VanWineFest Advance Tickets on Sale

Save $10 on International Festival Tasting tickets
Book a hotel through StayVancouverHotels.com and taste for free
Discounted tickets & Gold Pass on sale November 6 to December 15

Starting November 6 at 9:30 a.m., wine lovers can save $10 off International Festival Tasting (IFT) tickets for the 42nd Vancouver International Wine Festival. Or book one of 39 downtown hotels available through StayVancouverHotels.com to get a free IFT ticket, a saving of up to $115. The Delta Air Lines Tasting Lounge and the Gold Pass are also on sale in advance at a discount.

The 2020 festival runs February 22 to March 1 and welcomes 163 wineries from around the wine world. The festival is graciously co-hosted by the participating countries’ consulates and embassies. All participating wineries and their principals gather in the Tasting Room (February 27-29) to showcase their wines. Advance-price tickets are limited and savings are in effect until December 15, or while quantities last. After that, tickets are available at regular rates. The StayVancouverHotels free ticket offer is available through February 13, or while quantities last.

This year, the festival’s theme is Vive la France!, with 42 wineries and their principals from France travelling to Vancouver to share wines from their storied terroirs. They’re joined by 121 wineries from 14 additional countries, plus wines from South Africa available only at a Regional Tasting Station in the Tasting Room. Overall, more than one out of five wineries are new to the 2020 festival.

“We’re delighted to offer festivalgoers a discount on select Tasting Room-related events,” said Harry Hertscheg, VIWF executive director. “Tickets make a great holiday gift for the wine lover on your list, and you can buy them online, by phone or in person. Best of all, the ticket price you see is the amount you pay. No surprises upon check out!” The advance sale offers savings on International Festival Tasting tickets and associated events. See details below.

ADVANCE SALE OFFERS

International Festival Tastings
Festivalgoers save $10 off the regular price of International Festival Tasting tickets (Thursday, February 27, Friday, February 28 and Saturday, February 29). Advance tickets for evening tastings, 7 to 10 p.m., are $85 for Thursday, $95 for Friday and $105 for Saturday. The Saturday matinee tasting from 2:30 to 5 p.m., set against the stunning backdrop of Coal Harbour, is available for the advance price of $85. Only a limited number of tickets are available at the advance rate for each of the four sessions. Once the advance allotment sells out, tickets may be purchased at regular prices.

Delta Air Lines Tasting Lounge
Enjoy an enhanced International Festival Tasting experience with tickets to the exclusive Friday and Saturday evening Delta Air Lines Tasting Lounge and save $15 (advance rate $185 for Friday and $195 for Saturday). Located in the Ocean Foyer in VCC West, right next to the Tasting Room, the lounge is open 5:45 to 9 p.m. and offers easy access to the corresponding International Festival Tasting. Enjoy a respite from the Tasting Room with comfortable seating and spectacular views. Select festival wines, light bites and cheeses are served.

Gold Pass
For those wanting the full tasting experience, Gold Passes go on sale for only $499, a $20 savings. Gold Passes include access to six tastings (four public IFTs and two Trade Tastings, presented by ContainerWorld), the Delta Air Lines Tasting Lounge and the exclusive Festival Toast VIP reception. Purchased individually, the Gold Pass events are valued at $768.

BOOK A HOTEL, GET A FREE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL TASTING TICKET!
Save, sip, and stay safe! Book a stay at one of StayVancouverHotels.com’s 39 downtown hotels and receive a free International Festival Tasting ticket (a $95 to $115 value at regular rates) to the session of your choice. This offer is only available from November 6 until February 13 or while allocations last, so book early to taste for free. The StayVancouverHotels.com initiative is an important cornerstone of the festival’s Don’t Wine and Drive program.

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL TASTINGS HIGHLIGHTS
See the full list of participating wineries

The Tasting Room at the Vancouver Convention Centre is where all 163 participating wineries gather to pour ~725 select wines. Discover exciting new wines, or return to old favourites, sipping from premium wine glasses. The room will also feature five regional tasting stations from France, Emilia-Romagna, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa. You can also find wine-friendly food and beverage exhibitors, many of whom offer tasting samples, including Nespresso, Riedel, FIJI Water, Terra International Foods, Rishi Tea & Botanicals, ARC Iberico Imports, and D’Oro Gelato e Caffè. However, festivalgoers are encouraged to have a meal before attending as food quantities are limited.

