The inaugural series acked by a core list of notable community partners and industry leaders, including the North Island Craft Beer Festival, Cowichan Valley Wines, the City of Campbell River, Edible Vancouver Island, and the Oceanside Arts Council. These partnerships show Palates dedication to their ‘maker first’ structure..
Festival Highlights:
- HOPS (Friday, Sept 18): Kicking off the weekend with a party! Celebrate BC Craft beer with live bands and local bites.
- VINE (Saturday, Sept 19): A seaside afternoon exploration of vintages both local and international as well as an exploration of the culinary and art installations across the grounds.
- CANVAS (Sunday, Sept 20): A free-to-enter community Art Walk and Market featuring curated makers, community performers, and artisans.
I had the opportunity to taste these four wines at Painter’s Palate. A delightful late September afternoon for the inaugural artisan, food, brews and wine event held at the iconic Painter’s Lodge in Campbell River.
This is a walk around event featuring local artisans, and on this “Vines” day a representation of both local and BC wineries along with some tasty bites.
Voyage Liquor Merchants were on hand for guests who were looking to buy any of the wines they tasted at the Vines event held during Painters’ Palate.
We had great sunny weather for this day of outdoor strolling through the grounds of Painter’s Lodge in Campbell River.
Aritsans and wineries were scattered over the landscapes grounds making for a very pleasant afternoon of sipping quality wines and tasting bites crafted by local restaurants.
There was plenty of opportunities to chat with the artisans and, for me the main focus being the wines, to chat with wine reps who are experienced and qualified to represent the wineries. The selection of wines and the number of wineries represented was good for the inaugural event. I would hope that wineries that didn’t attend will take note for next year.
The views from the grounds are quite spectacular and the perfect backdrop for sipping on wine. I was espccially pleased that local wineries like Beaufort, Sea Star, Sage Hayward and 40 Knots were in attendance.
Beaufort representatives included their winemaker which was a coup for me to have the chance to speak with Stephanie Clarke. We chatted about past vintages, including learning about new releases and plans for the winery, which is under new ownership, going forward.
Those were, for me, some of the highlights, and opportunities, that made the event such a success.
I think the best way to sum up the day spent enjoying “Vines” at Painter’s Palate is through images I took.
About Painter’s Palate:
Painter’s Palate is a three-day arts festival series celebrating the Island’s Artisans and Makers ‘from bottle to brush’. Hosted at the recently renovated and historic Painter’s Lodge – A weekend exploration into the bites, sights, sips and sounds our Island food and beverage culture can offer.
About Painter’s Lodge:
An 80-year-old icon of Vancouver Island, Painter’s Lodge has recently undergone significant renovations under new ownership, dedicated to preserving its notable fishing and wildlife touring heritage while reestablishing its reach as a premier arts destination.
