Wining and dining

On Thursday I got to represent my company at the Green Tourism Association's 10th Anniversay Wine and Cheese evening (we're not a tourism company, we're a school, but I'm the event planner for the students so I qualified). It wasn't quite as glamorous as it sounds, since it took place at 5:30 at the TD Centre and was entirely populated by people who had just gotten off work and were drinking to take the edge off. It was mainly an opportunity to mix and mingle, but it seemed to me that most of the people there already knew each other and it took me until my second glass of wine to be able to just walk up to someone and start a conversation (I'm a little shy). That person happened to be a tour guide with a tour company that recently sent us promo material in the hopes that we would use them for our student trips. I'm sure our conversation was very informative but, in a distinct downside to the concept of an after-work wine and cheese gathering, I can't remember much of it.

The lovely wine was provided by a local winery, Henry of Pelham Family Estate which is located in St. Catherines. I wish I was enough of a wine connoisseur to be able to talk about it's bouquet and undertones and such (if my friend Yorkshire Soul were here, he'd be able to write a whole review on just the wine) but all I can say was that it was tasty. There was also chocolate by Chocoland Eco-Choco-Art which is a local, family-owned company that produces organic, fair trade, hand-made chocolate "inspired by nature and poetry". Does it get any better? I even got to meet one of the owners, Radmila, who was presiding over her chocolate table and making sure people knew it was there to be eaten, not just looked at - and the chocolates did look beautiful. Of course, the most important part was whether or not they were delicious and they most certainly were. I could have wished she'd brought more varieties for me to try, though. : )

o( )__