TasteCamp North Event to Shine Spotlight on Niagara Wine Country in 2011
Third Annual Event Will Include Wineries in Canada and the United States
View from the porch at Flat Rock Cellars in Niagara.
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO, CANADA, October 28, 2010 — Tonight, New York Cork Report Executive Editor Lenn Thompson and the co-organizers of TasteCamp 2011 announced that Niagara wine country — on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border — will host the third annual hands- and boots-on event for wine writers May 13-15, 2011. The announcement was made live on Twitter and at Chateau des Charmes, site of the first grand tasting in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
TasteCamp 2011 will be an exploration of Canada’s most established and prominent wine region, and one of America’s newest and most dynamic, including everything from the famous wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake to the terroir-driven wines on the Niagara Escarpment, as well as organic/biodynamic wineries, vineyard walks, grand tastings and wonderful food including the popular BYOW dinner at Treadwell Farm to Table Cuisine, one of Niagara’s best local-produce restaurants. Attendees will stay at White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa. The complete program is still being finalized. Details will be published as they become available.
Sign from TasteCamp in Finger Lakes
What differentiates TasteCamp from other events and conferences geared toward wine writers and bloggers is that it’s a largely self-funded. Attendees pay their own way and participate in TasteCamp out of a genuine interest to learn more about the region, its wine, its terroir and its people.
The concept for TasteCamp from the start was to take writers who know little or nothing about a region and completely immerse them in it for three days. They taste a lot of wines, visit estates and meet dozens of winemakers. It’s not about just showing them the best. It’s about showing them the complete picture, said event creator Lenn Thompson, who also founded the New York Cork Report .
Quebec-based TasteCamp organizer and wine blogger at The Wine Case, Remy Charest said, “From the moment I attended the first TasteCamp in Long Island wine country in New York, in 2009, I was hoping that we could get the event to Canada. Even though I’m from Quebec, it was obvious to me that Niagara should be the first Canadian stop for TasteCamp.”
View in Finger Lakes from TasteCamp 2010
Fellow organizer Rick VanSickle of Wines In Niagara, attended last year’s TasteCamp in the Finger Lakes wine region and added, “I was shocked as a participant at TasteCampEast in the Finger Lakes last May. The energy of the independent bloggers and writers, the Tweets, media, blogs and buzz during, after and continuing to this day was something I had never seen before. An honest assessment of entire region that was simply a coming a age for the Finger Lakes. Imagine what we can do in Niagara.”
TasteCamp is an opportunity for the host regions to show off all that they has to offer — to a group of keenly interested writers. Morgen McLaughlin, President of the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association, one of last year’s sponsors, said TasteCamp 2010 was a tremendous success for the Finger Lakes. “Having bloggers and journalists visit the region, many of them for the first time, generated significant media coverage and excitement among the wineries. We hope that TasteCamp makes a quick return to the Finger Lakes in the coming years.”
Suresh Doss, publisher of Spotlight Toronto and co-organizer for TasteCamp 2011 event concurred, saying “This is a unique opportunity to show Niagara’s terroir and the potential of farming in this region.”
Pouring at a grand tasting during TasteCamp 2010
Follow the Latest updates on TasteCamp 2011:
* On Twitter: #TasteCamp
* On the Web: tastecampnorth.tumblr.com
To participate as an attendee, contact Lenn Thompson (lenn@tastecampnorth.com)
To participate as a sponsor, contact Suresh Doss or Rick VanSickle (info@tastecampnorth.com)
Media and interview requests:
Lenn Thompson, TasteCamp Founder
Email: lenn@tastecampnorth.com
Melissa Dobson
Melissa Dobson PR & Marketing
Email: melissa.dobson@avantguild.com
About TasteCamp
The concept for TasteCamp is a simple one: getting enthusiastic journalists and bloggers together in a region that is new to them to taste as much wine as possible and speak to as many winemakers as possible over the course of a weekend.
Most smaller, lesser-known wine regions in the world would love to get their wines in front new audiences, it can be a challenge. With TasteCamp, the new audience comes to them.
This is not a junket — attendees pay their own travel expenses — including for their hotel rooms and meals. Through generous sponsors, some meals may be deeply discounted.
Info on the Niagara Region:
• Ontario Wine Council
• VQA Ontario
• Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake
• 20 Valley wines
• Wines In Niagara
• Spotlight Toronto