The Vancouver International Wine Festival is pleased to announce the winery line-up for the 42nd annual festival, which takes place February 22-March 1, 2020. The eight-day wine and food extravaganza will showcase 164 wineries from 15 countries, including 43 wineries from France, this festival’s featured country. Joining France will be 121 wineries from around the world, pouring 1,500+ wines at 57 events with a global spotlight on rosé. Each participating winery will be represented by a winery principal – our vine stars – who come to Vancouver every year to share and discuss their wines with festivalgoers.
The festival is headquartered at the Vancouver Convention Centre; in addition, more than 25 other restaurants and venues around the city will host winery dinners, lunches, seminars and wine minglers. The sumptuous Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, benefiting Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, kicks off the festival on Saturday, February 22 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver; tickets and tables are on sale now. The heart of the festival is the Tasting Room, where all 164 wineries will gather for four International Festival Tastings and two Trade Tastings. Discounted advance tickets for the International Festival Tastings go on sale Wednesday, November 6 at 9:30 a.m. Festivalgoers can get a free ticket if they book a downtown hotel via StayVancouverHotels.com from November 6 to February 13, while supplies last.
Vive la France!
The spotlight shines on France this year with 43 wineries representing the diverse and storied terroirs of France. All French wineries will be featured in a special section of the Tasting Room, with 172 wines poured at the International Festival Tastings plus an additional 41 wines set aside for the Trade Tastings. Festival week will feature 18 French events, including vine star seminars, vintage tastings, nine winery dinners, a wine party to kick off the week, and a spectacular Saturday lunch, Bon Appétit, featuring all 43 wineries.
Keynote Speaker
This year, the festival is pleased to welcome acclaimed wine writer Andrew Jefford as the keynote speaker. Jefford’s talk at the Trade Days Conference’s Keynote Speaker Lunch on Wednesday, February 26 will be “French Lessons in a Warming World.” On Thursday, February 27, he will co-moderate, along with 2019 keynote speaker Jon Bonné, the trade opening plenary, Vin Tour de France. Andrew will also moderate the public wine seminar, Cru de France.
Trade Days Conference
The Trade Days Conference, which runs February 26-28, features 13 events, including two Trade Tastings, presented by ContainerWorld, masterclasses and seminars, and three trade lunches: Keynote Speaker Lunch; Principals Welcome Lunch, presented by JF Hillebrand; and Celebrating Excellence: 17th Annual Awards Lunch Featuring France, presented by ContainerWorld.
Save the Dates
Discounted advance tickets go on sale Wednesday, November 6 at 9:30 a.m.
All public events go on sale Wednesday, January 8 at 9:30 a.m.
All trade events go on sale Wednesday, January 22 at 9:30 a.m.
For more information about the Vancouver International Wine Festival go to www.VanWineFest.ca
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