Vancouver’s food and wine year always kicks off with a bang. Make that a small salvo. First up is Dine Out Vancouver Festival, followed quickly by the lead up to Vancouver International Wine Festival (Feb. 22nd to March 1st).
Each of these events have had a profound impact on Vancouver in their different ways. Looking back over 18 years, Dine Out has been a phenomenal success. But it’s safe to say that nothing else has shaped the city’s—and BC’s—food and wine culture like Vancouver International Wine Festival (VIWF). No wonder it’s hailed as the continent’s leading consumer wine festival.
(Full disclosure: I serve on the VIWF Winery Selection Committee, as well as volunteering in other areas.)
Monday’s smartly curated Festival Taste (hosted by Earls Yaletown) was a reminder that this year’s festival is only a month or so away. It’s no small feat to sum up VIWF in one tasting. But this well wrangled wine line-up yielded an excellent selection of 34 wines, each significant in regard to some aspect of the festival.
I asked VIWF executive director Harry Hertscheg what makes this year special.
“What’s special—like every year for 42 years—is a quarter of the wineries have never been to the festival before,” he says.
“Plus there are events we’ve never had before. The average person who comes to the festival only goes to one kind of event. So imagine how many people who have gone to dinners but have never been to a seminar; people who go to seminars who’ve never been to a dinner. Or, people who think the wine festival is only about the tasting room.”
“One of the great things about the wine world is it’s constantly changing. There’s always new wines, always new wineries and at the Wine Festival, there’s always new events, new things to take in.”
This year France is in the spotlight. What should we look for?
Gerard Bertrand’s biodynamic Cigalus (a layered and textured blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc) shows how this producer has helped put Languedoc on the map
France’s regional diversity is especially appealing,” says the VIWF director.
“It’s like a multiplicity of countries. Each region has its own traditions. They’re very competitive, even with each other.”
Hertscheg suggests people should forget about the variety and focus on origin.
“In France the story is really about the appellation, the region or the valley that the wine comes from. And you can find out more about it because the owner, winemaker or senior winery executive is there, so you can talk to them.” It’s a good chance to practice your French, he suggests.
Three VIWF events you shouldn’t miss?
“C’est Cool: it’s all chilled wines. Everything’s chilled even the reds. It’s gonna be right here (The Loft at Earls Yaletown) on the Tuesday night.” (Feb 25th.)
Taste Bernard Duseigneur’s biodynamic Chateauneuf du Pape at Vin Tour de France (Feb 27th.) and at Natural Wine, WTF?
“Bon Appétit—the Saturday lunch (Feb 28th.) with all 42 French producers and 84 wines plus Chef Marc Massicotte—who just got his sommelier designation. The menu is incredible—just great value.”
“Let’s pick one for people who’ve never been to the wine festival before. How about an introductory event, like Wine 101: Explore your Senses, with Paul Wagner, explaining the importance of the sensory approach?”
Distinctive Sorelle Bronca high elevation single vineyard Prosecco Superiore, at Wine 101
The wider culture of wine
VIWF plays a crucial role in our cultural scene in another way: it’s the major fundraiser for Bard on the Beach.
“Our relationship with the Vancouver International Wine Festival has been transformative over the last seven years,” says Artistic Director Christopher Gaze. “I think the impact of the charitable revenues that the wine festival provides for Bard has changed a lot of lives—especially for young people.”
Bard on the Beach Artistic Director Christopher Gaze and Claire Sakaki, Executive Director, raise a glass to VIWF
Bard Executive Director Claire Sakaki says the support from the wine festival “… allows us to do so much in the community which we’re so so grateful for. So many people don’t know what we do outside of the work we do on stage. It really is about the work we do in classrooms with community groups throughout the lower mainland; thousands upon thousands of young people are impacted by our arts education programs. The wine festival support goes directly to funding those programs, providing free access to many of the things that we do, both in classroom workshops, but also young people to attend the theatre which is very important to us.”
This Alentejo blend of Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alfrocheiro, Aragonez is nicely balanced with vibrant red fruit, well managed oak and approachable tannins. A sign of just how far Portuguese table wines have come. At Combinado! Wildebeest dinner, Feb 25th.
More to come shortly on this year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival!
For tickets, full schedule and event details visit vanwinefest.ca
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