Glittering gala a fun evening of tasty treats
By Mona Mattei
Amidst the glittering Christmas decorations, guests wandered through Gallery 2 on Saturday night enjoying wine, cheese, sweet treats and discovering new flavours.
The annual wine tasting event hosted by the Grand Forks Art Gallery Society in the old courthouse building has developed into the year’s most elegant evening out. Guests of the gallery, dressed in style from tuxedos to gowns and evening dresses, were packed tight around the variety of wineries sharing their vintner’s selections.
Fourteen vendors poured red, wine, and, no not blue, carmel coloured liquids into wiling recipient’s glasses. Alongside the wines, Nelson Brewing Co. gave out samples of their cool brews and Forbidden Fruit Winery as well as Okanagan Spirits shared their variations on the traditional grape recipes.
Local delicacies were served by From the Hearth Bakery, Jerseyland Organics, Doodle Bug Chocolates and Hardy Mountain Coffee roasters. The Gallery’s favourite Court Jesters Catering served appetizers and sweets to round out the tasty night.
Personal favourite: well, I didn’t really get to make a full round of the reds, but I did enjoy the whites. My familiar Auxerrois from Gehringer Brothers is always cool and refreshing, and I took a liking to Oliver’s Choice from the Oliver Twist winery made from kerner grapes.
But what I came home with was the Seabuckthorn liquer and Poivre William, a pear brandy both from Okanagan Spirits. Many people couldn’t get past the smell of the seabuckthorn, but having my own tree I am quite used to it so the flavour was a pleasant sensation.
No matter what you took away, the wine tasting was definitely a night to remember.
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