Silver Star Wine Festival Is Set To Toast The Best Of B.C.‘s Food And Wine August 10-13, 2023

SILVER STAR WINE FESTIVAL IS SET TO TOAST THE
BEST OF B.C.‘S FOOD & WINE AUGUST 10-13, 2023

The Beer & Cider Fest, September 9 provides another opportunity to cheer summer in the mountains

The table is set for a tantalizing four-day food, wine, and mountain adventure at the Silver Star Wine Festival, popping the cork on this memorable event from August 10-13, 2023.

Event organizer Dana Lee Harris and her team of experts are working with Destination Silver Star to take this wine festival to new heights with deep culinary connections, world-class expertise in all things wine, and the spectacular outdoor setting in the Monashee Mountains. Guests will be delighted by a whirl of wine tastings, mountain biking, foodie delights, sightseeing, and so much more. The Silver Star Wine Festival is North Okanagan’s rich agricultural and winemaking heritage, all wrapped up in one unforgettable weekend.

The Signature Walk-About Tasting is at the festival’s heart, a gastronomic delight led by the legendary Chef Bernard Casavant. The B.C. Restaurant Hall of Fame inductee and culinary director at Lakehouse Kitchens Cooking School, will craft masterful bites to pair with the finest wines from 30 B.C. wineries. Tickets for the Signature Walk-About Tasting are on sale, and on offer is VIP Early Entry for an extra hour of tasting time and shuttle service options from Vernon.

Over 30 wineries will pour a variety of wines at the Signature Walk-About Tasting event Saturday, August 12.

“Our guests will be able to indulge in tasting bites of the finest fresh and locally sourced products from our region, including a sweet treat to take away.” says Chef Bernard Casavant, Lakehouse Kitchens Cooking School Culinary Director. “From a seared wild salmon satay with soba noodle salad bowl to a chickpea-crusted, fried adzuki bean tempeh taco, we will have mouthwatering pairings for every palate.”

The wine fest also features a selection of exciting signature pairing dinners and brunches hosted by Silver Star’s most renowned establishments. On Friday night SilverStar Mountain Resort’s Dinner will be orchestrated by the resort’s talented Executive Chef, Scott Sanderson. Expect an exquisitely crafted five-course menu rooted in the flavours of Italy featuring fresh B.C. seafood and ingredients from local purveyors paired with wine from five different Okanagan wineries.

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

Also, on Friday at Black Pine Social, Chef Jarred Sauve and owner Brandon Loughery have curated an elevated menu drawing inspiration from rustic European alpine culture, with a sprinkle of influence of Japanese cuisine expertly paired with wines from The Hatch and Black Swift Vineyards by co-owner and sommelier Mel Loughery. Finally, Black Pine Social’s Sunday Drag Brunch will serve delicious food, looks, and incredible performances! Freida Whales, Kelowna’s fishiest drag queen, will bring her signature sense of fun and comedic performance to Silver Star. Over the weekend, the Bulldog Grand Café will also embrace the festival theme with special features, including charcuterie and wine pairings, live music, DJs, and weekend brunch menus.

This year’s schedule includes wine seminars for the first time where industry experts lead 90-minute tasting events. The workshops are a perfect opportunity to taste and gain insights about wine in an intimate setting while hearing about the latest trends. From B.C.’s “next big grape”, to how winemakers in B.C. have contributed to the rise in popularity of bubbly, there are still tickets available for five seminars to discover and taste, adding welcome variety to the province’s evolving wine culture.

SilverStar Mountain Resort’s Wine Festival accommodation package starts at $165 per person, per night and includes two-nights of accommodation in the Snowbird Lodge or FireLight Lodge plus two tickets to the Signature Walk-About Tasting on Saturday, August 12. Taxes not included and rate is based on double occupancy. For more information or to book click here.

“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,” says Cassandra Zerebeski, Executive Director of Destination Silver Star. “We are presenting free concerts featuring Josh Bogert, Andrew Allen, and Sister Speak, and a pop-up Polson Artisan Market. With 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.”

Sip some of B.C.’s finest craft brews at the Silver Star Beer & Cider Fest, back for its second year on
Saturday, September 9 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

After the Silver Star Wine Festival pours out the last drop of wine, the next festival to get on the calendar is the Silver Star Beer & Cider Fest, back after a successful inaugural event in 2022, taking place September 9 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sip some of B.C.’s finest craft brews, and enjoy food, a Polson Artisan Market pop-up, live music produced by Local Losers featuring returning festival favourite Steven Marriott, games, and plenty of fun to wrap up the season. A shuttle service to Vernon is also available to ensure everyone can indulge in the food and drink celebration and get home safely.

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. 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 to and from Vernon click here.

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.