On Wednesday, May 16, 2012, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards invites you to join them at Vancouver Urban Winery for Wine Tasting with a Social Twist.

The evening, inspired by the social media age, is a hybrid between a brown bag tasting and speed-dating event, with guests having the opportunity to “date” the various Tinhorn Creek wines present.

At the event will be various Tinhorn Creek Twitter social media personalities, such as Sandra Oldfield (@SandraOldfield), Tinhorn Creek CEO and winemaker and Andrew Moon (@Andrew_Tinhorn), Vineyard Manager.

This is a great opportunity to test out a variety of the Tinhorn Creek wines, or to even try Tinhorn Creek for the first time. Coupled with the chance to speak with the winemakers themselves (and have tweeting encouraged!), it’s sure to be an event not to miss.

For ticket information, check out http://store.tinhorn.com

From the press release:

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards has always been a leader in the BC wine industry, and embracing the age of social media has proven no different. The Tinhorn Creek team are avid tweeters, Facebook followers and are very LinkedIn. So, to meet and engage their fellow social media types, Winemaker and CEO Sandra Oldfield and Tinhorn staff will host Wine Tasting with a Social Twist on Wednesday May 16 at the Vancouver Urban Winerywhere guests will enjoy an evening of wine, food and plenty of Twitter activity.

The event is structured as brown bag tasting meets speed dating, with a fast paced tasting of nine different Tinhorn Creek wines, followed by light canapés and a guided unveiling of wines by Sandra Oldfield. The event celebrates the age of social media, and reflects the fast paced times we live in while making wine tasting fun. Once guests move through each table of brown bag tastings, Winemaker Sandra Oldfield will guide tasters through the nuances of each varietal, with the chance to win many great prizes. Chef Jeff Van Geest from Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is partnering with Vancouver’s longest-standing French restaurant Le Gavroche to create some delicious canapés to pair with the wines.

Between delectable bites and sips of incredible wines, guests will have the chance to meet the people behind the Tinhorn Twitter handles: @SandraOldfield, Winemaker & CEO; @Andrew_Tinhorn, Vineyard Manager Andrew Moon; @KorolKuklo Assistant Winemaker; @linzyw, Marketing Coordinator Lindsey White; @mbuschleague, Sales Manager Mark Butschler; and @winegirljules, Sales & Marketing Manager Julie Copland-Stene.

Wine Tasting with a Social Twist takes place Wednesday, May 16 from 6-9pm at Vancouver Urban Winery, located at 55 Dunlevy Avenue in downtown Vancouver. Tickets are $30, and available online at http://store.tinhorn.com.

About the author: A fashion blogger who loves food and has no qualms about admitting that she’s eaten gelato for breakfast (and lunch. And dinner.) and had Jack Daniels shots for brunch. With this in mind, Erin was able to marry 3 of the loves of her life (the 4th being Derek Jeter, but the restraining order prohibits that) into her blog, Haus of Hybrid. She also does a myriad of other cool things; to find out more, tweet her: @erin_gee

On April 26, 2012 Caché Bistro and Lounge in Yaletown will be launching off with their grand opening event, Midnight in Paris.  Congratulations!

Vancouver Food Tour was invited to a preview of some of their signature dishes.

Chef and Owner Alex Mok’s menu style is classic French bistro-fare with a contemporary approach, focusing on seasonal ingredients.

The restaurant is a continuation from Alex’s success with his previous private dining venture – the “Underground Supper Club”.  He explained, “diners at the Underground Supper Club often have a sophisticated taste palate and high expectations for every visit.  They look for dishes that cannot be found elsewhere and inspires me to be experimental with French dishes that defines my culinary passion.”

With his team of brother and Chef Jason Mok, his wife Zoë, and long time friend Kinson Lai, Alex looks forward to greet adventurous diners in Yaletown.  Whether you are eager to try something new or simply want to indulge in the comfort of classics, do check out Caché’ soon!

Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect:

We thoroughly enjoyed each balanced and imaginative dish.  There was intrigue, without pomp, and the ingredients all played well together.  In addition, the menu featured wine pairings that complimented each dish beautifully.  We will definitely be back.

Cache Bistro & Lounge – Yaletown

About the author: Sean Neild is always hungry and blogs at seanadventuresinflavortown.com and on the Food Network’s hit show Eat St’s blog .  Find him on twitter @YVRBCbro .

Vancouver is proud to host the First Annual Vancouver International Tequila Expo (VITE) on May,12 2012.  Vancouver Food Tour previewed a line up of the fine tequilas that will be featured at the VITE.

We were greeted by one of the organizers of the expo, Manuel Otero, the Counsel General of Mexico, and the chair of the BCHF Geoffrey Howes (pictured respectively below).

We sipped and savored fine tequilas, all paired seamlessly with Mexican pinchos (traditional Mexican bar snacks).  The tastings and education was well received and opened our eyes to the vast world of this often misunderstood spirit (in Canada, at least).

