The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fest | Mar. 28 to Apr 3 | Tickets: 604-873-3311 | playhousewinefest.com

The GOODS from The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fest

Vancouver, BC | Tickets to the wildly popular Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival go on sale January 10th, 2012. Marking its 34th year with the Theme Region Wines of Chile and a Global Focus on Cabernet(s), the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival runs from February 27th to March 4th, 2012. A fundraiser for the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company and arguably one of the most important wine events in North America, this year’s event will bring 180 participating wineries from 15 countries. Expected to entertain some 25,000 oeno-enthusiasts at 64 events, the Festival will offer seven days of tastings, seminars, and wine focused minglers hosted at the Vancouver Convention Centre West and top Vancouver restaurants, hotels and venues. Get all the details after the jump…

Beginning at 9:30AM on January 10th, 2012, tickets to the Playhouse Wine Festival can be purchased online at PlayhouseWinefest.com or by phoning the Playhouse Box Office at 604-873-3311 or toll free at 1-877-321-3121.

The full Festival brochure can be viewed online at http://playhousewinefest.com/page376.htm.

Follow Playhouse Wine Fest on Twitter for up to the minute information on remaining tickets and sold out events: http://twitter.com/PlayhouseWine.

THEME REGION: WINES OF CHILE
Wines of Chile take centre stage as the Theme Region at the 2012 Playhouse Wine Festival. Surrounded by sea and mountains, Chile offers an incredible diversity of terroir and a broad range of grape varieties. From crisp Sauvignon Blanc to lush Chardonnay, zippy Riesling or fragrant Viognier, juicy Merlot or classic Cabernet, festival goers will have the opportunity to sample these and many more from the 14 valleys that are home to Chile’s incredibly diverse wineries.

A TASTE OF THIS YEAR’S CHILEAN WINE EVENTS

Taste Chile – Tuesday, February 28th
Kick off the festival with a casual, fun wine and food grazing at the iconic Waldorf Hotel. Let the venue take you back to 1947 while the wines bring you up to speed on what this exciting region has to offer. Chilean styled canapés created by Executive Chef Cesar de la Parra will pair wonderfully with the exceptional Chilean wines, while the beats of resident DJ El Garzita help set the mood.

West Coast Montes – Wednesday, February 29th
Chile’s iconic Montes Winery and Vancouver’s acclaimed West Restaurant unite to present this exclusive evening offering the best that each region has to offer. Esteemed Chairman and Winemaker Aurelio Montes will offer insight and commentary about their premium Chilean wines paired with the impeccable cuisine of West Executive Chef Quang Dang.

The Next Star Grape: Syrah – Friday, March 2nd
What will be the next big thing in wine? With its diversity of climates, Chile is able to produce some fantastic examples of Syrah from big, lusty, juicy delights from warmer climates to cooler climates where the wines turn sublimely spicy and complex. Rhys Pender MW and DJ Kearney will lead participants on a journey through some stunning examples of Chilean Syrah – will it be Chile’s next star?

K.I.S.S. – Sunday, March 4th
Three courses. Three wineries. Nine wines. For one price you get two tickets to this wine and food pairing cooking class hosted by Caliterra, Emiliana and San Pedro. Chef Instructor David Robertson of the Dirty Apron Cooking School, along with Chambar’s resident wine expert Robert Stelmachuk, will guide you through the basics of creating a simple meal while giving the low down on wine and food pairing.

GLOBAL FOCUS: CABERNET(S)
Cabernet Sauvignon is often called the King of Wine. When someone refers to “Cabernet,” they are almost certainly talking about the big daddy of this year’s Global Focus. Cabernet’s distinct character and class is unique in the wine world. At the highest level of quality, Cabernet Sauvignon is the primary varietal in the world’s most sought-after wines, demanding some of the world’s highest prices. Cabernet Franc, or Cab-Franc, is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in Bordeaux-style wines, but can also be vinified alone. As a single varietal, it usually benefits from small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and can be as intense and full-bodied as either of those wines. Think of it as Cabernet’s hip cousin.

A TASTE OF THIS YEAR’S CABERNET(S) EVENTS

Caymus Vertical Tasting – Wednesday, February 29th
This is a unique opportunity to experience a rare vertical tasting of wines from the Napa Valley’s Caymus Vineyards. Chuck Wagner, Owner and Winemaker, will conduct this tasting, which will cover seven vintages of the winery’s iconic Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. Special Selection is the only wine to have twice been named Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year.”

Kings of Cabernet Sauvignon – Thursday, March 1st
While Cabernet Sauvignon’s identifiable characteristics are found in all its wines, each region adds its own signature to the intrinsic black currant aromas and rich tannins of the variety. Join Master of Wine Barbara Philip and a panel of leading experts for a comparative tasting of top notch Cabernets from around the world.

Speaking Frankly About Franc – Saturday, March 3rd
Rarely seen on its own, Cabernet Franc tends to be more at ease partnered with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Join house wine co-owners Michelle Bouffard and Michaela Morris as they reveal the true character of our unsung hero. You’ll meet Cab Franc in its unadulterated expression from the Loire Valley, Washington, Argentina, California and BC, and discover why it is so important in blends in Bordeaux, Chile, Italy and beyond.

