Photos: Whistler's Cornucopia heads into second weekend

It looks like a sunny and cold weekend ahead in Whistler...perfect for scenic drive up the Sea-to-Sky highway.

I made the trip for the start of the festival on November 6, and although there was no snow in the village, beautiful autumn leaves were everywhere. Here's a taste of what I experienced as a guest of the festival in its first few days. 

A new event called Cellar Door premiered on November 7. It was a more intimate version of the signature winetasting Crush, with about 30 wineries pouring (less than half the number at Crush) and a focus on higher-end bottles.

Since I find large winetastings overwhelming, I liked Cellar Door for its more manageable size. Table signs that pointed to Cornucopia's Top 25 wines were also helpful in homing in on what to sample.

And although food wasn't the focus of this event, it was nice to see Minami restaurant serving its delicious aburi sushi; other bites on offer included oysters on the half shell and crab and scallop corn dogs.

There were some new faces at Cornucopia this year, including Stephen Wyse (above, at his winery) and his partner Michelle Young, the team behind Young & Wyse Collection in Osoyoos. The pair were participating in Cornucopia for their first time ever, as part of the Osoyoos Wine Dinner at Quattro Whistler on November 7.

Along with Quattro's chef Jeremie Trottier, chefs from Walnut Beach Resort, Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa, and Watermark Beach Resort worked together to prepare the evening's four-course meal. It was all paired with Osoyoos wines from Young & Wyse, LaStella Winery, Moon Curser Vineyards, and Stoneboat Vineyards.

While I wasn't up in Whistler very long, I did make the time for a stroll on the beautiful Whistler Valley Trail, which I'd highly recommend. Here's a segment near Alpha Lake.

Be sure to visit Lost Lake as well: a five-minute drive from the village, it's a peaceful spot that's as lovely in the fall as it is in the summer. Inhale the fresh mountain air, and revel in the escape from the city.

Cornucopia continues until November 16 with winetastings, seminars, wine dinners and more.