Art of Wine returns with distinct Italian flavour

April 29, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

The red gold pressed, fermented, bottled and poured by the best vineyards in Italy will flow in Aurora this May, as the Aurora Cultural Centre brings together the best vintages to demonstrate the Art of Wine.

The Art of Wine, once one of the cornerstones of the Aurora Cultural Centre’s fundraising campaign, returns May 21 after a year’s absence.
“We’re so excited to be hosting this wonderful evening of wine tasting again this year,” said Karin Allan, Chair of the Centre’s Fundraising Committee, in a statement. “[Sommelier Franco Stalteri] and his team are always entertaining and informative, and guests can expect a fresh, fun experience that I hope will become an annual tradition in Aurora’s social calendar. I think everyone can feel good about having a drink with friends, learning something new, and supporting the Cultural Centre, an organization that is vital to our community now, and will continue to be an important cultural institution in York Region’s future.”

This year’s Art of Wine promises an evening where guests will be able to sip “old world vintages” in a casual setting, led in a series of “tutored tastings” by Mr. Stalteri of Grapebrands. Five Italian wines will be available for sampling, vintages not available for public purchase through the LCBO. Guests will also be able to order cases of new favourite wines discovered during the course of the evening, while sampling fine cheeses, jellies, chutneys, fruits, and other treats catered by Aurora’s Catharina’s Kitchen and specially selected to complement the wines on hand.

“This is my first time running and attending the event, but from what I have heard, it was a popular event last time and a wine tasting is always a fun event for people,” says Anuja Varghese, Fund Development Manager for the Centre. “For us, having it in the spring is a new way of doing it.

Sometimes people associate wine tasting with a fall event, but I think this is a great time to do it. It’s spring, it’s fun, it’s fresh, and I think people love a reason to come out this season, have some fun, drink some wine, all while supporting the Cultural Centre.

“We didn’t do this event last year and people asked what happened to it, so we thought we would put it back together and see what we could do that was fun and new.”

What was “fun and new” was ultimately found in the “old world” and the Centre hopes it will be an opportunity to learn a lot in a fun way and be able to take home two Riedel crystal wine glasses with each ticket purchased.

Tickets for the May 21 event are on sale now for $75 per person ($70 for Friends of the Centre), which include the five tutored wine tastings, appetizers, and the Riedel wine glasses. The event is open to all those 19 and over.

For more information, contact the Aurora Cultural Centre at 905-713-1818, or visit www.auroraculturalcentre.ca.