The Vancouver International Wine Festival (VIWF) is back. This is the annual convention that brings wine lovers from all around the world to British Columbia. Travelers and locals gathered to try many exclusive bottles and vintages they might not otherwise get to, all under one roof.
The event takes place in spring of each year and features around 1500 wines from approximately 15 countries, at over 70 plus events over the course of the festival week. And “In a typical year close to 25,000 attendees participate.” (As taken from their website).
Each year the festival has a special focus, honing in on a different wine growing region of the world. “2017’s focus was Canada. In 2018 it was the Iberian Peninsula (i.e., Spain and Portugal), in 2019 California, and in 2020 France. In 2021 the featured region was going to be South Africa (before the world’s pandemic struck). Many of the wines at the 2022 event were from British Columbia. And for 2023 the festival’s theme was South America. The 44th annual series of events features 17 different countries and 152 wineries.”
The goal of the festival is to “educate and entertain the public with wine experiences, promote the wine industry, and financially support the Bard on the Beach Shakespearean festival.”
Originating it 1979 the VIWF has “grown to become, arguably, Canada’s best and most prestigious wine show. It is also one of the largest and oldest wine festivals on the planet. The festival features some 50 or so events each year, of which about 40 are open to the public. Another dozen or so are for people in the wine, wine-related and hospitality industries. Around four dozen hotels and restaurants participate each year, and 150+ wineries serve over 1400 wines. To give you an idea about the scale of the event, 42,000 bottles of wine are typically opened and/or purchased annually at the festival.”
As seasoned attendees for this illustrious show we came in with a plan and was able to make the most of our one night of tasting. So to set you up for success next year, here are our tips for maximizing your wine tasting experience at the Vancouver International Wine Festival Grand Tasting.
One Day is Not Enough.
“In 2023 there are 152 wineries representing 17 countries.” The following are the number of wineries represented from each listed country. USA (27), Italy (26), Argentina (23), Canada (21), Chile (18), Spain (10), France (9), Australia (4), Greece (3), Japan (3), Uruguay (2), Brazil (1), Croatia (1), Germany (1), Hungary (1), New Zealand (1) and Portugal (1).”
There is no way you can try it all, even if you plan on sipping and spitting. So either purchase a multiple day pass and strategically decide on whites one day and reds another; with sparkling and sake in between. Or come to the conclusion that you can only focus on a few tables/selection in a meaningful manner.
Our group decided to focus on the most expensive pours on this occasion. Bottles over $100 that most will be unwilling to buy, but would like to try. (Ourselves included).
This was easiest to achieve by picking up a price guide at the in house BCL Popup store. It listed the price tag on all the bottles sampled by region and mentioned which table number it would be at.
Shop first. Shop as you go.
The on-site BCL has many VIWF exclusive bottles that you won’t normally be able to find elsewhere, at reasonable prices. However, the popular ones do sell out fast. So sip your way through the room and if you find one that is a must have, be sure the bee-line it to the store to purchase first and secure your bottles. Less you be disappointed at the end of the night.
Build a Box.
You need not hold your bottle in hand for the whole show, but after purchase, check it into a box. Each is labelled with your name, number, and marked by a sticker that corresponds to your receipt. You can continue to add to it throughout the night. And at the night’s end have the staff send it your local BCL for pick up at your leisure. What a great concierge service.
And hot tip, anything else you don’t want to carry around you can check into the box as well. Ie: jacket, program guide, free handouts. An easy way to avoid the coat check line and its fee.
Look for Gaps.
If you are like me and don’t know which bottles to pick up at the store, be sure to look at the “Festival Store Exclusive Product” labels and search the shelves for gaps. The most popular bottles go first, and what little remains on a shelf is a good indication of that.
For example one of the bottles I was recommended and was sure to grab right off the bat was a bottle of white merlot. When was the last time you enjoyed a red wine grape that was as clear as a white? By the night’s end, everyone else who also wanted to pick up this rarity was left disappointed.
Follow the Leader.
Be sure to travel in a group and designate a leader. The one individual who is more keen on trying and learning about the wines. They end up referencing the price guide and stringing the others along from region to region, table to table, trying the most expensive sips one after another. Whereas the rest of us, swooped in for the sample once they had finish chatting up the principle.
Look for the Decanters & Boxes.
If you don’t have a price guide, or don’t plan on reading it, look to the tables with decanters or boxes. Majority of the priciest wines are best when aerated and come with packaging worthy of its value.
Eat Before.
There are a handful of booths offering food. Small cups of pasta with marinara, a scoop of gelato in a mini cone, artisan chocolates, and Jamón ibérico (cured leg of pork) sliced off the bone to serve. Plus a make shift charcuterie buffet including hard cheeses, cured meats, briny mixed olives, and spreads. Tasty as in between sip nibbles, but not substantial enough if you are planing on swallowing all your tasters, like we did.
Hydrate.
Fiji water has been a long time sponsor of the VIWF and every year they continue to be on site passing out bottles of their premium water. Carry one in hand to either cleanse the palate or rinse your glass. And be sure to drink plenty to keep yourself hydrated to avoid excessive drunkenness. My trick is to rinse my glass with it and then drink it, two birds with one stone. Although there are rinse stations and spittoons located around the open convention space.
The Vancouver International Wine Festival continues to be one of my favourite drinking occasions and conventions. It is how you make it and there is something for everyone. Be it to try bottles you might not get exposure to try, at prices your normally would not pay for. Or as a fun thing to do on a Friday night, where you can drink all you can. Visit the link below for more details and stay tuned for details on next year’s affair.
