Wine lovers, get your palates ready!
With the harvest season in full swing, wine festivals are the perfect way to celebrate old vintages and introduce new grape varietals. Add a dizzying array of fresh, gourmet foods and appetizers – like locally sourced cheeses – for an afternoon that will delight wine connoisseurs.
We’ve compiled a list of 7 reasons to revel in the first ASC Grape and Wine Festival that is taking place on September 17th. Read about the fun activities we have planned for our retirement community residents. Follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for up-to-date details and pictures!
Reason 1 – Exercise your creative genius
Read Between the Wines is a fun and interactive way to learn the art of making the perfect wine label. Starting a few days before the event, residents will create wine labels based on the personality of their residence, chosen wine, and community at large.
To further challenge originality, seniors will use a hexagonal shaped label. As the festival goes on, the artwork will continue to grow and grow: we’ll be assembling the individual labels into an art installation for all to enjoy!
Reason 2 – Get Physical with the Pun of a Lifetime
From Sip Sip Hooray Bottle Toss to Wine Down Yoga, it’s all fun and games during the festival. That’s because our Wellness Directors know how to spice it up! The benefits of physical activity cannot be praised enough, so we’ve thrown in a competitive and social twist to make sure participants stay in tip top shape between tastings.
Reason 3 – Live Entertainment and Dancing
Who can resist live music and dancing? As we like to say, “Kick up your heels, come for the grapes, and stay for the dancing”!
Each retirement home is putting a unique twist on the entertainment. Just outside of Edmonton, Alberta, the Summerwood Village community isn’t holding back on their Summerwood Flair! Merrymakers there will be treated to the music of Randy and Rai for their “Life is a Cabernet Dance”.
Reason 4 – The Food
What better way to highlight local wine than with local cuisine? Always up for a challenge, the ASC Red Seal certified Chefs are busy creating dishes using harvest fresh foods found in their regions. Given Canada’s geographical variations, the offerings are bound to be diverse.
This is a tantalizing sample Chef’s Choice Farm to Table menu that will have mouths watering at Gatineu, Quebec’s La Gappe 1 Harvest Lounge: Crème de légumes, Bouillis Canadien, and Tarte aux pommes
Reason 5 – The Wine
Whether you thirst for the likes of a spicy Sabrevois or the soothing taste of a Pinot Noir, join All Seniors Care as we discover the hidden gems that sprout from Canadian soil at our Sommelier Lounge!
We’ve all heard of the famous Niagara wines from Ontario, but the rest of the country cannot be overlooked! Here is a sneak peek:
Quebec
Did you know that Québec’s viniculture history stretches back centuries? Upon landing on Île d’Orléans in 1535, Jacques Cartier named it “Île de Bacchus” (after the Greek god of grapevines, celebrations and wine) due to the sheer variety of wild vines that grew there. With over a hundred vineyards to choose from, residents at our retirement residences in Quebec will be hard-pressed to choose a favourite!
Manitoba
While a region known for its harsh winter weather may not seem like an ideal place to produce wine, nevertheless a few hearty individuals in the Keystone State have taken on the challenge. During the festival, Sturgeon Creek 1 and River Ridge 1 will both be serving local fruit wines from Shrugging Doctor (Raspberry Wine) and Sugar Shack (Maple Honey Wine).
Saskatchewan
Once known as “the breadbasket of the world”, Saskatchewan is one of the Canada’s most productive agricultural regions. The majority of wines are produced in small, family-owned operations. We can’t wait to see which fruit or flower wines will be served in the Saskatchewan residences!
Alberta
That’s right, this big-sky Western province celebrated for the Canadian Rockies and stampede got into the wine business and the results are downright delectable. Innovative producers are dabbling in fruit and other grape-less varieties in a dynamic new industry – and proving that raspberries and rhubarb can be as mighty as the grape when it comes to top-quality wines.
Reason 6 – Ontario Ice Wine
In 1991, the Inniskillin entered its 1989 Vidal Icewine at Vinexpo in Bordeaux where it won the Grand Prix d’Honneur and the world’s attention. Since then, Ontario’s Icewines have been unrivalled on the world stage. Whether you’re already a connoisseur or have never sampled one of Ontario’s Ice Wines, enjoy a sip on us!
Reason 7 – Wine Down Yoga
We’re not sure when it happened, but yoga and wine have become a popular pairing. Rather than take our word for it, seniors will have the opportunity to burn some festival calories and centre the mind with a late afternoon or morning yoga class.
Now that you’ve had a taste of what attendees can expect during the celebration that would make Dionysus proud, follow us on social media to experience the wine, delicious farm-fresh food, and lively music for yourself.
From Auburn Heights in Alberta to Cite Parkway in Ottawa, if you’re looking for a senior living residence that’s constantly abuzz with events like these, find an All Seniors Care retirement community near you and book a tour today!
Explore our blog or visit our New and Events section to keep up to date on the exciting things happening at All Seniors Care Living Centres.
