VanWineFest Welcomes the Wine World Back
Vancouver’s annual wine lovers’ delight opens tonight after a hiatus in 2021, as the wine world returns to Vancouver for a weeklong wine and food celebration. The 43rd Vancouver International Wine Festival kicks off with a series of winery dinners, including the exquisite Bacchanalia Gala + Dinner, presented by National Bank Private Banking 1859.
This year’s festival features 100 wineries from 13 countries participating in 27 events over seven days. By the time the festival is over, attendees will have sipped and sampled some 680 wines.
VanWineFest is headquartered at the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC), which is the site of the Tasting Room, the 53,000 square foot hub of the festival with its stunning views of the harbour and mountains. It is home to four International Festival Tastings and two Trade Tastings, presented by ContainerWorld. Dinners, lunches and the California Wine Beach Party take place at restaurants and venues across the city. All six of the events in Trade Days Conference, the wine business part of the show, also take place at VCC. Trade events are available only to those in the hospitality and wine industry and registration is required.
While many events are already sold out, there are still a few tickets available for the Thursday evening International Festival Tasting and the Trade Tastings, several seminars and A Spring Fling Sunday Brunch – a bubbles and blush brunch to close off festival week.
2023 Festival Dates:
VanWineFest is pleased to announce dates for the 2023 festival: April 24-30. After moving the festival to May in 2022, going back to February would have meant another compressed timeline for organizers and participants. With late April dates, there will be more time to plan and build a bigger and better festival. In 2023, the festival will be back in the East building of the Vancouver Convention Centre, partying like it’s 2009.
VanWineFest by the numbers:
- 43rd annual (founded 1979)
- 7 days (May 16-22)
- 13 countries
- 100 wineries
- 27 events, including tastings, seminars, winery dinners, minglers, lunches, brunch and more
- 13 venues
- ~30 participating restaurants, hotels, caterers, vendors
- ~680 wines, including
- ~500 at International Festival Tastings
- ~180 at special events (dinners, seminars, etc.)
- 200 volunteers
- Beneficiary: Since 1979, VanWineFest has raised $9.8 million for the performing arts. The festival was a founded as a fundraiser for the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company and continued as such until it closed in 2012. Since 2013, proceeds have gone to Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. Over the past 10 years, the festival has raised nearly $1.8 million for Bard on the Beach.
Don’t Wine and Drive:
Whether you’re on four wheels or two, festival goers are strongly urged to leave them at home.
- Pick up a free Compass ticket from the Get Home Safe booth, courtesy of BC Liquor Stores, as you exit the Tasting Room.
- Or take a cab, limo, or Uber – it’s considerably cheaper than having your car towed from a spot check, to say nothing of the other nasty consequences. “Taking a cab home is the cheapest car insurance you can buy,” says Randy Kaardal, past chair of the VIWF board of directors.
- Or make a weekend of it and book a downtown hotel via festival partner StayVancouverHotels.com which offers compelling incentives. (The free VanWineFest ticket offer is no longer available, but do check other rewards.)
For complete details on the festival, go to www.vanwinefest.ca.
How to Purchase Tickets:
Online: VanWineFest.ca
Phone: 604-873-3311, toll free 1-877-321-3121 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)
Stay in Touch:
For more information about the Vancouver International Wine Festival go to VanWineFest.ca.
Twitter: Follow @VanWineFest for announcements, including e-news, festival updates & media releases. Join the conversation at #VIWF.
Facebook / Instagram: @VanWineFest LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/vancouver-playhouse-international-wine-festival
ABOUT VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL
Canada’s premier wine show will mark its 43rd edition of pairing wine, food and the performing arts from May 16-22, 2022. The festival will showcase 100 wineries from 13 countries, featured in 27 events over seven days. The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, presented by National Bank Private Banking 1859, is the main fundraising event of the festival and takes place on Tuesday, May 17 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Trade Days takes place Thursday, May 19 and Friday, May 20. The festival has been named the #1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada by New York’s BizBash for seven years running and was 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 $9.8 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 Vancouver International Wine Festival gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
ABOUT BARD ON THE BEACH
Bard on the Beach is Western Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare Festival. Presented in Vancouver’s Sen?ákw/Vanier Park against a spectacular backdrop of mountains, sea and sky, the Festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas and special events in two modern performance tents from June through September, with an average attendance of 100,000. The Festival is known for its signature blend of high-quality artistic programming and a welcoming, informal experience for local residents and visitors from around the world. The Festival’s 33rd Season, from June 8 to September 24, 2022, includes productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Harlem Duet by Djanet Sears, and Romeo and Juliet. Bard Education offers year-round opportunities to play and explore Shakespeare, through programs for youth, emerging theatre artists, and our general community.
Media Contact:
Meriha Beaton, Milk Creative Communications
Photo galleries: Contact Milk for hi-res images
