DIFFERENT TIME SLOT, TIRED VENUE, BUT WINE FESTIVAL STILL DAZZLES
Wine consumers turned out in droves last month to taste the latest wines of the globe, and as always, the Vancouver International Wine Festival mostly overdelivered as it has for the past 44 years.
Honorary gala chair and Canadian wine luminary Anthony von Mandl kicked off the week at the Bacchanalia Gala Dinner and Auction, raising $160,000 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver bash. Net proceeds of the annual fundraiser benefit charitable partner Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. Sticking to wine, the best course with wine was the cherry glazed lamb with herbed wheat berry accompanied by Viña Errázuriz Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 from Chile and Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2020 out of Argentina.
The festival was back in the old and somewhat tired-looking Vancouver Convention Centre East, but didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of attendees. The food served by Vancouver Convention Centre executive chef Nandakishore Rangan at the Trade Day functions was delicious and a credit to everyone involved. The staff's professionalism in serving hundreds for lunch and meeting the demands of thousands inside the International Tasting Room was second to none.
The short story of the Celebrating Excellence program, part of the three-day Trade Days conference that honours those professionals who contribute to this region's exceptional wine and food culture, is a who's who list. The annual Spirited Industry Professional Award is presented to an individual who has contributed significantly to the sales, service or promotion of wine in B.C. and went to the recently retired John Bishop, after 36 years, as the proprietor of the eponymously named restaurant on West Fourth.
The Sommelier of the Year Award went to Kelcie Jones, co-owner of This is Wine School and wine director of Burdoch and Co. The Threlfall Scholarship, awarded to a candidate seeking to make a difference in mentorship and leadership in the B.C. wine trade, went to Chris Turyk, sales and marketing manager at Unsworth Vineyards on Vancouver Island.
Now for all readers who ask where the best wine restaurants are in B.C. Here are the platinum and gold winners, as judged by an astute panel of industry wine folks. That said, restaurants are considered for much more than their list; the award is about a strong wine culture.
In Metro Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler Platinum awards went to L'abattoir, Annalena, Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar, Chambar, Elisa, Hawksworth Restaurant and Nightingale. Gold went to Bar Gobo, Botanist, Cincin Ristorante + Bar, Dachi — Community Hero, Elephant — Best New Entry, Published on Main, Yuwa Japanese Cuisine, The Courtney Room and Alta Bistro.
I attended three delightful evening meals to kick off the week, where I met several enthusiastic Vancouver Sun readers, which is always an honour for me. At Alouette, Aurelio Montes launched his Montes Wings Carmenere for the first time in Canada; at Elisa, export manager Jose Luis Navarra served up an outstanding selection of La Rio Alta wines with a lineup of Spanish and B.C. dishes that blew him away for their authenticity. At the same time, at Hawksworth, Jose Zuccardi poured all his top labels, including Zuccardi Aluvional Gualtallary Malbec, alongside a perfectly orchestrated meal that reminded me Hawksworth remains one of the very best places to eat in Vancouver.
The festival dinner events are a steal in a province where wine prices are out of control, and you won't have much time to wait for your next chance to sign up. The 2024 festival is returning to its regular time slot in late February. It will return to the magnificent VCC West location with spacious aisles, stunning views, and a full-capacity turnout of wineries.
Italy will be the theme region, meaning a room full of exciting and diverse wines spanning the country from Friuli and Alto Adige in the north to Puglia and Sicily in the south. We can assure you it will be a sellout with minimal effort.