ABOUT THE PLAYHOUSE WINE FESTIVAL

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, Canada’s premier wine show, will run from February 27th to March 4th, 2012. The Playhouse Wine Festival is one of the biggest and oldest wine festival events in the world. In 2012, the Theme Region will be Chile and the Global Focus, Cabernet(s). The Festival features a week of special events including the Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, wine seminars, wine minglers, winery dinners, and lunches and brunches at fine restaurants and hotels. The Playhouse Wine Festival is produced by the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival Society, which has three mandates: provide an informative, educational and entertaining wine experience for public and trade; be a premier marketing opportunity for the wine industry and Festival partners; and raise funds for the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company. Since its inception in 1979, the Festival has raised over $7.5 million to enable Western Canada’s leading theatre company to mount 229 productions and develop extensive community outreach and educational programs.

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fest | Mar. 28 to Apr 3 | Tickets: 604-873-3311 | playhousewinefest.com

The GOODS from The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Fest

Vancouver, BC | The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival announced this year’s trade competition winners at the 8th Annual Awards Lunch on Friday, April 1st, 2011. “The trade competitions give the Festival an opportunity to honour and celebrate those professionals who have developed and enhanced the extraordinary wine and food culture of our region,” says Festival Executive Director Harry Hertscheg. In honour of the awards, guests enjoyed lunch prepared by culinary talent Blair Rasmussen, Executive Chef to the VCC, and toasted winners with wines from Spain, this year’s Festival theme region. Find out who won after the jump…

SPIRITED INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL (SIP) AWARD

The Spirited Industry Professional Award annually honours an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sales, service or promotion of wine in British Columbia. The sixth annual SIP Award goes to internationally acclaimed food and wine critic, Jurgen Gothe. Gothe has seen his columns run in over 100 publications over the past few decades, and is currently the weekly wine columnist for the Georgia Straight. After 23 years hosting CBC Radio Two’s DiscDrive, Gothe retired as the station’s only double-gold-medal winning program host. Today, he does weekly spots for CBC on everything oenophilic, and can also be found on The Peak FM airwaves commenting on BC’s local flavours.

SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The 11th annual Sommelier of the Year Award recognizes outstanding wine knowledge and wine service. This year’s award goes to Owen Knowlton for his 500+ wine list at West restaurant, which also took one of the most coveted accolades in the trade competition: the Platinum Wine List Award. Driven to provide West guests wine that is high in value and quality (with a splash of boutique bottles and sommelier favorites), Knowlton has been sipping, spitting, and perfecting his wine knowledge over the last decade. The Sommelier of the Year is awarded based on votes by key members in the industry and is also included in the May Restaurant issue of Vancouver Magazine.

WINE PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGE

The Wine Professional Challenge gives sommeliers and wine professionals a chance to compete for the coveted Puddifoot Award. Currently in its sixth year, competitors were required to rotate around 5 judging stations and speak for 3 minutes on topics related to technical and varietal distinctions, flight tasting and customer service. This year, the challenge winner was Jay Whiteley of Hawksworth Restaurant. The Wine Professional Challenge is sponsored by Puddifoot.

FETZER GREAT BEGINNINGS WINE & APPETIZER CHALLENGE

Vancouver’s top chefs vied for gold on Wednesday night at Fetzer Great Beginnings, Flavours of the City. Chefs from Bearfoot Bistro, One Hundred Nights at OPUS Hotel Vancouver, Cibo Trattoria, DiVino Wine Bar, Sandbar, Diva at the Met, Prestons, Terminal City Club, and Uli’s Restaurant all vied for top prize from a panel of judges that included the city’s top food and wine journalists. This year’s award for best food and wine pairing went to Diva at the Met Executive Sous Chef Jeff Kang.

QUADY DESSERT COMPETITION

The Quady Winery of Madera California hosted the 23rd Annual Quady Dessert Competition, inviting British Columbia’s top pastry chefs, cooks and students to complement their orange muscat dessert wine, Essensia. At stake was a Grand Prize trip for two to California, as well as Silver and Bronze Prizes and Certificates of Merit for the top 10 competitors. First Place went to Lisa Ip of the Four Seasons Hotel, Second Place and Top Student from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts went to Maria Darquier, while Michael Gelinas of Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie took Third. Competitors were judged on taste, wine pairing with Essensia, technique, presentation, and practicality by a respected panel of pastry chefs, executive chefs, sommeliers and food and wine media.

WINE LIST AWARDS

Celebrating the best food and wine pairings in the business, restaurants in Metro Vancouver, Whistler, Vancouver Island, the Interior and Alberta have all been recognized for creating wine lists that complement their establishment’s unique menu and concept. Candidates submitted their wine and menu lists, and were then visited by judges who reviewed their programs. The top restaurants were awarded Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, or commended with an Honourable Mention. The Wine List Awards are sponsored by Vancouver Magazine.

