Swirl at the Beach Club Resort (Parksville Uncorked 2011)
Last year, I covered the Parksville Uncorked Food and Wine Festival 2010, and I was invited to participate and cover Parksville Uncorked 2011 this year. I felt privileged not only because few invites were extended, but also because my good friend Cassandra Anderton (editor of the local website Good Life Vancouver) and I travelled together to and from Parksville. It’s always nice to get to know my fellow travel and food bloggers and realize we actually can hang out beyond just meeting randomly at the same food/travel events. We both had visited Parksville before and knew what we were expecting. Cassandra was visiting The Beach Club Resort for the first time.
For me, arriving to The Beach Club Resort (and on Sunday when we visited the Tigh-Na-Mara for Bubbles and Brunch) it was like coming back home. The staff at both resorts know me by name. No word of a lie. I missed this year the new event, Parksville Untapped 2011 (although I did give away tickets for this experience). The first event I attended is the signature event, Swirl. Last year I did Swirl at the Tigh Na Mara and this year I switched to Beach Club Resort for Swirl.
Festival goers will enjoy the best BC has to offer from fine wines to gourmet cuisine at Swirl. Whether you are discovering BC wines for the very first time, or reveling in selections to tempt a sophisticated palate, this festival of taste excites all the senses. The Beach Club Resort is proud to host this year’s Parksville Uncorked Swirl Event and attendees will receive an exclusive 2011 Parksville Uncorked wine glass.
The wonderful thing about Swirl is the pairing of exquisite foods with amazing wines. This year was no exception. Live music, fabulous food and extraordinary British Columbia wines – what more do you need?
And having a packed room both at the Pacific Prime restaurant and the main conference room of The Beach Club Resort was a testament to the hard work that the organizers put into this fantastic festival of food and wine. Next year you should really attend Parksville Uncorked, I urge you to.
The description from the original Parksville Uncorked website summarizes Swirl:
Festival goers will enjoy the best BC has to offer from fine wines to gourmet cuisine at Swirl. Whether you are discovering BC wines for the very first time, or reveling in selections to tempt a sophisticated palate, this festival of taste excites all the senses. The Beach Club Resort is proud to host this year’s Parksville Uncorked Swirl Event and attendees will receive an exclusive 2011 Parksville Uncorked wine glass.
I had an opportunity to sample food prepared by The Beach Club Resort (Pacific Prime Steak and Chop Restaurant) Chef Sean Norris, the Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort (Cedar Dining Room) Chef Eric Edwards, a number of bites from Holliwood Oysters, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, Rod & Gun, Sushi Ichi, Amrikkos and my new favorite Mexican food, The Blue Burrito, as well as some delectable sweets from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and treats by Cory Parsons.
I did not sample all the wines, but I had a few sips from several Rocky Creek Winery wines, a couple of Mark Anthony Group ones and a couple by Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, Prospect Winery, Road 13, Tinhorn and Sumac Ridge. Overall, I’d rate Swirl one of the most fun events within the whole Parksville Uncorked Wine and Food Festival 2011. You should definitely try to make it in 2012.
Disclosure: My dinner at Swirl at the Beach Club Resort 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.
Related posts:
