Local, seasonal, sustainable: what does that taste like? Victoria, BC’s fifth annual food and wine festival, Taste, sets out to find out: on opening night, the fest will branch from its half-decade history to work only with responsible producers incorporating these very values. The event, “Taste the Difference,” features wines made exclusively from BC grapes, and aims to connect members of the community with each other and their local food and beverage producers over these shared values. Founder and producer Kathy McAree says she believes the event to be “a festival with a conscience.”
From here, the four-day weekend fest, running July 25-28, kicks off into an array of experiences designed with originality in mind. “Food and wine festivals are all about celebration, indulgence and fun,” McAcree says. “With Taste, we make sure that the fun component comes with…once a year opportunities available only during Taste.”
McAcree calls her event a culinary tourism experience, and she should know—she’s also the mastermind behind Travel With Taste, Vancouver Island’s first culinary tour company. Extolling the virtues of Victoria’s culinary scene especially—the city is second only to San Francisco in most restaurants per capita across North America—she wants to bring the right kind of attention to the region by placing focus on producers doing right by local culture, economy and environment.
The festival has, in five short years, become an integral part of the area summer calendar. Hit events include “Swine and the Vine” (a whole pig suckles on the patio of the Hotel Grand Pacific) and classes like “Tea and Terroir” with Daniela Cubelic, certified Tea Master and owner of Victoria’s SILK ROAD Tea. And before calling it a weekend, fest-goers are invited to unite on the top floor of Château Victoria for live jazz accompanying a three-course champagne brunch, and a chance to soak in the community being built up around the best Victoria has to offer.
Thursday, July 25—Sunday, July 28 || Victoria, BC || Event times and locations vary || Event costs vary: buy tickets here
