**London, ON —** **December 18, 2025:** The Western Fair District is proud to introduce **Taste Experience (Taste Ex):** a bold reimagining of the long-running London Wine & Food Show and a new national destination for culinary and beverage discovery. Making its debut **January 9–10, 2026**, Taste Ex will feature **Canada’s largest curated bar and beverage showcase**, offering guests access to more drinks, more flavours, and more first-time tasting opportunities than any other event in the country. With a fully curated menu featuring approximately 800 selections of beer, wine, cider, hard seltzers, cocktails, spirits, kombucha, coffee, tea, and an expanded range of non-alcoholic options, Taste Ex marks a major evolution in how Canadians explore and sample beverages. Unlike traditional vendor-led tasting events, Taste Ex selects the products directly, ensuring attendees discover rare finds, new releases, and producers from across the country they may never have encountered otherwise. **A 280 ft Bar Showcasing Beverages Across Canada at “The Great Canadian Bar”** At the heart of the event is an unprecedented bar build: - A 120 ft two-sided bar, with 20 ft on each end, totaling **280 ft** of bar space - Sample drinks from 244 different producers across 12 provinces and 107 cities - Approx 400 beers, 100 spirits and 180 wines to sample at the ‘Great Canadian Bar’. - A 20 ft cocktail & spirits bar by Scotch & Ponder on one end of the bar, and a 20 ft tea and expresso bar by Locomotive Expresso on the other end. - Expanded non-alcoholic options with 33 non-alcoholic options available, 9 Kombuchas, and 15 teas and coffees. This approach positions Taste Ex as **the largest beverage showcase in Canada**, with a range unlike anything offered at similar events. **A Reimagined Experience of Discovery** Taste Ex was developed after extensive engagement with vendors, sponsors, and past attendees seeking fresher, more diverse beverage experiences. Key innovations include: - **A fully curated beverage list**, replacing the traditional vendor-supplied format, selected by Canada’s first Master Sommelier, John Szabo and Brewmaster, Beer Sommelier and Certified Cicerone, Stephen Rich. - **Small-batch, unlisted, and hard-to-find Canadian products**, hand-selected by the Taste Ex curation team - **More inclusive offerings**, featuring significantly more non-alcoholic beverages and diverse food options - **Modern, elevated branding and guest experiences** designed to appeal to today’s culinary explorers “Attendees told us they wanted to taste something new—and Taste Ex delivers exactly that,” says show manager Rob Lumsden. “This is a show built for discovery. You won’t just find your favourite drinks; you’ll find your next favourite.” **A New Chapter in Canada’s Culinary Scene** For 18 years, the London Wine & Food Show has been a beloved local tradition. Now, Taste Experience expands that legacy into a bigger, bolder, more immersive experience for a new generation of food and beverage explorers. Taste Ex promises to become *Canada’s must-attend flavour event*—a place where the country’s most exciting producers meet passionate enthusiasts eager to sip, savour, and discover something truly unforgettable. **Event Details** **Taste Ex: The London Food & Drink Experience** **January 9–10, 2026** J-AAR Expo Centre, Western Fair District London, Ontario **Tickets available at:** [TasteWFD.com/tickets](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r03/___https:/www.tastewfd.com/tickets___.YXYyYzpsZWRjOmE6bzo4MmJmYTdmMjA2OGFmMzdhMDg0YjZhOTM2OTJmYzFkYzo3Ojg1NmM6YThmOTg1NjhlOTFlNGEyOGQ2OTFmZjc3NDU2OGU1NTYyODE1NGI0YjRmNGNkY2EyOTU4MDM0Zjg4N2Y5NDdmODpoOkY6Tg "Protected by Avanan: https://www.tastewfd.com/tickets") **Media Contact** **Angela Hawkins** Marketing Director Western Fair District [ahawkins@westernfairdistrict,com](https://ahawkins@westernfairdistrict,com) 519-281-4809