Theme Country: France 
Vive la France! This year, take a wine tour of France in the Tasting Room, exploring 42 wineries from 10 regions. Discover how the diverse terroirs of Alsace, Champagne, Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Languedoc, Loire, Provence, Rhône, and the South West create distinct, iconic wines.

Vine Stars
What makes VanWineFest unique is the presence of global “vine stars” – winemakers, proprietors, senior executives – who come to Vancouver every year to pour and discuss their wines with festivalgoers. Each winery will be represented in the room by a principal, someone closely involved in the wine-production process. Seek out the royal blue lanyards at tastings and special events to meet our vine stars face-to-face.

More Room, Smaller crowds
Both the Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon sessions are guaranteed to have a lower capacity than Friday and Saturday evening, offering more room and more time to interact with winery principals.

BC Liquor Stores Festival Wine Shop
Included in the price of each ticket is the opportunity to shop at the onsite BC Liquor Store where wines from all participating wineries will be available for purchase. Whether you buy one bottle or 100, your wine purchases can be shipped at no cost to your nearest BC Liquor Store anywhere in the province.

Don’t Wine and Drive

• Book a downtown hotel via StayVancouverHotels.com and get a free International Festival Tasting ticket (while supplies last or until February 13)
• Get a free transit ticket from BC Liquor Distribution Branch as you leave the tastings to Get Home Safe
• Grab a taxi or limo home

HOW TO PURCHASE ADVANCE TICKETS (Nov. 6-Dec. 15, while quantities last)
Online: VanWineFest.ca
Phone: 604-873-3311, toll free 1-877-321-3121 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)
In-person: 202-162 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)

All ticket prices include wine, food (if a food event), gratuities, taxes and service charges.

Stay in Touch:
For more information, go to VanWineFest.ca
Twitter: follow @VanWineFest for festival announcements, including e-news, media releases, and sold-out events. Join the conversation at #VIWF.
Facebook & Instagram: @VanWineFest

Save the Dates
Advance tickets go on sale Wednesday, November 6 at 9:30 a.m.
Trade Days Conference Passes go on sale Wednesday, December 4 at 9:30 a.m.
Vintners Brunch limited pre-sale on Wednesday, December 11 at 9:30 a.m.
All public events go on sale Wednesday, January 8 at 9:30 a.m.
All trade events go on sale Wednesday, January 22 at 9:30 a.m.

ABOUT VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL
Canada’s premier wine show will mark its 42nd edition of pairing wine, food and the performing arts from February 22 to March 1, 2020. The festival features France and will showcase 163 wineries from 15 countries (including 42 wineries from France) pouring ~1,500 wines at 57 events to a projected 25,000 admissions. The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction opens the festival on Saturday, February 22 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The Trade Days Conference runs Wednesday, February 26 to Friday, February 28. The festival has been named the #1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada by New York’s BizBash for seven years running and was recently named the Best International Wine Festival – North America by LUX Life Magazine. The festival is produced by the Vancouver 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 Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. Since inception in 1979, the festival has raised nearly $9.5 million for the performing arts. Major sponsors are Delta Air Lines and the Vancouver Sun; major industry partners are the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, BC Liquor Stores, and the Import Vintners & Spirits Association. The festival is graciously co-hosted by our participating countries’ consulates and embassies.

ABOUT BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. It is presented on the waterfront in Kitsilano’s Vanier Park, adjacent to Vancouver’s downtown core. The festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas and popular special events in two performance tents every June through September. The 2019 festival drew 103,000 attendees and almost 2 million patrons have experienced Bard since its inception. Next year’s festival dates are June 11 to September 26, 2020, and the 31st Season line-up will include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry V, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Paradise Lost by Erin Shields. Bard also offers a range of education programs, including Young Shakespeareans workshops for 8-18 year-olds at its Vanier Park site during the summer, and the Riotous Youth program for 19 to 24-year-olds. During the school term, Bard also offers workshops for educators and youth in schools and community centres throughout BC’s Lower Mainland, as well as at its administrative home, the BMO Theatre Centre (162 West 1st Avenue). Full details and education program information are at bardonthebeach.org.