You snooze you lose. Geez!
Tickets to many of the Vancouver International Wine Festival events have already sold out, but tickets to wine tastings and minglers are still available – however, I doubt for long.
Nonetheless, it’s an exciting time of year, because when is wine not exciting? Rarely ever, and rarely do we get to explore Australian wines to this degree.
The 37th annual Vancouver International Wine Festival, (running until March 1), is highlighting Australian wines this year with 55 of the 170 wineries being from Australia (35 per cent are new to the festival).
This has been “the most comprehensive exploration of Australian wine undertaken in North America since 2007”, say the event's organizers.
Through educational seminars, tastings, and wine pairing dinners at some of Vancouver’s upscale and fine dining restaurants, festival-goers can learn about Australia’s 200-year winemaking history and about specific Australian wineries.
Tickets are available at VanWineFest.ca.
While it is slim pickings for official Vancouver Wine Festival winery dinners, keep your eyes peeled and ears open for restaurants hosting winery dinners outside the festival schedule. With 170 wineries from 14 countries coming to town, it would be a shame not to take advantage, and some have gone ahead to plan private dinners – still open to public.
Campagnolo Restaurant is one of the bunch hosting an “off-the-itinerary” wine dinner with Damilano Wines – one of the oldest wineries in Barolo, Italy. “A Dinner Rooted in Italian Tradition” takes place at Upstairs at Campagnolo on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The five-course plated dinner created by chefs Robert Belcham and Nathan Lowey will be reminiscent of Belcham’s food and style back at Fuel Restaurant in Kitsilano. If you never had the chance to experience Fuel, you’ll get a taste of it here. This dinner is $99 inclusive of wine, tax and gratuity and must be purchased in advance online.
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