Canada’s Centre Stage at 2017 VanWineFest
IN BRIEF… Discounted tickets to select 2017 Vancouver International Wine Festival events go on sale Tuesday, November 1 at 9:30 a.m. Save $5 to $15 until December 15, or while quantities last, on International Festival Tasting tickets, the Delta Air Lines Tasting Lounge and the Gold Pass. Or get a free ticket by booking a hotel via beVancouver.com. In 2017, The Wine World Celebrates Canada from February 11 to 19, showcasing 180 wineries from 16 countries. Buy at vanwinefest.ca or call 604-873-3311, toll free 1-877-321-3121 (weekdays 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.).
VANCOUVER, BC (October 29, 2016) — A limited number of discounted advance tickets to the 39th Vancouver International Wine Festival go on sale November 1 at 9:30 a.m. The festival runs February 11 to 19, 2017, welcoming 180 wineries from 16 countries. All wineries and their principals gather in the Tasting Room to showcase their wines at the four International Festival Tastings (February 16 to 18), available in advance for $5-$9 off the regular price until December 15, or while quantities last.
In celebration of Canada’s 150th Birthday, the 2017 festival features Canada as the theme country with 76 wineries from British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia, nearly one third of which are participating for the first time. This marks the largest gathering of Canadian wineries ever at an international festival. “VanWineFest 2017 offers an unprecedented showcase of Canadian wineries, principals and wines alongside their international counterparts in the Tasting Room,” says VIWF executive director Harry Hertscheg. “Attendees will discover untold connections amongst Canada and the wine world throughout the festival, amidst the backdrop of Vancouver’s vibrant wine and food scene. Let’s celebrate!”
Overall, nearly one quarter of the wineries are new to the 2017 festival, including wineries from Turkey and Nova Scotia for the first time. This year also features the return of Uruguay to the festival, which has a winery participating for the first time since 2007. Last year’s theme country Italy is back with a strong contingent of 20 wineries.
BUY NOW AND SAVE! Advance tickets on sale November 1
Discounted passes and tickets to select events go on sale at VanWineFest.ca from November 1 until December 15, or while quantities last. Tickets make a great holiday gift for the wine lover on your list and you won’t have to battle any Black Friday crowds to get these bargains. The advance sale offers savings on International Festival Tasting tickets and associated events. To get a ticket for zero dollars, simply book a stay at a downtown hotel via beVancouver.com. See details below.
ADVANCE SALE OFFERS
International Festival Tastings
Festivalgoers can save $5-$9 off the regular price of International Festival Tasting tickets (Thursday, February 16, Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18). Advance tickets for evening tastings, 7 to 10 p.m., are $80 for Thursday and $90 for Friday and Saturday. The Saturday matinee tasting from 2:30 to 5 p.m., set against the stunning backdrop of Coal Harbour, is available for the low advance price of $70. Only a limited number of tickets are available at the advance rate for each of the four sessions. Once they sell 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 still save $5 (advance rate $185). 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 wines, light bites and cheeses are served.
Gold Pass
For those wanting the full tasting experience, Gold Passes go on sale for only $480, a $15 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 $706
FREE TICKET WITH HOTEL BOOKING
For a third consecutive year, Vancouver Hotel Destination Association offers a free International Festival Tasting ticket (a $79 to $95 value at regular rates) to festivalgoers who book a stay via beVancouver.com at any of its 35 participating downtown hotels. Quantities are limited and Saturday evening sold out well in advance in 2016, so book early. The beVancouver.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 181 participating wineries gather to pour 700+ select wines. Discover exciting new wines, or return to your favourites, sipping from premium wine glasses. The room will also feature regional tasting stations from Australia, British Columbia, New Zealand, Nova Scotia and Spain. You can also find wine-friendly food and beverage exhibitors, many of whom offer tasting samples.
Theme Country: Canada
The Wine World Celebrates Canada at VanWineFest 2017 with 76 wineries from across the country featured at the festival. Explore the selection, diversity and quality of Canada’s terroir-driven wines, highlighting the best of Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia in a special section of the room.
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 on-site BC Liquor Store where wines from all participating wineries will be available for purchase. Purchased wines can be shipped at no cost to your nearest BC Liquor Store for pick-up after the festival. The BC Liquor Distribution Branch will also help everybody Get Home Safe by providing a complimentary transit ticket to patrons as they leave the tastings.
Buy the Case – Shop the World
Festival partners BC Liquor Distribution Branch and the Import Vintners & Spirits Association (IVSA) have teamed up to allow festivalgoers to order case lots of select wines. Wines available by the case will be identified with a neck tag. Place orders for those must-have wines directly at the participating winery tables and they’ll be delivered to your closest BC Liquor Store within two weeks of the conclusion of the festival.
HOW TO PURCHASE ADVANCE TICKETS (Nov. 1-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.)
*Note the new address – the festival moved offices to the BMO Theatre Centre in Olympic Village.
Prices inclusive of taxes, service charges and gratuities.
SAVE THE DATES
All public events go on sale Tuesday, January 10 at 9:30 a.m.
All Trade Days Conference events, presented by Sysco, go on sale Tuesday, January 17 at 9:30 a.m.
Stay in Touch:
For more information, go to VanWineFest.ca
Facebook & Instagram: /VanWineFest
Twitter: follow @VanWineFest for news on tickets and sold-out events. Join the conversation at #VIWF.
ABOUT VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL
Canada’s premier wine show will mark its 39th edition of pairing wine, food and the performing arts from February 11 to 19, 2017. The festival features The Wine World Celebrates Canada as the theme. The festival will showcase 181 wineries from 16 countries (including 76 wineries from Canada) pouring a projected 1,550+ wines at 55 events to a projected 25,000 admissions. The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction opens the festival on Saturday, February 11 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. 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 $8.7 million for the performing arts. Major sponsors are Delta Air Lines and the Vancouver Sun; major industry partners are the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, Canadian Vintners Association and the Import Vintners & Spirits Association. The festival is made possible through the gracious support of our participating countries’ consulates and embassies.
ABOUT WINES OF CANADA
Wines of Canada is a collaborative initiative of the Canadian Vintners Association and regional wine associations – British Columbia Wine Institute, Wine Marketing Association of Ontario, Vignerons indépendants du Québec and the Winery Association of Nova Scotia – to bring the country’s best wines to the world. Partial funding for this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the AgriMarketing program through Growing Forward 2.
ABOUT BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Celebrating its 28th season in 2017, 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. Bard on the Beach offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas and popular special events in two performance tents every June through September. In 2016, attendance exceeded 100,000 and more than 1.4 million patrons have experienced Bard since its inception. Next year’s festival dates are June 1 to September 23, 2017 and the lineup includes Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter’s Tale, The Merchant of Venice and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, plus a special limited-run presentation of Shylock.
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 Riotous Youth 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 new administrative home, the BMO Theatre Centre (162 West 1st Avenue). Full details and education program information are at bardonthebeach.org.
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Media Contact: Betty Verkuil, Sponsorship & Marketing Director
