VIWF Announces 2026 Trade Competition Winners
Spirited Industry Professional, Sommelier of the Year, Wine Program Excellence Awards, Wine Retailer of the Year
VANCOUVER, BC (March 13, 2026) — The Vancouver International Wine Festival announced the 2026 trade competition winners on Friday, March 13 at Celebrating Excellence: 22nd Annual Awards Lunch, presented by ContainerWorld. The Celebrating Excellence program is part of VIWF Trade Days; the program honours those professionals who contribute to this region’s exceptional wine and food culture. Guests enjoyed a meal prepared by Vancouver Convention Centre executive chef Nandakishore Rangan, exquisitely matched with a selection of 19 wines from around the wine world.
2026 SPIRITED INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL AWARD
The annual Spirited Industry Professional Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sales, service or promotion of wine in British Columbia. The 19th annual award goes to Carmen D’Onofrio.
Carmen D’Onofrio is the Managing Director at Vancouver’s Stile Brands, a family-owned agency that imports and markets premium wines, spirits, and beers. Carmen was a member of the Vancouver International Wine Festival Board of Directors for 10 years and a past chair of the Planning Committee. He was also a Director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and is a current Director and Past President of the Import Vintners and Spirits Association (IVSA). He currently is the President of the Italian Canadian Sports Federation (ICSF) and has been President of the Commercial Drive Business Society for the last 20 years. He is extremely proud of the many things he has been able to accomplish while on these boards, but is most proud of helping to establish Italian Day on The Drive in 2010. This event has now become the largest cultural street festival in Canada. In a previous life, Carmen was a professional soccer player and proudly represented Canada at the U-19 and U-21 level, and competed for Canada in the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. He played professionally for the Vancouver 86ers, the Toronto Lynx, and the Edmonton Drillers of the NPSL indoor league.
2026 SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR & TERRY THRELFALL SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
The Sommelier of the Year Award recognizes working sommeliers who consistently demonstrate an outstanding passion for marrying wine with food and a dedication to exceptional service. This year’s winner, Michael Littleford, was selected through a hands-on competition organized by the BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, held on February 2.
Michael was also awarded the 2026 Terry Threlfall Legacy Scholarship, which offers a unique multi-day wine experience in London, England, designed to expand the winner’s knowledge, skills, and exposure to the international wine scene. The award was established by the Vancouver International Wine Festival, the BC Hospitality Foundation, the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, Meyer Family Vineyards, and the Threlfall family in the name of our beloved friend and colleague, Terry Threlfall, who passed away suddenly in October 2020.
Born and raised in East Vancouver, Michael has been working as a Sommelier in Vancouver for the past 10 years. Beginning as a sommelier at Nightingale, moving on to run the wine programs for CinCin, then Published on Main, he brings a wealth of practical knowledge to his wine pursuits. On the classroom side of things, Michael holds his WSET Level 4 Diploma, and is both an Italian and French wine scholar through the Wine Scholar Guild. In 2025, Michael came second in the Best Sommelier of BC Competition and was crowned “Best Taster”, followed by winning the title in 2026. Beyond the world of wine, he has a special interest in leisure sports such as table tennis and bocce ball, as well as spending time in the kitchen or tending the grill whenever possible.
2026 WINE PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
In 2026, the Wine Program Excellence Awards (WPEA) returns with a new vision, new awards, and new ways to recognize excellence in the restaurant community. The WPEA categories have been reimagined to celebrate the diversity, creativity, and culture of the restaurant community, to recognize industry leaders, and to inspire continuing excellence. The media sponsor is Vancouver Magazine.
