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30th annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival
EVENT
30th annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival; inaugural year was 1979. The festival’s board chair is Sue Adams. The festival’s executive director is Harry Hertscheg.
DATES
February 25 to March 2, 2008.
SNAPSHOT
The wine world is here for Canada’s premier wine show. The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is one of the biggest and oldest wine events in the world, offering something for every level of wine drinker, collector and trade professional. Winery principals (winemaker, proprietor, senior executive) from the 176 selected wineries from 16 countries will be in attendance to pour and discuss their wines.
The heart of the festival is the International Festival Tasting room at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, where 701 wines are available for sampling. Another 899 (most of them not available at the International Festival Tastings), for a festival total of 1,600 wines, will be served at special events including a gala auction, wine seminars, trade events, and food and wine pairing affairs such as winery dinners, lunches and brunches at 34 top Vancouver restaurants and hotels. For 2008, the spotlight is on two areas – the regional theme is Vino Italiano: Innovation by Tradition; the global focus is Sparkling Wine.
Since its inception in 1979, the festival has raised $5.8 million for the Playhouse Theatre Company. See complete festival details at www.playhousewinefest.com or call 604-873-3311.
NUMBERS
Previous records and the year set are shown in brackets.
Wines: 1,600 wines, with 701 in the International Festival Tasting room and 899 at special events (1,570; 2007).
Theme region wines: 617 wines from Italy, with 199 in their own section of the tasting room and 418 at Italian special events.
Wineries: 176 wineries, including 50 wineries from Italy.
Countries: 16.
Events: 60 over seven days (54 sold out; 2007).
Projected attendance: 25,000 (24,210; 2007).
REGIONAL THEME
The spotlight for 2008 is Vino Italiano: Innovation by Tradition. This is the 13th year the festival has had a regional theme and it is the second time for Italy (first time was 2000). The Italian section in the International Festival Tasting room, where 50 wineries from Italy will pour 199 wines, will showcase the range and quality of the country’s wines. Your Italian wine tasting journey takes you through Italy’s wine growing regions, including Piedmont, Veneto, Tuscany, Abruzzi, Puglia and Sicily, as well as the opportunity to experience lesser known regions such as Marche, Umbria, Molise, Campania, Calabria and Sardinia.
Another 418 Italian wines are featured at 21 Italian-themed trade and public special events. Among Italy’s many iconic wineries coming to the festival are Antinori, Castello Banfi, Batasiolo, Bertani, Carpineto, Marchesi de Frescobaldi, Masi, and Ruffino. Twenty-two of the participating Italian wineries will be appearing at the festival for the first time. The Italian theme is sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission.
PAST REGIONAL THEMES
2007 – Australian Wine: A World of Difference
2006 – Wine Regions of France
2005 – Taste the new South Africa
2004 – Discover the Wine Regions of California
2003 – Showcasing Wines of Chile
2002 – Germany & Portugal
2001 – Spain
2000 – Italy
1999 – Australia
1998 – California
1997 – Canada
1996 – Bordeaux
GLOBAL FOCUS
The global focus is on Sparkling Wine, the world’s most celebrated wine category. There are over 100 bubblies to try in the tasting room, including Champagne and Crémant from France, Spumante and Frizzante from Italy, Cava from Spain, Sekt from Germany and Austria, and various styles of fizz from British Columbia, California, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand (and even a Sparkling Sake from Vancouver). Attendees will discover the versatility of this refreshing wine, suitable not only for special occasions, but also as an aperitif, an accompaniment to a wide range of dishes, and as the perfect palate cleanser. Sparkling Wine will be featured at a tasting station in the International Festival Tasting room as well as in three special events.
PAST GLOBAL FOCUSES
2007 - Riesling
2006 – Pinot Noir
2005 – Sauvignon Blanc
2004 – Syrah/Shiraz
LOCATIONS
The festival is headquartered at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, 999 Canada Place. The International Festival Tastings, most Trade Days events and public wine seminars are held at VCEC. Other events are held at Vancouver’s top restaurants and hotels. In addition to the host venues, another 33 restaurants, caterers and suppliers will participate in the festival’s two signature brunches, Vintners Brunch and Flavours of the Festival, taking place on Sunday, March 2.
TRADE DAYS
There are 12 trade-only events over three days, Wednesday to Friday, February 27 to 29, 2008. The hub of Trade Days are the two afternoon Trade Tastings in the International Festival Tasting room on the Thursday and Friday, which offer the 701 wines served at the public tastings in the evenings as well as an additional 161 wines that are unlisted and not yet available in this marketplace. The Trade Days special events include a Seminarium on Sangiovese (February 27), the Vino Italiano: Innovation by Tradition opening plenary (February 28), various seminars for buyers, servers, sommeliers and chefs, as well as the must-attend Trade Days Lunch (February 28) and much-anticipated 5th Annual Awards Lunch (February 29). Trade Days events are restricted to members of the hospitality and food and beverage industry only.
GALA AUCTION
Bacchanalia Gala Dinner and Auction is at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on Wednesday, February 27, 2008. This is the crown jewel of the festival and one of the most spectacular events in the city. The evening provides an unparalleled opportunity to enhance collectors’ wine cellars through auctions of rare, valuable and unusual wines, donated by some of the world’s top winemakers and private collectors. The auction also includes unique culinary experiences, excursions and extravaganzas. Meanwhile, the dinner is the ultimate in wine and food pairing, with a Champagne reception and five sensational courses paired with ten outstanding wines.
EVENT PRICES
Event prices range from $29 to $400. Early bird rates end on January 15 (January 31 for the Bacchanalia Gala). The group rate discount available on selected events ends February 15. Ticket prices are inclusive of GST and service charges (and gratuities for lunches and dinners in restaurants).
TICKET SALES
Tickets to all events go on sale Tuesday, January 22 at 9:30 am. All tickets are available through the Playhouse Box Office at 604.873.3311 or in person at 127 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia. Tickets to the International Festival Tastings and selected special events, as well as complete event information and ticket purchasing information, are available online at www.playhousewinefest.com.
PURPOSE
The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival has three mandates. It provides an informative, educational and entertaining wine experience for consumers and trade; it serves as a premier marketing opportunity for the wine industry; and it is a primary fundraiser for the Playhouse Theatre Company, Western Canada’s largest theatre company dedicated exclusively to producing works of the contemporary repertoire.
FUNDRAISING
Since inception in 1979, the festival has raised $5.8 million for the Playhouse, enabling the company to mount 203 theatrical productions and create extensive educational and community outreach programs. The auction portion of the 2007 Bacchanalia Gala Dinner and Auction raised $447,000.
2009 DATES
March 23 to 29, 2009 (winery applications and special event proposals accepted online from May 15 to June 15, 2008).
Last updated: January 8, 2008 |