The Vancouver International Wine Festival kicked off last night at JOEY Bentall One‘s Wine Room. Considered to be one of the biggest, best, and oldest wine festivals in the world (ironic, considering Vancouver’s youth), the media launch attracted members of the wine industry and media personalities who inaugerated the beloved festival with much merriment and imbibing.
I was officially there photographing for The Snipe News, but can vouch… this year’s festival looks amazing, especially with The Vancouver Sun and Bard on the Beach as new sponsors, taking over a role that was once filled by the now-defunct (and sadly missed) Vancouver Playhouse.
The weeklong wine festival continues throughout Vancouver at various restaurants and venues, featuring wine tastings and pairings, gourmet dinners and luncheons, educational seminars and culinary competitions. The last day is March 3. If you love food and wine, you’d be a fool to miss out… but get tickets quickly, as many of the events have been sold out for a while.
The Ned is the wine I picked for my recent Matching Wine & Cheese Course at Burnaby Continuing Education. Its inexpensive ($14.99) and tasty: gooseberry, ripe guava, grapefruit aromas with a crisp herbaceous berry flavour. Superb with Saite-Maure Caprifeuille Chevre from Touraine in the Loire Valley of France. Go to Les Amis de Fromage, 2nd & Burrard.