Swirl at the Tigh-Na-Mara #ParksvilleUncorked
The first event I went to during my stay at the Tigh-Na-Mara was Swirl (hosted by this same hotel, where I stayed). I arrived to Nanaimo via Harbour Air Ltd (which offered a generous discount – thanks for that!). I was driven to the Tigh-Na-Mara and got changed quickly (you may remember my tweet about what I chose to wear) in order to get to Swirl on time. I was prepared for food and wine, but not for THIS much!
Kicking off Parksville Uncorked is Swirl. Festival goers will enjoy the best BC has to offer from fine wines to gourmet cuisine. Whether you are discovering BC wines for the very first time, or revelling in selections to tempt a sophisticated palate, this festival of taste excites all the senses. Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre is proud to host Swirl 2010. Live entertainment from 6pm – 9pm.
Honestly, for the price ($ 69+taxes), I found the Swirl event pretty fairly priced. The entertainment (an entire jazz ensemble, with a female lead voice who was fantastic) was excellent, the wines were superb (I fell in love with a few Pinot Blanc’s) and the food was absolutely delicate. And the event was entirely packed! You’ll have to forgive the lack of clarity in some of my photos as I took those with my iPhone and the lighting wasn’t conducive to photos without flash.
I had a fantastic list of what wines I had tried and which food I had paired with it, but unfortunately that list got lost somewhere on my way back, but I can recall that I tried several Pinot Blanc paired with a few delicacies. I also found a really neat trick to eating paired food – a clip that helps you hold your wine glass while you are eating (as shown by Luba here).
I would definitely go to Parksville for a couple of days and one night and stay for the Swirl event, it was totally worth it. And the fruit fondue cones… delightful!
Disclosure: My dinner at Swirl at the Tigh-Na-Mara was sponsored very generously by the Parksville Uncorked Festival. I wasn’t paid to write this review, nor was I required to do so either. The purpose of this media trip was to report on the event. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form. For the rest of my Parksville Uncorked posts, you can check them here.
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