Wonders of Wine and Food

The Vancouver International Wine Festival

Sadly it is over another festival has come and gone. The days went by so quickly! As the saying goes time flies when you are having fun. Thank you Vancouver Wine Festival. Thanks to the organizers, the volunteers and the Wineries from around the world. It was a good time!

I was a little worried at first a few weeks before the festival was to begin I realized I had not as yet received my agenda. So I contact the organizers apparently they lost my application. Thankfully, they scrambled to put a few events together for me. Although I did not get into some of the seminars, I wanted. I was happy with my time at the festival.

I was especially pleased that my wife and I were both able to attend the Thursdays night tasting event together. We booked ourselves into the Pan Pacific hotel for the night. Inviting a few friends up for appies between events. Blackwood Lanes owner and winemaker Carlos Lee came along with the wineries manager Kim Gislason. They brought with them a bottle of their famous reference. We ordered room service for breakfast enjoying every minute of our stay.

The best part of the festival to me is meeting for the first time owners and winemakers from BC and around the globe. The second best part is saying hello to the winemakers and owners we have known for years.
Then perhaps it would be tasting so many wonderful wines.

This year we finally were able to met and chat with the owners of Thornhaven, Gerhringer Brothers and Unsworth and Burrowing Owls Kerri McNolty to name only the BC wineries. I shook hands and chatted with some legends,Stephen Cipes from Summerhill Pyramid winery after been warmly greeted by Ceo Ezra Cipes; Sandra Oldfield from Tinhorn, Walter Gehringer and Time’s Harry McWalters.

Alison Scholefield at Okanagan Crush representing Haywire provided a nice welcome introducing me to winemaker Matt Dumaynei. Barbara and I had a long enjoyable chat with a very well dressed winemaker of note Eric von Krosigk. Another great conversation we had was with Steve Neiss of Gray Monk.

The Island wineries were represented by two wineries. Averill Creek was there, represented by owner Andrew Johnston and his fine cellar of wines. Also present was Unsworth Vineyards a winery with a growing reputation under owner Tim Turyk.

Some of the established stars of the Okanagan were there. Painted Rocks John Skinner, winemaker Derek Kontkanen of Jackson-Triggs, Lake Breeze’s Garron Elmes, Constellation winemaker Matieu Mercier representing Osoyoos Larose and owner winemaker Cassini Cellars Adrian Cassini provided some outstanding wines.

The Vancouver International Wine Festival has three mandates: to provide an informative, educational and entertaining wine experience for public and trade; to be a premier market opportunity for the wine industry and festival partners and to raise funds for the Brads on Beach Theatre Society.