There are 53 events at the 2007 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. The festival offers several events, packages and passes for consumers (summary and details below) through the early bird program from November 14 to January 31. Only events in the early bird program are available now. Tickets to all other events go on sale January 22. For details of the Trade Super Pass, available only to trade professionals, see the separate document.

 

Early bird program summary (public events)

·         International Festival Tasting - $60 ($70 as of February 1)

·         Discover Australia Pack - $159 (not available as a pack after January 31; priced individually, these events total $205)

·         Riedel Generations - $125 (includes $190 of take-home Riedel stemware)

·         Gold Pass - $275 ($295 as of February 1; $390 value if events purchased individually)

 

International Festival Tasting

Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre (VCEC)

999 Canada Place

Thursday, Friday and Saturday - March 29, 30 and 31, 7–10 p.m.

o        $60 per evening until January 31

o        $70 February 1 and thereafter

717 wines • 180 wineries • 17 countries

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is widely regarded as the best consumer wine show on the continent, and the International Festival Tasting room is the heart of it.

The big room is home to 180 wineries from 17 countries serving 717 different wines. Taste rare bottles and discover new pleasures as you visit with renowned winery principals (winemaker, proprietor or senior executive) from around the globe. Wineries are organized alphabetically; they are all listed in the free Festival Program that you’ll receive at the door to help you keep track of the wines you like.

The spotlight this year shines on Australia and the fest’s regional theme is Australian Wine: A World of Difference. You’ll find 54 wineries from Down Under, organized alphabetically within regions, pouring some 215 wines in the special Discover Australia section in the tasting room. Your Aussie walkabout takes you on a journey through South Australia’s wine growing regions including Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare and Coonawarra. Also experience Victoria’s Yarra Valley, New South Wales’ Hunter Valley and premium wineries from Western Australia.

The global focus is on Riesling, the world’s most renowned white grape. It produces some of the most expressive wines in existence. Riesling devotees will find over 90 examples of this wonderful grape throughout the tasting room. For comparative tastings of selected Rieslings, head to the Riesling Tasting Station, where experts from Wine Access magazine and the International Sommelier Guild will be your guides.

The tasting room plays out over three consecutive nights:

§         Thursday night’s capacity is guaranteed to be 30 percent lower than the other two evenings, attracting wine collectors and trade professionals who appreciate more room to interact with the winery principals.

§         Friday is great for groups and the after-work crowd looking to kick off the weekend in style.

§         Saturday night is perfect for couples and friends wanting to spend a night on the town.

 

 

Get Home Safe

Plan ahead. Do not drink and drive. We suggest that you leave the car at home, assign a designated driver or take a taxi or transit home. Or consider staying at one of our partner hotels – make a night or a weekend of the festival. If you opt for transit, BC Liquor Stores offers festival-goers a free transit ticket – pick yours up at the Get Home Safe booth in the concourse just outside the Festival Wine Shop exit.

Festival Wine Shop

Free bottle check and wine delivery

Tasting room wines may be bought at BC Liquor Store’s onsite Festival Wine Shop. When you find a wine you like, we suggest you set it aside in the free bottle check. Don’t wait until the end of the evening as some wines sell out early. Repeat as necessary. Pay for your checked bottles when you leave (or return them to stock if you change your mind). And if you don’t want to carry your bottles or cases home at the end of the evening, BC Liquor Stores will ship them free to your nearest outlet and call you when they are ready to be picked up.

Please note that this is a wine tasting, not a dinner event. We strongly recommend that you have dinner before tackling the room. There is, of course, plenty of plain bread for cleansing the palate. If you’re feeling peckish, food samples are served and Bistro Bites onsite offers a variety of wine-friendly small plates priced from $2 to $6.

 

DISCOVER AUSTRALIA PACK - $159

Save $46 off the full price. Pack price includes service charges. Not available as a pack after February 1. Priced individually, these events total $205. The pack includes:

§         Aussie Fabulous Fizz (Tuesday, March 27, 7-9 p.m., Buschlen Mowatt Gallery; $49 regular price)

§         Aussie Barbie (Saturday, March 31, noon-2:30 p.m., Stanley Park Pavilion; $75 regular)

§         Choice of International Festival Tasting (March 29, 30 or 31, 7-10 p.m., VCEC; $70 regular); details above

Aussie Fabulous Fizz

Tuesday, March 27

7-9 p.m.

Buschlen Mowatt Gallery

1445 West Georgia Street

Enjoy an effervescent evening set against the compelling backdrop of Buschlen Mowatt Gallery’s renowned contemporary art. The liquid focus is on remarkable bubblies that are uniquely Australian in character, everything from classic sparkling wine varietals to sparkling Shiraz. Guests will enjoy the best bubblies Australia has to offer. Your experience is bound to make you think of Australia the next time you select a bottle of bubbly! Select from Bleasdale Vineyards, Greg Norman, Hardy Wine Company, Hungerford Hill, Jacob’s Creek, Peter Lehmann Wines, Skillogalee, Wolf Blass, Wyndham Estate, and Yellow Tail. This event may be purchased individually for $49 as of January 22.

