Credit: Christine McAvoy

VanWineFest, Canada’s premier wine show and widely considered the biggest and best wine festival in North America, runs February 22 to March 1.

The Vancouver International Wine Festival is just around the corner, February 22 to March 1, 2020, at the Vancouver Convention Centre and other venues throughout Metro Vancouver. This year, the festival features 57 events, including educational seminars, wine parties, lunches, brunches and dinners, plus the International Festival Tastings, where all 162 participating wineries gather to showcase their wines. Tickets are on sale now at VanWineFest.ca.

The festival has been named the #1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada by New York's BizBash for seven years running, was recently named the Best International Wine Festival – North America by LUX Life Magazine, and was featured in €œThe World's Best Wine Festivals€ article in Decanter Magazine (February 2020 issue).

Credit: Marjo Wright

Meet the People Behind the Wine

One thing that makes VanWineFest unique is that every winery is represented by a €œvine star€€” an owner, winemaker or senior executive€”who has travelled to Vancouver to share their wines with festivalgoers. Many times, the person pouring the wine, or providing insights at seminars, has their name on the bottle. It's an unparalleled opportunity to learn about wine from people behind the bottle. Look for the vine stars wearing a royal blue lanyard at events for the inside scoop on your favourite wines. €œEach year we welcome top winery principals to our festival, and in 2020 we have an esteemed line-up of vine stars from our featured country, France, as well as from wineries from 14 other countries,€ says Harry Hertscheg, VIWF executive director. €œFestivalgoers will have the chance to meet the people directly responsible for the wines they are tasting at seminars, dinners, lunches and, of course, in the Tasting Room.€

Vive la France!

Every year, the festival shines a spotlight on a different area of the wine world. This year the featured country is France with 42 wineries from 10 iconic wine regions represented. French wineries take centre stage in 18 events. Wine lovers can choose from dinners at some of Vancouver's top restaurants, seminars, the Ça, c€™est cool wine party on February 25, and a spectacular Saturday lunch, Bon Appétit, featuring all 42 French wineries. Take a wining and dining journey through France without leaving Vancouver!

Credit: VanWineFest

Cruise Bordeaux with VanWineFest

If you want to take your wine journey past the city limits, the celebration of France as theme country will extend beyond festival week with a curated seven-night wine river cruise to Bordeaux from April 9-16, 2020. The cruise is offered in partnership with Expedia CruiseShipsCenters and AmaWaterways and includes exclusive wine dinners, tastings and seminars led by Paul Wagner, the festival's 2018 keynote speaker and seminar leader in 2019 and 2020.

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Jessica Kirby

Jessica Kirby