Wine Program Excellence Awards 2018
Vancouver International Wine Festival 2018
About the festival
The Vancouver International Wine Festival, Canada’s premier food & wine event, has three mandates: to provide an informative, educational and entertaining wine experience for public and trade; to be a premier marketing opportunity for the wine industry and festival partners; and to raise funds for the Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. The 2018 festival runs February 24 to March 4.
VanWineFest is Canada’s premier wine show and widely considered to be the best wine event in North America. With ~25,000 admissions and at 40 years of age, it is one of the biggest and oldest wine events in the world. Its slogan is “The Wine World is Here”. It has been voted the “#1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada” the last five years in a row by New York’s BizBash. The Trade Days Conference, which runs February 28 to March 2, comprises 12 of the festival’s 51 events.
The heart of the festival is the Tasting Room, where the public can choose from 763 wines at four International Festival Tastings, and industry professionals can sample those plus an additional 155 wines at two Trade Tastings. There are 45 special events that orbit the tasting room (seminars, vintage tastings, winery dinners, lunches, brunches, wine minglers and more) at which 542 other wines are served.
The 2018 festival features wines from 16 countries. There is a focus on a different region or country every year; the featured region has its own section in the tasting room and offers thematic seminars and food and wine pairings throughout the week. In 2018, the festival is celebrating wines from Iberian Peninsula neighbours, Spain (with 38 wineries) and Portugal (with 20 wineries).
2018 Wine Program Excellence Award Winners
Celebrating the best food and wine parings in the business, restaurants through British Columbia and Alberta have been recognized for creating list that complement their establishment's unique menu and concept. Candidates submitted their wine and menu lists, and were then visited by judges who reviewed their programs. The key judges were Tom Doughty, Jay Jones, DJ Kearney, Iain Philip, and Jason Yamasaki. The top restaurants were awarded Platinum, Gold Silver, and Bronze, or commended with an honourable Mention. the wine Program Excellence Award are Sponsored by Vancouver Magazine.
Artisan Bistro is proud to be awarded an " Honourable Mention" for Vancouver Island. Congratulation to Nolan Wilson of Artisan Bistro.
