4th annual celebration to host 58 wineries from 9 countries
VINELAND, ON, July 3, 2014 /CNW/ - On July 18th, winemakers from all corners of the globe will congregate in Niagara for the annual International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration. This three-day festival of wine and culinary excellence has inspired an annual pilgrimage of wine-lovers, media and producers of the world's best cool climate chardonnay to the vineyards of Niagara.
The feature event of the weekend is the Cool Chardonnay World Tour, the only event of the weekend where all 117 wines of the Celebration are available to taste and are poured by their makers. This year, the culinary programme will rival the impressive lineup of wines. A culinary "dream team" of Niagara's top vineyard chefs - including Jason Parsons, Ryan Crawford, Andrew McLeod, Justin Downes and Adam Hynam-Smith of El Gastronomo Vagabundo - will present an al fresco family-style feast following the Oyster & Bubbly reception. Wine Country Ontario has introduced an "Après Chardonnay" bar after dinner to showcase some of Ontario's other exceptional varietals.
The newest addition to the event programme is the Barrels and Bonfires event on Friday, July 18 at 13th Street Winery in St. Catharines. Inspired by the fated summer evening where twelve winemakers congregated around a bonfire in 2009 and envisioned this annual celebration, hundreds of wine enthusiasts can spend an evening under the stars sipping Chardonnay and listening to live bands on the main stage. An industry session hosted by the Grape Growers of Ontario and CCOVI is scheduled for Friday morning, and a variety of Chardonnay-inspired activities are scheduled at vineyards across the region.
Special guest and Master of Wine Tim Atkin will be this year's keynote speaker, flying in from London to participate in the festivities. "Although Pinot Noir is a passion, I have always believed in dry, mineral laced Chardonnays from cooler climates... In the past, these mostly came from Burgundy. I am very excited to see some of the best from all over the world congregate in Niagara this summer for the i4C," said Atkin.
Full weekend details and tickets are available at www.coolchardonnay.org
The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Association is a not-for-profit group of 30 inspired Ontario winemakers and winery owners, devoted to the renaissance of Chardonnay.
The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration is generously supported by founding sponsors Wine Country Ontario, the Grape Growers of Ontario and the LCBO|Vintages. Event sponsors include Vineland Research & Innovation Centre, Riedel, and CCOVI at Brock University.
Image with caption: "Fifty-eight international winemakers and thousands of winelovers convene annually in Niagara for the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration. The three-day wine and culinary showcase runs July 18-20 and features some of the region's top vineyard chefs and sommeliers. (CNW Group/International Cool Climate Chardonnay Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140704_C2509_PHOTO_EN_4106.jpg
SOURCE: International Cool Climate Chardonnay Association
Media contact: Dorian Anderson, Event Manager - International Cool Climate Chardonnay Association, [email protected] | 905-933-5737, Twitter @coolchardonnay, #i4c14; Magdalena Kaiser-Smit, Director of Public Relations - Marketing & Tourism, Wine Council of Ontario for "Wine Country Ontario", [email protected] | 905-246-1922
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