A bottle of champagne is always at the heart of a party and no wonder … the tiny bubbles have pizzazz and when the cork pops everyone cheers. It is creamy and velvety and when your senses are enlivened by the scintillating texture of cascades of hundreds of little bubbles you just can’t help but feel uplifted.
It has toasted millions of weddings and launched thousands of ships and although most use the term champagne to describe sparkling wine, the term is really meant for those bubbly selections actually from the Champagne region of France. That being said, a good glass of bubbly does not need to have a chateau tacked onto the name in order to be considered high in quality. Some of B.C.’s best sparkling wines will be uncorked on Saturday night at The Beach Club Resort in Parksville.
Champagne and celebrations go hand in hand so if you haven’t made Labour Day lplans yet why not raise a glass to the last long weekend of summer.
The Beach Club Resort is once again hosting Bubbles on the Beach. The Premier Sparkling Wine event will be held Saturday, September 3. Last year’s event sold out early and that will likely be the case for this year’s fizzy affair.
The event takes place at Pacific Prime Steak and Chop Restaurant’s beach front patio just steps away from Parksville’s beach. It will be the third year the event has been held providing guests with an opportunity to enjoy some of British Columbia’s best sparkling wines paired with a wide variety of fresh local seafood and more prepared by Chef Michael Sproul.
Shawna Broekhuizen, general manager of the resort says the casual affair will take place outside and guests can look forward to sparkling wine, food, jazz music and even a special Oceanside sabering.
“Hosting events such as Bubbles on the Beach does not only show case The Beach Club Resort but also the entire region,” she said. “It is critical that as part of the tourism sector that we assist in marketing the Oceanside region and what Parksville has to offer.”
To set the mood for the evening the boardwalk will be illuminated with tiki torches.
As guests sip bubbly under the stars, they will be entertained with live music from Alita Dupray and modern body art by artist Lance Webb with model Jessica Phillips.
Executive Chef Michael Sproul said he is looking forward to preparing some culinary creations for the evening and taking the event to the next level.
Along with numerous seafood stations there will be a roasted pig on a spit and Sproul said there is another little surprise he is working on. Chocolate will be just one of the finishing touches to wrap up the evening.
Sproul said he has a passion for putting a modern spin on culinary classics using seasonal, local food and adds the waters off our Island provide quite a bounty.
Sproul has been an integral part of The Beach Club team for the last two years. Born and raised in Nanaimo, Sproul began his career in an apprenticeship under a Master Chef at Longwood Brew Pub in 2003 to 2008. He would later work at Tigh-Na-Mara, before moving over the The Beach Club.
Corks will start popping at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night. For ticket information call 250-248-8999.
— Brenda Gough is a regular News contributor.