 

Aussie Barbie

Saturday, March 31

Noon – 2:30 pm

Stanley Park Pavilion

610 Pipeline Road

The Aussie classic takes on a vintage twist in 2007: the party goes upscale in the park. Enjoy a spring day at the Stanley Park Pavilion where an extensive selection of Australian wines will be on hand, allowing you to swirl, sip and savour some decidedly crisp whites and decadent reds. Indulge in live music and sample delicious Down Under edibles that complement the impressive wines. Mingle with Aussie winemakers and personalities and discover more about the wines and where they come from. You will understand why the barbie is a national tradition! The wineries include Andrew Peace Wines, Angove’s, Barossa Valley Estate, Bleasdale Vineyards, Blue Pyrenees Estate, Bremerton Vintners, Clarence Hill, Cumulus Wines, De Bortoli Wines, Devil’s Lair, Goundrey Wines, Grant Burge, Hardy Wine Company, Heartland-Glaetzer, Hungerford Hill, Jim Barry Wines, Katnook Estate, Long Flat Wine Company, Majella Wines, McWilliams Winery, Nepenthe, Palandri Western Australian Winery, Penny’s Hill, Peter Lehmann Wines, Redbank Estate, Rosemount Estate, Shingleback (Davey Family Wines), Simon Gilbert Winery, Skillogalee, St Hallett, Thorn-Clarke Wines, Tyrrell’s, Vasse Felix, Wirra Wirra Vineyards, Wolf Blass, Yalumba, Yering Station, and Yellow Tail. This event may be purchased individually for $75 plus service charge as of January 22.

 

RIEDEL GENERATIONS - $125

Saturday, March 31 afternoon, time TBA

VCEC

Makes a great gift!

Price includes $190 of Riedel glassware to take home

Complementing the perfect wine need not be limited to food. Learn how three generations of the Riedel family have contributed to the fine art of wine appreciation with their beautifully created glassware that merges form with functionality. Special guest Maximilian Riedel, an 11^th generation of the family and inventor of the now famous Riedel "O" Glass, will lead an informative seminar that demonstrates how the notes of brilliantly crafted wines from Beringer Vineyards, Wolf Blass Winery and Matua Valley are heightened and better expressed in well-designed vessels. At the conclusion, take home a Riedel 3 Generation Tasting Set worth $190, which includes Sommelier Grand Cru Burgundy, Vinum Bordeaux and “O” New World Chardonnay.

 

GOLD PASS - $275

Save $20 off the regular pass rate until January 31. Pass price increases to $295 on February 1. Service charge included. It would cost $390 to buy all events in the pass at full price.

Get the red carpet treatment with our Gold Pass, including priority access to the tasting room. A terrific value, this seven-event pass offers incomparable access to the festival:

§         Three evenings (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) in the International Festival Tasting Room (a $210 value). See description above.

• Two afternoons (Thursday and Friday) at the Trade Tasting with Buyers Hour sessions in the International Festival Tasting Room (a $70 value). Note that Trade Tastings offer 158 wines in addition to the 717 served at the public tastings in the evening; these additional wines are unlisted and not yet available in this marketplace.
• Admission to the exclusive Curtain Raiser VIP reception on Thursday from 5:30 – 7 p.m., not available for public sale. Description below.
• Admission to the Gold Pass Tasting Lounge, description below, on Friday from 5:30 – 9 p.m., featuring:

o        A selection of premium wines from the Tasting Room and special events

o        Complimentary Riedel Ouverture glass

o        Light buffet

§         Advance copy of the Festival Program

§         Priority access to the International Festival Tasting room. (Bypass the line-ups!)

 

Trade Tasting with Buyers Hour

Thursday, March 29 and Friday, March 30

1:30-5 p.m.

VCEC

Note: this event is available only to members of the hospitality and food and beverage trade. The public may purchase Trade Tasting tickets only as part of the Gold Pass.

Explore the International Festival Tasting Room with your food and beverage industry peers at this unparalleled opportunity to meet wine producers from around the world, taste rare wines and boost your knowledge. See more International Festival Tastings details above. Note that Trade Tastings offer 158 wines in addition to the 717 served at the public tastings in the evening; these additional wines are unlisted and not yet available in this marketplace.

The first hour in the room each day (1:30-2:30 p.m.) is reserved for trade buyers, executive chefs and pass holders only, providing the time and freedom to taste wines, find out what’s hot and connect with wine industry personalities.

 

Curtain Raiser

Thursday, March 29

5:30-7 p.m., Pan Pacific Hotel

If you could buy a ticket for this exclusive invitation-only reception, it would cost $125. But it’s available only to VIP guests and pass-holders. Enjoy premium wines, superb food and entertainment. At 7 p.m., guests are escorted past the queues and given priority access to the International Festival Tasting room for an evening of wine tasting.

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Gold Pass Tasting Lounge

Friday, March 30

5:30-9 p.m., VCEC

The Gold Pass Tasting Lounge is the perfect place to expand your wine festival experience with VIP treatment. Sample some of the festival’s premium bottles, served in a Riedel Overture glass (yours to keep) and enjoy a light buffet before heading to the International Festival Tasting room, which opens at 7 p.m. Sommeliers will be on hand to guide you through themed flights and pour special selections which can’t be found in the tasting room.  Return to the lounge whenever you need a break from the tasting room crowds.

 

* See separate document with Trade Super Pass early bird events.