Drink Wine. Help the Belfry.
Crush, the Belfry’s signature wine fundraiser, returns to the Inn at Laurel Point on Sunday, October 23.
Victoria, BC...On Sunday, October 23 at 5 pm the Belfry Theatre will hold Crush - A Fine Wine Affair at the Inn at Laurel Point (680 Montreal Street).
The highlight of the evening is the fine wine auction which this year features a 1934 Comte du Lauvia Armagnac, a 2005 Château L’Evangile (which The Wine Spectator gave 100 points), and Ex Nihilo Vineyard’s Rolling Stones “Sympathy for the Devil” Icewine - one of the rarest bottles in the world.
Crush, started in 2010, is a three part event:
Wine Tastings (from 5 pm)
This year over 28 wineries from across British Columbia will offer wine at stations set up throughout the Inn at Laurel Point’s stunning Atrium. A full list of the wineries pouring is available at http://www.belfry.bc.ca/crush.
To up the fun there will be a special blind tasting table where guests can win prizes throughout the evening.
Hors d’oeuvres & Tasting Stations (from 5 pm)
Executive Chef Takashi Ito will prepare a dazzling selection of hors d’oeuvres for the event and the culinary team will prepare risotto at the tasting station.
Fine Wine Auction (at 6 pm)
Hosted by renowned Vancouver sommelier Keith Nicholson, this year 40 bottles of wine (offered in 20 lots) will be auctioned off. The wines featured have been generously donated for the event and all are rare or very hard to find bottles from around the world.
A full list of the wines (with charming descriptions, courtesy of writer and wine aficionado Robert Moyes) up for auction is available at http://www.belfry.bc.ca/crush.
The Tom Vickery Trio featuring pianist Tom Vickery, drummer Dave Emery and bassist Rob Johnson will play throughout the the evening.
To ensure that everyone has a chance to take something away from the evening, we’ll host a silent auction featuring wine, a trip to the Vancouver International Wine Festival and a range of exceptional experiences.
Tickets for Crush are $95 (no GST or service charges) and are available at the Belfry Box Office or online at tickets.belfry.bc.ca. A generous tax receipt for a portion of the ticket price will be issued following the event.
Crush is generously supported by Odlum Brown Limited, The Co-operators General Insurance Company, Boulevard Magazine, the Inn at Laurel Point, and Everything Wine.
Auction Host Keith Nicholson
Keith is the owner of Statera Wine Academy. He holds his WSET Level 4 Diploma as well as Sommelier Diploma from the International Sommelier Guild. Other wine education activities include Certified Spirits Specialist with Society of Wine Educators, Introductory to Wine Making via correspondence from UCDavis, and working three months on the crush crew during harvest 2010 at Laughing Stock Winery, Naramata British Columbia.
Outside of teaching, Keith has spent his entire career in hospitality and wine. He has many years of experience managing restaurants and holding positions of Wine Director at some of BC’s best restaurants, such as the Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler and Le Crocodile in Vancouver. He has also spent recent years in the capacity of on-premise sales representative for wine companies such as Seacove Wine and Trialto.
Keith is also on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers for British Columbia (CAPS BC). A founding board member in April 2014, CAPS BC holds the Best Sommelier in BC competition. Keith is the Director of Communications and PR and will be in such capacity thru 2018 when the Best Canadian Sommelier Competition will be held in Vancouver.
Special Thanks
The Belfry would like to thank Bartier Bros., Blue Grouse Estate Winery, Clos Du Soleil Winery, Corcelettes Estate Winery, de Vine Vineyards, Gold Hill Winery, Hester Creek Estate Winery, Howling Bluff Estate Winery, Kanazawa Wines, Kettle Valley Winery, La Frenz Winery, Lake Breeze Vineyards, Liquidity Winery, Marichel Vineyard & Winery, Moraine Winery, Nichol Vineyards, Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery, Orofino Vineyards, Road 13 Winery, Sage Hills Estate Winery, Stag’s Hollow Winery, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Tantalus Vineyards, Tightrope Winery, Unsworth Vineyards, Upper Bench Estate Winery & Creamery, Volcanic Hills Estate Winery, Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, Robert Moyes, Keith Nicholson, and Roshan Vickery.
