With less than one month to go and registration filling up fast, I have put the last few flourishes on the program. Of course, I'll keep a few surprises under wraps, but here's the program as it stands.  Please feel free to call or email if you have any questions about registering or the workshop. I can be reached by email at jennifer dot foodgirl dot ca; or by phone at 780-242-3663.

Click here to view the 2010 Program Schedule.

With less than one month to go and registration filling up fast, I have put the last few flourishes on the program. Of course, I'll keep a few surprises under wraps, but here's the program as it stands. Click here to download the PDF program. It's subject to changes, and if there are changes, I'll keep updating the program notes here. Please feel free to call or email if you have any questions about registering or the workshop. I can be reached by email at jennifer dot foodgirl dot ca; or by phone at 780-242-3663.

Click here to go to the 2010 Program Schedule.

Wow, I've added a few fantastic new things to the schedule...and the Penticton Sandman Hotel has come on as an alternate hotel location. Rooms there start at $99 / room plus taxes (quote group reservation #182769), and the hotel has just been recently renovated and it's beautiful. Contact me if you have any questions about registration, hotels or how to get here. The Okanagan Food & Wine Writers Workshop is on Facebook now too. So you can "Like" us on FB to follow news, photos, discussions, etc even if you can't make it to this year's workshop. And for the latest program schedules, I'm updating it at this link. Thanks everyone. See you in just over ONE MONTH!

Dale from dng studio has done another great poster and I've been busy plastering them up at key locations. Thanks to these places who are supporting my Workshop by putting up posters. If you are at these businesses, snap a quick photo and send it in. I'll post it and spread the goodwill. Jennifer

Mosaic Books -- a strong and fantastic independent bookstore in downtown Kelowna. Keep your local flavours alive by supporting your local independent businesses.

The Kelowna Downtown Public Library

The Cookbook Co. Cooks in Calgary. The HUB of all things delish and culinary in Calgary: cookbook store, fine foods, cookware, cooking school...

The Penticton and Wine Country Vistor Centre -- VQA wine store, tourism info and essential stop to plan your visit in Penticton and wine country

My friend Lola Canola's hoppin' honey booth at the Downtown City Farmers Market on 104th in Edmonton.

More postering to come...and if you want to have a poster at your business, just let me know.

Jennifer

I'll let the photos speak for themselves. Yes, there are a few gaps where my photos didn't turn out all that well, but I'll round up some photos from other participants soon and add them to the mix.

The Okanagan Food & Wine Writers Workshop starts today! Follow us at www.twitter.com/OKFWWWorshop. You don't need a twitter account to check out our pages, but if you do, follow us.

Thanks to Dale at dng23 creative for his work on the website again today. Did you notice the sponsor logos? And the new downloadable PDF of the Workshop 2009 program?

Dale at DNG23 creative has been working on some mass updates. Notice the sponsor logos? Notice the new schedule PDF now on-line? Thanks Dale!

Hooray! The response for this workshop has been great. We're totally full for this this year's workshop. (Fill out a request for information on the "Contact us" page if you want to be put on the early notice mailing list for next year's Workshop.)

If you wanted to attend, but couldn't or we were full by the time you found out about it, you can always follow us on Twitter for "as-it-happens" news from the workshop events and dinners. twitter.com/OKFWWWorkshop

Or you can still buy the Lioli market bags (to support the workshop), cards and the workshop poster. It's all available on our Merchandise page.

I've got the final program buttoned up and I hope to post that very early next week. I'll be posting it soon.

Flying on Air Canada from Edmontonto Penticton last evening, I read Craille Maguire Gillies's feature story, Seoul Mates, in the current issue of enRoute magazine. (It's also the cover story!)

Craille was formerly an editor at enRoute, but is now an Edmonton-based online editor at Unlimited magazine, and a freelance writer. I'm thrilled that she will be one of our workshop presenters this year.

I have lots of great news...we're going to have dinner INSIDE Township 7 Winery on Thursday, Sept 17 (instead of the original location...because inside the winery is much, much better), and I've confirmed that we'll be treated to a vineyard walk and lunch at Lake Breeze on Friday. And we've got one more event on the Naramata Bench, soon to be confirmed. Stay tuned.

