Septembeer 19-21, 2014 Celebrate National Organic Week on Salt Spring Island!

This amazing event is a must. We’ve been twice and hope to get back there again this year.

The Festival will bring together growers, food providers and chefs from Salt Spring Island and partner them with local craft brewers and vintners representing the wine growing regions of British Columbia.

FOOD, WINE, CRAFT BEER AND PEOPLE

Salt Spring Island is known as the organic capital of Canada.

It’s small family farms, artisan food providers and fishing community provide  a bountiful harvest of fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables, breads and cheeses, eggs from free range chickens, famous Salt Spring lamb, farm raised, heritage breeds of pork and chickens, daily catches of crab, mussels and oysters – and in September, local salmon.

Surrounding Salt Spring are the nearby southern Gulf Islands, the verdant Cowichan Valley, the rich plains of the Saanich Peninsula and the other southern Gulf Islands all of which share a similar climate, soils and love of the land and sea.

In addition to the wonderful local food, the area is home to the outstanding wines of the ‘Wine Islands’ region. These wines will be featured together with wines representing all of the wine regions of British Columbia and some of the finest Vancouver Island Craft Beer.

THE EVENTS

• On Friday evening, local restaurants and farms will be hosting Harvest Dinners where the talent of chefs will combine with locally produced ingredients in seasonally inspired menus. Wine and beer selections will be paired with specific courses, either in set menus or as you choose.
• Your culinary adventure continues on Saturday starting at 9 am with the Famous Salt Spring Saturday Market, where everything is grown, harvested, created and made on Salt Spring Island. With the bounty of the Fall Harvest upon us, the Market with be brimming with fresh, local fruit, vegetables and grains grown in our unique micro-climate.
• In Ganges on Saturday afternoon beginning at 1 pm, the Salt Spring Island Farmers Institute will be transformed into a fabulous Grazing Experience as visitors sip fine wines and craft beer from BC and savour samples of delicious local foods, prepared by island chefs.  Attendees will see the fresh produce, be able to talk to the grower, ask the chef how they prepared the ingredients and discuss  how the wine or beer complement the resulting dish.  The pairings are carefully selected to enhance the experience that is unique to our grazing event. Additional products will be available for purchase for those wishing to take some of the taste memories home.
• Saturday evening various locations will be hosting live music and great food to keep you entertained – check ourEVENT CALENDAR for details!
• New for 2014 is the Sparkling Wine Brunch at the Harbour House Hotel and Restaurant. Many BC sparkling wines will be available to taste, then choose a glass of your favourite to enjoy with sumptuous brunch, prepared with the farm’s fresh, organic eggs and produce.
• As a bonus to your Sip & Savour Salt Spring weekend, stay and enjoy varied events during National Organic Week, culminating with the 16th Annual Salt Spring Apple Festival taking place on Sunday, September 28th. Tour various farms and attend the main event at Fulford Hall. Learn more at: www.saltspringapplefestival.org

Many of Salt Spring Island’s hotels, resorts and B&B’s will be greeting guests with weekend accommodation rates and a special island welcome! Visitors can also enjoy a studio, winery and farm tours, visit a spa or yoga studio, dine at one or more of our excellent restaurants, take in a Farm Dinner, and enjoy live entertainment at many local venues. Learn more at www.saltspringtourism.com

Partial proceeds will support the initiatives of Island Natural Growers, a chapter of Canadian Organic Growers,  West Coast Islands Stewardship and Conservancy. This event also supports the Salt Spring Agricultural Alliance.

Sip and Savour Salt Spring is non-profit festival being organizing by local volunteers from the food, wine and grower communities of the island.

This event is proudly presented by the members of the Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce and is presented by Mouat’s Trading – an iconic Salt Spring merchant since 1907!  www.saltspringchamber.com

Participating Breweries are Saltspring Ales, Hoyne Brewery, Lighthouse Brewery, Driftwood Brewery

Food Providers include Monsoon Coast, Moby’s Pub, Hastings House, Harbour House Hotel and Organic Farm, Moonstruck Organic Cheese, Stowel Lake Farm, North End Farm, Auntie Pesto’s Cafe, Tree House Cafe, Fernwood Road Cafe, Bullock Lake Farm, Salt Spring Sunrise,  Spit Fire Catering,  Gulf Islands Secondary School Culinary Program,  Sugarland Farm,  In Season Foods,  Salt Spring Coffee,  Salt Spring Artisan Vinegars, Mount Maxwell Coffee Roasters,  Rock Salt Restaurant,  Salt Spring Mercantile,  Penny’s Pantry …and more to come!

Participating Wineries are Salt Spring Vineyards,  Mistaken Identity Vineyards,  Garry Oaks Winery,  Silverside Winery,  Sea Star Winery,  Tugwell Creek Farm & Meadery,  Mission Hill Family Estate Winery,  Poplar Grove Winery,  Sperling Vineyards,  Le Vieux Pin Winery,  La Stella Winery,  Bench 1775 Winery,  Paradise Ranch Winery,  Little Straw Winery,  Fairview Cellars,  Bella Wines,  Arrowleaf Cellars,  Black Cloud Winery, Stag’s Hollow Winery,  The View Winery,  Unsworth Winery,  Nagging Doubt Winery,  Eau Vivre Winery,  Synchromesh Winery,  Glenterra Winery,  Culmina Winery,  Terra Vista Vineyard,  Summerhill Winery, Tantalus Winery,  Sage Hills Winery,  Averill Creek Winery,  Blue Moon Winery,  Road 13 Winery,  Clos du Soleil Winery,  Kettle Valley Winery,  JoieFarm Wines,  Burrowing Owl Estate Winery,  Calliope Wines, Stoneboat Winery