METRO VANCOUVER

Platinum
Blue Water Café + raw bar
West Restaurant

Gold
C Restaurant
Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca
CinCin
Wine Room at Joey Bentall One
L’Abattoir
Au Petit Chavignol
Salt Tasting Room

Silver
Cactus Club Cafe
Provence Marinaside
The Observatory
The Salmon House
Zest Japanese Cuisine
Chambar

Bronze
ShuRaku Sake Bar & Bistro
Poor Italian Ristorante
Lift Bar Grill View
Yew Restaurant + Bar
Raincity Grill
Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House

Honourable Mention
Goldfish Pacific Kitchen
Gramercy Grill
Joey Restaurants
Hart House Restaurant (Burnaby)

WHISTLER

Gold
RimRock Cafe Whistler

Silver
Araxi Restaurant + Bar

Honourable Mention
Ric’s Grill

VANCOUVER ISLAND AND GULF ISLANDS

Silver
The Pacific Restaurant (Victoria)

Bronze
Nautical Nellies Restaurant (Victoria)
Stage Small Plates Wine Bar (Victoria)
Veneto (Victoria)

Honourable Mention
The Landing West Coast Grill (Nanoose Bay)
The Marina Restaurant (Victoria)

BC INTERIOR

Silver
La Bussola (Kelowna)

Honourable Mention
Emerald Lake Lodge (Field)
Local Lounge . Grille (Summerland)
The Restaurant at Painted Boat (Madiera Park)
Whitetooth Mountain Bistro (Golden)

ALBERTA

Gold
Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro (Calgary)
River Café (Calgary)
Vin Room (Calgary)

Silver
Cilantro (Calgary)

Bronze
The Ranche Restaurant (Calgary)
Ric’s Lounge and Grill (Calgary)

Honourable Mention
Taste (Calgary)
Ric’s Grill Steakhouse (Grande Prairie)

About The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival will open on Monday, March 28th, 2011. For a full list of available events and more information visit www.playhousewinefest.com. The Shore Club generously presents the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.

Sid Cross & Philippe Rivet, export director of Champagne Deutz

Sid Cross is doing a little guest-blogging for us this week as we cover the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. Widely considered one of the finest palates in the world, Sid’s list of honours and accomplishments are staggering. He is Wines Committee Chair for The International Wine & Food Society (www.iwfs.org) headquartered in London England; an Officer in France’s prestigious Ordre du Merite Agricole; a Membre d’Honneur of the L’Academie du vin de Bordeaux (and the only Canadian to receive that honour); and he has been named The Gourmet of the Year by The Society of Bacchus America. He’s also co-founder and an advisor to The Chef’s Table Society of BC, and an all around gent, first class.

Leave it to this man to lead you through a night and day you didn’t have. Sid Cross, live from the Wine Fest…

Table Notebook

- Day 4 of the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival saw the opening plenary session with a retrospective on the Wines of BC: Our Land, Revealed.

- Off to the Trade Days lunch, MC’ed well again by Richard Carras and the always appropriate cuisine of wine collector and Executive Chef Blair Rasmussen. Sat at the table of agent Vino Allegro and enjoyed talking to the principals they represent.

- Cold smoked local tuna, cucumber salad with micros greens; Fraser Valley duck confit, Puy lentils, caramelized banana squash and pommes sarladaise.

- Very loud din from the crowd but at least some respect shown by them for Anthony von Mandl introducing his 2007 Mission Hill Family Estate Riesling Icewine.

- The first of two afternoons of Festival tastings for the who’s who of the wine and food trade. Lots of special wines from under the table brought out…

- Off for a quick visit to the Prohibition Party at Metro’s speakeasy at Metro featuring molls and wiseguys with teacups of giggle juice, craft cider and Howe Sound stout.

- Checked out the hospitality suite of Andrew Peller at Aqua Riva.

- Quick family-style dinner with Road 13 at the Terminal City Club.

- Took Yann Schyler principal of negociant S&S and Chateau Kirwan in Margaux to the Ossoyos Larose vertical 2001-2008 conducted by Pascal Madevon. Vintages getting better but need time. Yann’s French palate felt they should be a bit less tannic and bit more charming.

- First night of three consecutive Festival Tasting. The crowds were out in full force, and as usual, blocking access to the spit buckets. Lots of fashionistas…

- Some wonderful juice particularly taken by the high end Deutz Cuvee William 1998 Champagne.

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Read the Gluttony Blog

Sid Cross is doing a little guest-blogging for us this week as we cover the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. Widely considered one of the finest palates in the world, Sid’s list of honours and accomplishments are staggering. He is Wines Committee Chair for The International Wine & Food Society (www.iwfs.org) headquartered in London England; an Officer in France’s prestigious Ordre du Merite Agricole; a Membre d’Honneur of the L’Academie du vin de Bordeaux (and the only Canadian to receive that honour); and he has been named The Gourmet of the Year by The Society of Bacchus America. He’s also co-founder and an advisor to The Chef’s Table Society of BC, and an all around gent, first class…

Leave it to this man to lead you through a meal you didn’t have. Sid Cross, live from CinCin.

Table Notebook

Sid Cross flanked by CinCin server Jamie Lauder and Michael Mameli

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Read the Gluttony Blog