNS TO THE MOUNTAINS AUGUST 10-13, 2023

Wine dinners, signature tastings, and seminars in a quaint, alpine setting will feature
Canadian culinary legend Chef Bernard Casavant and some of B.C.’s best wine experts

Silver Star Wine Festival, a lively four-day adventure in food and wine set in the Monashee Mountains, returns to Silver Star, B.C., August 10-13. All set at the base of SilverStar Mountain Resort, the fest will see wine lovers, mountain bikers, foodies, hikers, winemakers, and sightseers from all corners of the province and beyond indulge in the North Okanagan’s rich agricultural and winemaking heritage.

This year Destination Silver Star is tapping into the deep expertise of award-winning wine marketing and event consultants at Dana Lee Consulting Ltd. to lead the execution of the festival. With many years as Cornucopia Whistler’s event and wine consultant, guests attending Silver Star Wine Festival can expect a fresh twist on the event schedule, including exciting tasting seminars that explore some of the industry’s latest trends – chilled red, anyone?

“Our entire team is excited to be involved with Destination Silver Star, the hospitality establishments at Silver Star Mountain, and all the B.C. wineries attending. The wine festival will be as fun to organize as it will be for guests to attend,” says Dana Lee Harris, proprietor of Dana Lee Consulting Ltd.

Over 24 wineries will pour a variety of wines at the Signature Walk-About Tasting event Saturday, August 12.

The Signature Walk-About Tasting will feature an elevated culinary experience with Chef Bernard Casavant, a B.C. Restaurant Hall of Fame, certified Chef de Cuisine, and Lakehouse Kitchens Cooking School’s culinary director lead the food pairings. Guests can taste, swirl, and sip through more than 24 B.C. wineries set up through the Village alongside a pop-up of the Polson Artisan Market and live music. Guests can cook with and learn from Chef Casavant at Lakehouse Kitchens Cooking School if inspired by the food. This new, world-class facility in downtown Kelowna regularly offers hands-on and demonstration-based cooking classes in a Master Chef-style kitchen. Chef Bernard and co-owner and Executive Chef Travis Pye are among the chefs from the Okanagan Valley who use the space to teach ordinary folks how to level up their cooking skills from good to great using expert techniques and beautiful local ingredients.

“It is always inspiring to work with the fresh and locally sourced products our region has in abundance at this time of year. From the local wineries to all the farms and orchards, we can truly pick from the best offerings to dazzle the guests who are coming to experience the Silver Star Wine Festival,” says Chef Bernard Casavant, Lakehouse Kitchens Cooking School Culinary Director. “I look forward to getting people excited about food and wine in such a spectacular outdoor setting.”

The Wine Dinner series, also on Thursday and Friday, will set the table for Silver Star’s most talented chefs.

Besides these signature events, elegant receptions, wine-pairing dinners, and seminars will round out the festival. Festival-goers can feast their eyes on the artwork on Thursday, August 10, or Friday, August 11, at Gallery Odin, officially Canada’s highest art gallery. The Wine Dinner series, also on Thursday and Friday, will set the table for Silver Star’s most talented chefs, including SilverStar Mountain Resort Executive Chef Scott Sanderson; Bulldog Grand Café’s Head Chef Tyler Lafferty; and Black Pine Social’s Head Chef Jarred Sauve to pair their best dishes with some of B.C.’s most delicious wines at their restaurants. Details on menu themes, a Sunday Drag Brunch event, and tickets are coming soon.

Now on sale are tickets for the Signature Walk-About Tasting, including a VIP Early Entry add-on for an extra hour of tasting time and a shuttle service from Vernon. There are five intimate and expert-led wine seminars taking place from Friday to Sunday that are also on sale now. These 90-minute sit-down events will feature a variety of tastings and are the perfect way to gain knowledge of wine while trying something new.

“We are so excited to see Dana Lee Harris and her team of experts take our wine festival to new levels with deep culinary connections, world-class expertise in all things wine, and an immaculate eye for detail in event execution,” says Cassandra Zerebeski, Executive Director of Destination Silver Star. “With so many wines to taste, plus free concerts featuring Josh Bogert, Andrew Allen, and Sister Speak, as well as so much to see and do in the mountains, staying in the Village with the festival on your doorstep gives guests the best opportunity to enjoy the resort.”

Pairing the festival experience with lift-accessed adventures on SilverStar Mountain Resort – from hiking to downhill mountain biking makes Silver Star the perfect summer getaway on August 10-13. There are outdoor experiences to stoke everyone’s appetite for adventure. For the complete program of events, to purchase tickets, and find more information about accommodation and shuttle, visit: DestinationSilverstar.com/silver-star-wine-festival/

Some events are free to attend, including Gallery Odin receptions, outdoor concerts, and the Artisan Market. Most festival events require tickets, guests must be 19+, and the Wine Dinners and Seminars have limited capacity.

About Destination Silver Star – destinationsilverstar.com

Centrally located in the heart of B.C.’s Okanagan Valley rests Silver Star Mountain in the Monashee Mountain Range. The vibrant Village is a beacon for adventure in the mountains, and the people are its heart and soul. Big ideas and boundless energy inspired by the “Silver Queen” mine and first ski turns in the early 1930s. Nearly a century later, the same spirit is championing a thriving destination resort on the cusp of its next chapter. Founded in 2021, Destination Silver Star is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization representing accommodations, attractions, restaurants, retail, and homeowners.

Connect with @DestinationSilverstar on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

#MySilverStar

Media release and image provided by Michelle Leroux, Michelle Leroux PR