I cant tell you how stoked I am that its almost Vancouver International Wine Festival time again! I wear many hats as far as the festival goes: I get a teeny-tiny say in things as part of the planning committee, I share judging duties for the Wine List Awards, plus Ill be sitting on the odd panel sipping on stage, talking about all things grape-centric. My official roles are great and all, but what I love most is getting to do the things that YOU do run around from event to event, tuck into winemakers dinners, and generally swirl, sniff and sip my way through the week of February 25 to March 3.
In saying that, tickets for all Wine Festival events have just gone on sale and are selling briskly, so you need to get on it. This aint marketing speak aimed to scare you into impulse buys either. As I write this column, 19 out of 55 events have sold out. If I were you, these are the events Id jump on.
All tickets and event information can be found at VanWineFest.ca
Long Shadows: A Glowbal Voyage | February 25 at 6:30 | Coast Restaurant | $155
Allen Shoups Long Shadows Washington winery project is innovative, unique and , quite simply, awesome! Hes assembled some of the best vintners from around the world to build their own label, from John Duval (ex-Penfolds of Australia) making Sequel a follow-up to his highly-touted Grange to the Folonaris of Tuscan fame making a killer blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Syrah called Saggi. This pairing of contemporary icon wines with some of the Glowbal Groups finest plates should be stellar.
Canadian Wine Awards Dinner | February 27 at 7 | Edible Canada | $99
Oh, how far weve come! Celebrate the best in Canadian wines with more than a dozen winners from Wine Access Magazines Canadian Wine Awards, stretching from sparkling to Syrah. Double-up on the Canadian goodness with dishes such as Vijs Curry-Crusted Albacore Tuna and Smoked Yarrow Duck Breast with Okanagan Cherry Stew.
All About Chardonnay | February 28
at 5 | VCC West | $60
The varietal focus of this years festival is Chardonnay, and this seminar takes you right to the heart of it. Learn about Chardonnays history and role in the wine world, including its place in Champagne, Burgundy, Australia and right here at home.
The International Festival Tasting | February 28, March 1 & 2 at 7 | $95
This is the granddaddy of em all: the main room at Vancouver Convention Centre West, overlooking the North Shore and hosting 176 wineries pouring 767 wines! I even have couple leads to make the experience even better. First off, the Thursday night edition is only ever sold out to 75 per cent capacity, so you have much more elbow room and face-time with the winemakers. Second, if you pony up an extra 70 bucks on the Friday or Saturday night for the Gold Pass Tasting Lounge, you not only get an extra assortment of some of the festivals best bottles and a comfortable room for when you need a break from the crowds, but theres plenty of light bites available to keep you nourished and content!
Lookin for other leads on events? Just Tweet me @KurtisKolt or drop me a line via KurtisKolt.com!
