ottawa wine & food expo

Event: The 23rd Annual Ottawa Wine & Food Show
Location: Lansdowne Park, 1015 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario
Date: November 7 - 9, 2008
Website: playerexpo.com
Entrance price per person (general admission): $17

This was my first time at the Ottawa wine & food show & unfortunately I wasn't that impressed. We had to wait about 1.5 hours outside (thank goodness it wasn't that cold - but it was still chilly) only to get crammed into a very very very stuffed venue. It was really insane inside! We tried a couple of good wines, and a couple of bad ones. We also ate a bunch of food, but overall I wish there were more out-of-the-ordinary items and less every day run of the mill items.

Tickets for buying drinks & food were $0.50 each and glasses of wine ranged from 2-6 tickets usually. Food items were usually around 4-8 tickets. Some booths did not accept tickets and only accepted cash.

I remember at the Toronto Wine & Food Expo I was introduced to many interesting drinks and foods. The Toronto event was really more focused on the wine and food, whereas the Ottawa event was more based on a bunch of socialites getting sloshed and out to mingle/pick up.

I did enjoy the following booths:
- A Culinary Conspiracy (catering company): Bershire Pork Belly and carmelized onions on a peppered sage scone with ferme floralpe chevre and a port reduction; Chocolate and sundried cherry shortbread with lavender scented mascarpone and ginger confit
- California Wine Institute:
- Foster's Wine Estate: Penfolds' Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet
- Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company: Cheese sampler (i loved the maple infused cheese)
- Vincor: Jackson-Triggs ' Sauvignon Blanc VQA

I definitely don't think the Ottawa wine & food expo is worth going to again until they at least move it to a bigger venue to accommodate the crowds. But maybe it's just me being a non-Ottawa resident that feels that way.