Vancouver, you better get ready to get acquainted with one of Mexico’s finest exports!

From press release:

The First Annual Vancouver International Tequila Expo (VITE) will take place on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at the Vancouver Convention Centre East. It is sponsored by Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant and the Consulate General of Mexico. Proceeds will benefit the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation (BCHF), the hospitality industry’s own charity.

VITE schedule

Two Seminars – (Tickets $45 each)

1. 11:00 am – 12:30 pm – “Tequila 101” – history, culture, and production of tequila

2. 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – “Ancient Origins of Agave Spirits” – the prehistoric precursors to tequila

Trade & Media Tasting (nominal fee including donation at the door to BCHF)

3:00 pm – 5:00 PM – Trade and Media Tasting (nominal fee includes donation to BCHF)

Consumer Event – (Tickets $65)

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Consumer Tasting – where guests to sample the full lines of well-known brands like Tequila Don Julio & Cabo Wabo Tequila, and newcomers to the market like T1 Tequila Uno & Tavi Tequila, and brands not yet imported to British Columbia such as Azuñia Tequila.

Tasting Seminars – $45 each

Trade Tasting 3:00 – 5:00PM – (nominal fee includes donation to BCHF)

Consumer Tasting 6:00 – 9:00 PM – $65

Additionally that week there will be 10 to 15 various restaurants in Vancouver & Lower mainland participating with the pairing of tequila & food dinners. Check back often at www.vancouvertequilaexpo.com for updates on the new restaurants as they are added.

About the author: Sean Neild is always hungry and blogs at seanadventuresinflavortown.com and on the Food Network’s hit show Eat St’s blog .  Find him on twitter @YVRBCbro .

Located on Commercial Drive, Vancouver’s ‘Little Italy’, Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria stands out. The Drive, as we so fondly refer to it, is full of old buildings, so the new brick façade of Famoso is hard to miss.

I received a tour from one of the owners, Justin Lussier, and learned about his and the company’s passion for what they do. Inspired on a trip to Italy (including Naples), Justin and his friends, Christian Bullock and Jason Allard, decided to bring Neapolitan pizza to Canada. The trio trained with the Verace Pizza Neapoletana (VPN), an organization created to uphold the Neapolitan pizza standards.

Famoso uses fresh, authentic ingredients like Campania tomatoes from Southern Italy, fresh basil, Caputo ‘OO’ flour from Naples, and fior-di-latte cheese. The pizzas are cooked for 90 seconds in their authentic (Italian imported) bell oven.

The service is a hybrid between Italian pizza service (order at the counter and they bring it to you) and typical table service. This lets the customer decide how long they want to stay. In a rush? Pay when you order. Have some time? Start a tab.

The menu marries the traditional (think Funghi and Margherita) with ‘New World’ pizzas, such as Spicy Thai and Smoked Salmon. The drinks are reasonably priced and Wednesday’s bring fantastic wine specials.

About the author: A fashion blogger who loves food and has no qualms about admitting that she’s eaten gelato for breakfast (and lunch. And dinner.) and had Jack Daniels shots for brunch. With this in mind, Erin was able to marry 3 of the loves of her life (the 4th being Derek Jeter, but the restraining order prohibits that) into her blog, Haus of Hybrid. She also does a myriad of other cool things; to find out more, tweet her: @erin_gee

Kelowna is a beautifully sleep town that lies in the Okanagan Valley, the heart of British Columbia’s wine country.  Quails’ Gate is one of Kelowna’s favourite family operated wineries and they’re soon hosting an exciting event for food lovers.  By partnering with the Ocean Wise Program, they will be pairing their wines with 100% sustainable seafood, prepared by star chefs.  If you’re a fan of seafood and wine (and ocean preservation), don’t miss out on this dinner.

From press release:

On Saturday, May 12,2012, Quails’ Gate winery will present a special Ocean Wise dinner at it’s Old Vines Restaurant.  The four-course dinner will feature 100% sustainable seafood paired with premium wines from Quails’ Gate Winery.

The meal will be a creation collaboration by two esteemed Chefs: Old Vine’s Executive Chef Roger Sleiman, with special guest Chef Michael Allmeier, CCC (Certified Chef de Cuisine).  It will include 100% sustainable seafood, as certified by the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program.  Old Vines Restaurant and Quails’ Gate is proud to serve only Ocean Wise certified seafood.

Quails’ Gate Winery Ocean Wise Dinner

Saturday, May 12, 2012

6PM

$99 per person exclusive of taxes and gratuities

Space for the event is limited, so reserve your tickets today by calling Julia Garner at 250-769-2514 or by emailing groupbookings@quailsgate.com

About the author: Sean Neild is always hungry and blogs at seanadventuresinflavortown.com and on the Food Network’s hit show Eat St’s blog .  Find him on twitter @YVRBCbro .