This year’s winners are:
Best Wine Program in an Upscale Restaurant
Gold: Elisa
Silver: Blue Water Cafe
Bronze: Marilena Café + Raw Bar
Honorable Mention: Hawksworth Restaurant
Honorable Mention: Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar
Best Wine Program in a Contemporary Restaurant
Gold: Nightingale
Silver: Major Tom
Bronze: L’Abattoir
Honorable Mention: Osteria Elio Volpe
Honorable Mention: Wind Cries Mary
Best For a Glass
Gold: Dachi
Silver: The Courtney Room
Bronze: The Stable House Bistro
Honorable Mention: Dear Gus Snack Bar
Honorable Mention: Chulo Tapas & Bar
Best Food & Wine Pairing Experience
Gold: Mott 32 Vancouver
Silver: AnnaLena
Bronze: L’Abattoir
Honorable Mention: RGE RD
Honorable Mention: Delara
Best Wine Service
Gold: AnnaLena
Silver: Kissa Tanto
Bronze: L’Abattoir
Honorable Mention: Mott 32 Vancouver
Honorable Mention: Burdock & Co
Wine Program Excellence of the Year
Gold: Elisa
Silver: Blue Water Cafe
Bronze: Nightingale
Honorable Mention: Mott 32 Vancouver
Honorable Mention: RGE RD
Best Micro Wine List
Gold: Burdock & Co
Silver: Yuwa Japanese Cuisine
Bronze: Bistro Lapin Perdu
Honorable Mention: Delara
Honorable Mention: La Tana
Best Boutique Wine List
Gold: AnnaLena
Silver: The Stable House Bistro
Bronze: Dear Gus Snack Bar
Honorable Mention: Wind Cries Mary
Honorable Mention: Savio Volpe
Best Premier Wine List
Gold: Nightingale
Silver: L’Abattoir
Bronze: Major Tom
Honorable Mention: Dachi
Honorable Mention: Waterfront Wines Restaurant
Best Grand Wine List
Gold: Blue Water Cafe
Silver: Elisa
Bronze: Marilena Cafe and Raw Bar
Honorable Mention: Hawksworth Restaurant
Honorable Mention: Mott 32 Vancouver
Best BC Wine List
Gold: Waterfront Wines Restaurant
Silver: Sonora Resort
Bronze: The Arbutus Room & Bar
Honorable Mention: Wildlight Kitchen + Bar
Honorable Mention: 15 Park
Best Regional Wine Lists
Best Italian: CinCin
Best French: L’Abattoir
Best Sake: Yuwa Japanese Cuisine
Best Spain: Bar Oso
Best Designed Wine List
Gold: RGE RD
Silver: Major Tom
Bronze: Chambar Restaurant
Honorable Mention: Savio Volpe
Honorable Mention: The Courtney Room
Best Wine Program for Discovery
Gold: Dachi
Silver: Botanist
Bronze: Niwa
Honorable Mention: Dear Gus Snack Bar
Honorable Mention: The Acorn
Best Wine Program in a Wine Bar or Lounge
Gold: Dear Gus Snack Bar
Silver: Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Bronze: Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge
Honorable Mention: H Tasting Lounge
Honorable Mention: Bar Oso
Best Value Wine Program
Gold: H Tasting Lounge
Silver: The Arbutus Room & Bar
Bronze: Pizzeria Tratto
Honorable Mention: Boom + Batten
Honorable Mention: Delara
2026 WINE RETAILER OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Wine Retailer of the Year Award, presented by the Import Vintners & Spirits Association (IVSA) and ABLE BC, recognizes outstanding retail locations that exemplify excellence in promoting the enjoyment of wine within our community. The festival solicits nominations from across the province to recognize a deserving location that demonstrates exceptional selection, knowledge, service, engagement and social responsibility. The 2026 winner is Marquis Wine Cellars.
HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Online: VanWineFest.ca 24/7
Phone: 604-873-3311, toll free 1-877-321-3121 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)
Ticket prices include wine, food, gratuities, taxes and service charge.
STAY IN TOUCH
For more information about the Vancouver International Wine Festival go to VanWineFest.ca and read our Quick Facts.
X: Follow @VanWineFest for announcements, including e-news, festival updates & media releases. Join the conversation at #VIWF.
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YouTube: @Playhousewine
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/vancouver-international-wine-festival
ABOUT TRADE DAYS
The two-day eight-event Trade Days is the wine business component of the Vancouver International Wine Festival. 2026 events include seminars sponsored by Wine Australia, Gérard Bertrand, and Inter Beaujolais; Principals Welcome Lunch, presented by Hillebrand Gori; Celebrating Excellence: 22nd Annual Awards Lunch, presented by ContainerWorld; and two Trade Tastings, presented by ContainerWorld. Other Trade Days sponsors and partners include information technology company ITS Consulting Inc, Vancouver Magazine, and the participating event wineries. Trade Days extends special thanks to the Import Vintners & Spirits Association, Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, ABLE BC, and BC Hospitality Foundation.
ABOUT VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL
Canada’s premier wine show marks its 47th edition of pairing wine, food and the performing arts from March 7-14, 2026. The festival is showcasing 112 wineries from 14 countries, featured in 33 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 kicked off the festival on Saturday, March 7 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Trade Days takes place Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13. The festival is consistently ranked the #1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada by New York’s BizBash and was named one of the world’s top wine trade shows by Wine International Association. 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 more than $10.3 million for the performing arts. Major sponsor is The Vancouver Sun; major industry partners are the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, BCLIQUOR, 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 one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals, presented on the waterfront at Sen?á?w/Vanier Park. The festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas, and popular special events in two performance tents every June through September. Over 2 million patrons have experienced Bard since its inception, growing to annual attendance close to 100,000. Next year’s festival runs June to September 2026, and scheduled plays include The Merry Wives of Windsor, Macbeth, Goblin: Oedipus, and Antigone. Bard also offers a range of education programs for learners from eight to 80. Full details and education program information are at bardonthebeach.org.
