The 2009 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, the 31st, has gained plenty of momentum over the years. It is one of the very few premium wine festivals on the continent. Its policy of having a principal present from each winery that pours wine at the many booths on the tasting floor, means that both the casually curious and the oenophiles can all rub elbows with some of the wine world’s best-known and most-respected winemakers and producers.
The 2009 Theme Region is British Columbia, so you can experience the best of what our region has to offer, all in one venue. The Global Focus is pinot, as in noir, meunier, gris/grigio, blanc, auxerrois, and pinotage. A wide variety of educational seminars and tastings are part of the week, as are some winemaker dinners at various restaurants around the city. March 23–29 are the dates. Over 1,600 wines will be poured, 25,000 people will attend, and of the 61 events, 19 are B.C.-related. As it is every year, the Playhouse Festival is an ideal opportunity to experience wine in a setting where learning and pleasure are inextricably linked.
