Corks and Forks returns to Kingston with a Spanish flair
The second annual Corks and Forks International Wine Festival kicks off on Friday, April 24, 2020 in downtown Kingston. Not only will the festival showcase local vineyards and wine producers, as well as Kingston’s hospitality and restaurant scene, the 2020 edition will also shine a spotlight on the wines of Spain. Featuring tasting events and seminars, as well as ‘Lunch with Experts’ and ‘Winemakers Dinners,’ the weekend will be jam-packed with delicious events.
“The response from the inaugural Corks & Forks last year was incredible,” says Megan Knott, Executive Director of Visit Kingston. “Kingston is a natural fit to host the wine world with our growing culinary scene plus its proximity to Canada’s fastest growing wine region — Prince Edward County.”
Seminars and tasting events will be held at the Delta Hotel Kingston Waterfront and the Residence Inn by Marriott Waterfront with a few other events at restaurants throughout the city. Both ‘Ole! Savour Spain,’ the grand opening event on Friday night, and ‘Discover the Wine World’ on Saturday evening are happening at the Residence Inn by Marriott Waterfront, as well.
Last year I enjoyed the ‘Clink and Drink Pink’ seminar, as well as ‘Learn to Taste like a Pro’ — both available this year as well. You can read about my experience on my website: Kingston’s First Annual Corks & Forks Festival
The intimacy of the classes is amazing. At last year’s ‘Discover the Wine World’ evening, I was able to visit the tables of the wineries whose rosé wines I tasted during the ‘Clink and Drink Pink’ event earlier in the day, and the winery representatives recognized me from the class. This festival has many opportunities to interact with the winemakers and winery representatives and get all your questions answered.
Get a full list of available classes and seminars here.
This year’s finale, on the afternoon of Sunday, April 26, 2020, will be ‘Best Bites of Kingston.’ Top talent from Kingston’s finest restaurants will be creating appetizers right before your eyes. Each bite will be paired with a wine from featured wineries, and participants will be voting for their favourite pair for a People’s Choice award. Ticket holders for this event will get one sample of each restaurants pair, and more tickets are available for purchase.
“Feedback from attendees at last year’s inaugural event has sparked some new and exciting events for 2020,” says Debbie Trenholm, President of Savvy Company. “Best Bites of Kingston will help showcase great restaurants in the city and there’s a lot of excitement around learning about Spanish wines this year as well!”
Besides wine tasting and food pairing seminars, Corks & Forks is once again offering an Industry Day for the hospitality sector. These classes and seminars are specially designed for restaurant and hotel staff, food and wine media, and people wanting to get into the food and wine business.
Industry day is devoted to education and professional development from certified experts and Master Sommeliers focused on improving wine service, trending wine regions, creating profitable wine lists, the importance of glassware, and tastings of Prince Edward County, Niagara and Spain. This year, industry day will take place Monday April 27th.
With lunch and dinner events still being finalized, Savvy Company suggests regularly checking their website for the most up-to-date information. You can purchase festival passes or individual seminar tickets from their page on events.com.
I will be attending both the Ole! Savour Spain grand opening event on Friday night, and Discover the Wine World on Saturday evening, as well as two seminars over the weekend. Will I see you there?
Follow me on social media for live posts from the events. (I’m @modernmomslife on Twitter, FB and Instagram.)
What is Savvy Company?
Savvy Company is about creating memorable experiences with wine, craft beer, cider and artisan cheese. The Savvy Team take pride in showcasing hard-to-find beverages and cheeses that are not available at retail. Their experienced sommeliers connect consumers to the dynamic people behind the products. Deepening the relationship between the people who make the product with the people who enjoy it is the essence of every activity that Savvy Company creates.
Jessica is a busy working mom who enjoys writing, editing, and photography. She loves raising her family here in Kingston and tries hard to enjoy all Kingston has to offer. You can find more of her writing on her blog A Modern Mom’s Life, and see what she gets up to with her family on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!