Whistler’s food and beverage sector take centre stage at this time of year, invigorating our village with culinary delights world renown. At the Whistler Institute, this time of year is when we launch our season of thought-provoking speaker events – and in November, one will take place in partnership with Cornucopia Whistler to facilitate a crucial conversation about the future of Okanagan wine.
The title of the event, “Mother Nature Always Has the Last Bat,” is a poignant reminder that, despite human innovation and technology, nature ultimately dictates growing terms. Speakers Decoa and Jeff Harder, who successfully created and built Ex Nihilio Winery in the Okanagan Valley, are no strangers to the realities of climate change. An endeavour that lasted 20 years, they will share their experiences and insights based on what they witnessed firsthand from the fields to industry supply and demand.
Whistler Cornucopia has always been about celebrating the best of food and drink, and about sampling farm-fresh ingredients to innovative beverages. This event is a natural extension of that celebration and exploratory mindset, reminding us that being amenable opens us to new opportunities.
Join us at the Rainbow Theatre Friday, November 8 at 6pm for an engaging conversation that will broaden your horizons when it comes to wine varietals. Tickets can be purchased individually, or in combination with Cellar Door, where we can continue the conversation while sipping and savouring from over 25 wineries.
The Whistler Institute seeks partnerships that elevate learning opportunities and influence change. We are honoured to be partnering with Whistler Cornucopia this year to host a conversation that, we believe, will augment the first Friday night of the festival through inspiring dialogue with leading industry experts.

Let’s come together to ensure that we, and future generations, can continue to enjoy the bounties of Mother Nature.
Cheers to influencing changes and inspiring minds,


Mandy Rousseau
Executive Director of the Whistler Institute