An Epicurean High

[trip style = foodie + wine tasting + weekend getaway]

Eye flutters and moans marked my weekend. In case you're getting any sultry ideas, this topic is G-rated, and by G I mean gastronomic. For the past four days, I've sampled and sipped 2,000 ft above sea level at one of Canada's longest-running and highfalutin food and wine festivals: Cornucopia in Whistler, Canada.

The good-time gourmets who've faithfully attended the four-day celebration for 16 years asked for more. The result: an 11-day foray into bites and bevs honing in on the region's homegrown harvest, local talent and international appeal.

While past years focused primarily on savoring both liquids and solids, this year saw Cornucopia weave in an oh-so-Whistler thread of well being and la belle vie. Wellness-themed sessions, aptly named Nourish, made their debut on the epicurean event's menu. We could all learn something from Whistlerites -- British Columbia's masters of the good life who ski, bike or hike by day and eat and drink well by night {and manage to look 10 or 15 years younger than us city folk}.

Complementing this Whistler lifestyle, morning yoga sessions were available to balance-conscious festival goers, as well as sessions on stress-relieving foods {note to self: eat more avocados, spinach, walnuts and turkey} and skincare from the pantry. Midday, munch on demos featuring local chef and sommelier collabs, and intimate chef- and winery-led lunches at private residences. When the clock strikes six, sip to your palate's content at grand tasting galas or themed restaurant tastings.

During the weekend, I witnessed one moment that described Cornucopia best; it happened at the culinary stage series, crafted by the executive chef and the sommelier of Vancouver's acclaimed Cibo Trattoria. While tasting northern Italian wines -- chosen to complement autumnal cooking {mushrooms} -- Chef Faizal Kassam pulled handmade gnocchi out of the oven. As he topped the creamy, nearly polenta-like dish with in-season porcini and chanterelles, the sold-out crowd erupted with elation as a slice of truffle crowned the canapé. The groans were for good reason; the Italian staple was that good. Good food and fine wine have a way of bringing out our inner joie de vivre, hence the fanfare and impassioned reactions.

The rest of the weekend crescendoed with a pop when I launched the top of a Moët bottle into midair in a literal and ceremonial swipe of a sword in the Bearfoot Bistro's wine cellar. Cin cin!

Photos

{Prepping my palate for Cornucopia at Sidecut restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler.}

{Culinary Stage Series: Cibo Trattoria - Piedmont in Autumn.}

{BC Wine Pairing dinner: seven courses and 15 wines!}

{MarTEAni Party at Fairmont Chateau Whistler, a dress-up affair turning a spot of Fairmont's famous teas into a series of sophisticated sips.}

{The libation station and bite-size cheesecake at Four Seasons Whistler's Private Residences chef brunch. Find other chef luncheons here.}

{The Bearfoot Bistro; the unofficial après-Cornucopia place to be.}

The Tasty Bits - Cornucopia runs from November 7 - 17, 2013. If you live nearby, there's still time to attend this coming weekend! - Tickets range from $15 to $250 per event. Stay and sip packages and other ticket-bundling options are available. - The events are as plentiful as a fall harvest and range from a $25 three-course meal at one of Whistler's most fabulous restaurants to culinary demos, seminars, grand tasting galas and seven-course dinners.

[photos by @tripstyler, taken while a guest of Cornucopia]

Tropical Escapades

[trip style = all-inclusive + beach + foodie + adventure]

This time last year I sampled several Air Transat, itineraries in Puerto Vallarta, a destination I'm drawn to for its swaths of sand, cobblestone streets and authentic Mexican flavors {like the guacamole I handmade at a cooking class in the photo above}. The trip was not my first Transat voyage with the Canada-based and operated airline; in the past I've traveled under their wing via packages and direct flights to Europe and the Caribbean.

Given my Transat experience and travel expertise, they've asked me to be a Canadian spokesperson for the all-important winter season {read: jetting to the South!}. While this opportunity does not afford me weekly jaunts to Jamaica to savor jerk chicken or float down the Rio Grande river in a bamboo raft, it does mean I will lend my know-how as a traveler who is particularly passionate about experiencing a destination through a number of vacation lenses, which I term trip styles {all-inclusive, adventure, sightseeing, foodie, etc.}.

Starting in mid fall, Canada's leading holiday travel airline begins a wave of direct flights from Vancouver and other Canadian departure points to beachy locales like Mexico and Jamaica, in addition to their staple European outposts like London. While Europe calls my name d-a-i-l-y, and I would like to do all my Christmas shopping at Harrods {as well as get a peek at petite Prince George}, the vacation collections I'm most drawn to are trip styled with beach lovers and culture vultures in mind.