But the important announcement is that you only have ONE DAY LEFT to book your room at the special conference rates at the Ramada Penticton. Just quote that you will be attending the Okanagan Food & Wine Writers Workshop to access the special rates. Any rooms booked after August 15 will be subjec to the normal room rates for that period.

Any questions, just email or call me.

And yes, we've still got a couple of spaces left for the workshop. Don't delay because you don't want to miss the incredible experiences we've got lined up.

I'm so thrilled to be typing this! Toronto-based author and foodie, Michele Sponagle, will complete our stellar line-up of great food and wine writers and editors for the 2009 workshop faculty. Fans of Corner Gas (cult Canadian TV show) might recognize her name. She's the author of Tales from Dog River: The Complete Corner Gas Guide (Penguin, 2007). The follow-up to this immensely popular guide will launch later this fall. But enough about Corner Gas...here's Michele's Bio:

Michele Sponagle has been contributed to Canada's top publications, including Flare, the Globe & Mail, Chatelaine, and Reader's Digest, for well over a decade. Her culinary travels have taken her to the Amazon jungle for grilled piranha and to the unspoiled wine regions of Tasmania.

Food & Wine Writers Workshop Brings Top editors together with aspiring writers in Canada’s hottest culinary destination


Penticton, BC: With hundreds of world-class wineries, and increasingly home to a number of Canada’s best chefs, British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley is hot, hot, hot as a food and wine destination. It’s also now host to the Okanagan Food & Wine Writers Workshop, a two-and-a-half-day workshop with professional development seminars for beginning to intermediate culinary and lifestyle writers.

“We’ve brought together a panel of Canada’s best food, wine, cookbook and travel editors for small group sessions in the mornings, and then we’ll visit the valley’s best food and wine destinations in the afternoons and evenings,” explains Jennifer Cockrall-King, workshop coordinator. “We’ll have special access to wineries, chefs, artisan producers and specialty growers.  It’ll be an unforgettable experience-driven program for food, wine and travel writers of all levels. There will be something for everybody, and the workshop will take place just before harvest. It’s the peak of the season in the Okanagan at that time.”

Workshop instructions include tv host / cookbook author and internet blogging sensation Julie Van Rosendaal; travel writer and editor at Unlimited magazine, Craille Maguire Gillies; and Whitecap books cookbook editor Taryn Boyd. (More guest instructors to be announced soon.)

Don’t delay. Registration is limited to 15 writers in order to give each writer personalized instruction. The cost of the workshop is $400, and includes all workshop meals and activities, excluding travel to and from the workshop and accommodations. Special workshop room rates are available at the host hotel, the Ramada Penticton.

Detailed workshop information is available on the Website at http://www.okanaganfoodandwinewritersworkshop.com/, or by contacting workshop coordinator Jennifer Cockrall-King at 780-431-0486 or jennifer@foodgirl.ca.

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Contact Person:
Jennifer Cockrall-King, workshop coordinator
jennifer@foodgirl.ca
780-431-0486 / jennifer@foodgirl.ca
Images available upon request

Just returned from the incredible Valentine Farm in Summerland, BC, home of The Vinegar Works. The owners / farmers Kim are totally on-board with having our group come out to their farm, walking through their organic vineyard and gardens, firing up the wood-fired bread oven and having some nibbles and wine before we are off to dinner at Local Lounge and Grille (opening in July 2009). We're just kicking around a few ideas for a hands-on activity while we are at Valentine Farm. (This is also the host farm for the Okanagan's first Feast of Fields event on August 23, 2009. Follow the event on its Twitter page at twitter.com/okanaganfof.)

I'm busy assembling my A-team of dream guest speakers and instructors for the 2009 Okanagan Food & Wine Workshop. I will hopefully have the last two instructors confirmed and most of the other major details (location, price, program!!) confirmed in the coming week.

So far, I've got multi-tasking food writer, cookbook author, blogger and tv cooking show star, Julie Van Rosendaal; Craille Mcguire Gillies, former editor at enRoute magazine, travel writer and editor at Unlimited magazine; and Taryn Boyd, senior cookbook editor at Whitecap Books. How great is that?!

Time to stop talking about it, thinking about it, and dreaming about it. Time to get this party started. Welcome to the Okanagan Food & Wine Writers Workshop website. Please help spread the word.