The annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is one of the high-water marks of my work calendar and not just because it presents a rare opportunity to enjoy six straight days of marginal debauchery and gum-staining sloth.
It is, of course, much more than that: the penultimate meet-and-greet for B.C.s food and wine wonks, where everyone from lark-loving busboys and aspiring sippers to sommeliers and serious oenophiles are introduced to or reacquainted with new and old vintages, winery principals and agents of every stripe and nationality. Thousands of business cards are exchanged, truckloads of bread, cheese and cured meat are consumed and countless cases of wine drained.
The festival is anchored by the International Festival Tasting, which runs from Mar. 31 to Apr. 2 inside the main exhibiting hall at Canada Place. In all, some 176 wineries will be there to represent 15 producer nations and pour in excess of 750 different wines.
Wine lovers will also be drawn to satellite rooms offering a variety of informal but highly informative seminars (many of which are already sold out), and those who stand still long enough will be set upon by charming sales people looking to get them back to their Pan Pacific or Fairmont Waterfront suites for further sipping and glad-handing. For event tickets, download and peruse the brochure online at PlayhouseWinefest.com or call the Playhouse box office at 604-873-3311.
For my purposes (and that of my column this week), much of the action takes place off-site with many of Vancouvers better restaurants hosting special winemakers dinners. Several of these have already sold out, but there are still some tickets available for four that I have my eye on.
I can think of no more appropriate place to kick off this years wine fest on the evening of Wednesday, Mar. 30 than Coal Harbours French-themed Le Gavroche, a Vancouver icon of conviviality for more than a quarter century (1616 Alberni, LeGavroche.ca). Owner Manuel Ferreiras wine cellar and palate are legendary and considering his Portuguese heritage its extra fitting that hes paired up with the Douro Valleys Crasto estate for a multi-courser to remember. Tickets are $175 (call 604-873-3311).
That same night, high up on its gorgeous West Vancouver perch, the award-winning Fraîche restaurant (2246 Chippendale, FraicheRestaurant.ca) will be pairing wines from Napas solar-powered Miner Family Vineyards (including its headlining 2007 Bordeaux-style blend, The Oracle) with a dinner prepared by co-owner/chef Dino Renaerts, one of a rare breed of executive chefs who are also accredited sommeliers (bonus: winemaker Gary Brookman will be in attendance to introduce each wine with each course). Often lauded for having one of the most commanding views of Vancouver, Fraîche is one of our provinces best-kept secrets. Tickets are $150 (call 604-873-3311).
If youre having trouble deciding between those two, the scheduling powers that be have made it even more difficult by slotting in a supper at the Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut) prepared by local star chef David Hawksworth. His cuisine steeped in B.C. terroir will be fittingly joined at the table by several premium wines from Okanagans own Mission Hill Family Estate.
The supper is being billed as an exclusive preview of whats to come at his eagerly anticipated new restaurant in the Hotel Georgia (the eponymously named Hawksworth) scheduled to launch spring 2011, which arguably makes Wednesday, Mar. 30 the most befuddling date of Vancouver foodie indecision in recent memory. Wines to be poured include Mission Hills 07 Oculus, Quatrain and SLC Syrah; 08 Perpetua; 09 Reserve Riesling and to finish, a 06 Riesling Icewine. Tickets are $135 (call 604-873-3311).
How to adequately close out the festival on the evening of Sunday, Apr. 3 is fortunately a no-brainer thanks to chef Lee Cooper and sommelier Jake Skakun of Gastowns popular LAbattoir restaurant.
Together with Australian producer Josef Chromy, they will be shepherding five special courses of West Coast French fare through five boutique, cool-climate wine pairings, all sourced from the island state of Tasmania.
Tasmanian wines are so unique, explains Skakun, and we dont often get to see them on the market here, in part because production is so small. Im really excited about it.
And we should be too.
Cooper and Skakun are still working on letting the wine inform their menu (translation: I have no mouth-watering dish descriptions), but considering the consistent excellence of LAbattoirs creations to date, guests are likely in for a doozy of a night. Word is bar manager, Shaun Layton (Vancouver magazines current Bartender of the Year), is getting in on the fun, too, crafting an introductory cocktail for the evening with Chromys own sparkling Rosé.
It really is nothing short of astounding that this dinner has not yet sold out at the time of writing. For your sake, I hope there are still a few seats left. Tickets are $150 (call 604-873-3311).