Enter Transat Holidays' DUO and Escapade vacations. In the DUO scenario, a two-in-one vacay combines opposite corners of a country. For example, sample Veradero's oh-so-sultry sand and Havana's historic rhythm in one vacation. Escapades are for those who want to infuse some added flavor into their all-inclusive getaway. For two days and one night you leave the resort---without even checking out!---and dive into the destination's sense of place. For example, in Jamaica spend 80% of your trip lounging under a palm and 20% taking a cooking class, dipping into a waterfall and sojourning at an eco-spa. Culture and coastal life, accomplished.

If you're involved in the travel biz and want to learn more about Transat trips to the South, join me at an upcoming event I'm co-organizing with a group of travel professionals and Air Transat in Vancouver on November, 20th, 2013. Details here.

[photos by @tripstyler brought to you in collab with transat holidays]

The Savvy Traveler :: Leighann

[trip style = urban]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle blogger Heather.

When I buy clothes I lean towards shopping at boutiques, because how often do you become friends with the salesperson at a large retailer? Leighann Boquist is the owner of Vancouver women's clothing shop Oliver & Lilly's, where she counts her customers as her friends. At her shop, you'll find gorgeous clothing, accessories and lifestyle goods sourced from Tofino to Montreal and Los Angeles to London. Leighann and her husband travel to NY and LA twice a year to buy for the store, but as a lover of trip style = urban, she always makes sure to tack on a few extra days to explore and enjoy the cities she's come to know so well after running her shop for five years. I asked Leighann to let us in on her favorite spots and share how she travels, embodying the effortlessly chic ethos of Oliver & Lilly's.

1/ Bi-coastal accommodations
LA
We always try to stay for a little over a week during our LA trips and prefer booking a vacation rental over a hotel to experience the city like a local. We either stay in Santa Monica, Venice or Silver Lake. Finding your own little gem through Airbnb or VRBO isn’t too tough and these neighborhoods are a great starting point. We always try to ensure we're walking distance to good shopping, coffee and a grocer.

NY
In New York we stay at a boutique hotel in Murray Hill called Park South. It's central enough to everything -- buying appointments, subway stations, restaurants, etc. There’s just something so perfectly Manhattan about a historic boutique hotel with a top-hatted doorman and a lobby lounge filled with jazz music.

2/ Go-to spots for food & fun
LA
Cora’s in Santa Monica is our brunch spot. Great pancakes and a short walk to Venice Beach. Our favorite way to lunch is at local food trucks like Kogi BBQ. There are usually a few trucks parked along Abbot Kinney in Venice. During our last trip, a good friend introduced us to a cool restaurant in the Arts District called Church & State as well as this awesome little coffee joint a few doors down called The Daily Dose. For dinner, Little Dom’s (Los Feliz) or Cliff’s Edge (Silver Lake) -- they have the best fries and the space is breathtaking. We try to hit up some concerts when we’re in town. Before we leave, we check to see if our favorite bands are playing or we scout out the marquees at venues in Silver Lake. Our cottage in Santa Monica is close to the Aero Theatre, so we always take in a film or two while there. You can often catch special screenings with director’s Q&A. And wherever we go, we search for bookstores; our latest find is The Last Bookstore in Downtown LA.

NY
In the mornings, we get a coffee and oatmeal or a bagel on the street from a local deli. For lunch, Le Moulin à Café on the Upper East Side is lovely and for dinner we totally crave Café Habana in Nolita -- the Cuban corn on the cob is drop dead delicious. My favorite thing to do in NY is visit the art galleries -- large and small. Grab a coffee and browse around the neighborhoods, shop at local haunts, stroll through Barneys and walk up Fifth Avenue to check out the department store windows. Two must-stops are ABC Carpet & Home and The Strand Bookstore.

Trip Styler Tip: Leighann's husband lines up with the locals at a little neighborhood grocery store called 21 Crosby Deli (corner of Crosby & Grand). They serve a mean -- and budget-friendly -- Reuben and he usually gets a "bonus" BLT to go. When in SoHo...

3/ Perfect travel wear
Well, I pretty much have a uniform and am function over form -- not much changes when I travel. On the plane I’m usually in skinny jeans, a cashmere sweater and flats or sneakers. In my suitcase you’ll find the same pieces with a few additions: coat, scarf, blazer, leather pants, boots and yoga gear. I use my Clare Vivier La Tropezienne bag as a carry on with a Heidi Merrick clutch inside that stores all my grab-and-go items: wallet, chapstick, iPod, hand towelettes and notepad.

Trip Styler Tip: Leighann always travels with Herban Essentials Towelettes. These individually wrapped, made in California, essential oil towelettes come in great scents like lemon, lavender and peppermint. Find them in her store or check here for a retailer near you. {$20 for 22 towelettes}

5/ Destination on your radar
We’re pipe-dreaming Paris right now for Fall '14, so stay tuned.

More Savvy Travelers
Carolyn, Pro Wanderer
Jesse, I'm With The Band
Jackie, Paris Is Always A Good Idea
Lori, A License To Move

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

[photos by @heatherlovesit]