Raising a Glass to our Partners (and $280,000 for Bard)  
 
At the opening night of Much Ado About Nothing last week, the vice-chair of the Vancouver International Wine Festival board, Mark Hicken, and Gala chair, Jana Maclagan, presented Bard on the Beach artistic director Christopher Gaze with a "cheque" for $280,000 - an increase of $45,000 over last year's total! This represents the net proceeds of the 2017 festival, including funds raised through the spectacular Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction.

We are thrilled to support the performing arts in Vancouver through our charitable beneficiary, Bard on the Beach. Funds raised help Bard maintain its high level of artistic standards while keeping it an affordable entertainment option for theatregoers locally, across the country and around the world. They also support Bard's extensive education and community outreach programming.

To learn more about #Bard2017, visit Bard on the Beach. 
O Canada!

Canada celebrates its 150th birthday on July 1, but VanWineFest threw an early party in February. More than 100 wineries from 15 countries joined forces with 76 wineries from British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia to pop the cork on our sesquicentennial. It was particularly thrilling to discover wines from beyond the Rockies and to help forge new connections between the provinces.

Learn more about Canadian wine at #VIWF 2017 here. And visit Wine411.ca for all 700 Canadian wineries and 5,500 wines from coast to coast. For information on rapidly-changing wine shipping laws within Canada, visit WineLaw.ca .


For a listing of Canadian wines available at BC Liquor Stores, click here. Check out our Tasting Room Program to refresh your memory of some favourites.

The unprecedented showing of Canadian wineries at this year's festival would not have been possible without the support of our Canadian wine industry partners. Thank you to the Canadian Vintners Association, British Columbia Wine Institute, the Wine Marketing Association of Ontario and the Winery Association of Nova Scotia, who put on an amazing show in the Tasting Room and at special events throughout the week. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Love for our Sponsors

Sponsors make a huge difference to VIWF, so we'd like to give them some love! And you should too. First and foremost, they help us keep costs - and your ticket prices - down. And they provide goods and services that benefit the festival and festivalgoers. Thank you sponsors! See all 2017 sponsors and partners here.
 
New Website from ITS Consulting
 
You probably noticed that we launched a new and improved website  for 2017. We give a big shout-out to festival sponsor ITS Consulting (motto "Your IT system's best friend"), who redesigned our website, making it more functional, user-friendly and reflective of our brand. If you have a business website, ITS has a special offer for our newsletter recipients, including monthly savings of up to $600, free website audits, free migration for new hosting contracts and more. Charities and non-profits are eligible for a monthly discount on management packages. Learn more about ITS's web services here. To take advantage of these offers, contact Herman le Roux before July 5.
The Vancouver International Wine Festival is supported by hundreds of individuals, companies and organizations.
We couldn't do it without you!
Celebrating our Industry Partners

A festival the size and scope of the Vancouver International Wine Festival would not be possible without the support of our partners in the beverage and hospitality industries. We are grateful for their ongoing dedication and commitment to the festival.

British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB)
One of our key partners is the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, which brought all the wine poured at festival events to Vancouver.

BC Liquor Stores (BCLS) 
 
In addition, all the wines poured at the International Festival Tastings were available at an onsite BC Liquor Store, which offered free bottle check and delivery to the closest BCLS store. And the BCLS makes sure patrons Get Home Safe by offering free transit tickets at each Tasting Room session. The summer edition of Taste Magazine is online now and in stores. 

Import Vintners and Spirits Association (IVSA)

The Import Vintners and Spirits Association represents the local wine agencies who import wine, beer and spirits for British Columbians. Members of the IVSA represent the majority of wineries participating in the festival, making it possible for our visiting vine stars to share their wines with you.

Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS)
We are thrilled to partner with the BC Chapter of CAPS on the Sommelier of the Year Award, recognizing the Best Sommelier in British Columbia, as determined through a comprehensive hands-on competition. This year's winner, Shane Taylor of CinCin, will represent BC in the upcoming Canadian National Sommelier Competition in Vancouver, September 3-5. VIWF will give the national champ $2,000 USD in Delta Air Lines vouchers, valid anywhere that Delta flies in the world - and that includes lots of wine countries.

BC Hospitality Foundation 
 
The BC Hospitality Foundation provides support for individuals within the hospitality community who are coping with a financial crisis arising from a health or medical condition. It also supports the industry's next generation by providing scholarships to students enrolled in hospitality, culinary and wine programmes in BC. If you're in the hospitality industry and require medical or education assistance, you can apply for support here. Congratulations to the winners of the BC Hospitality Foundation 2017 Sommelier Scholarships, announced at VanWineFest's annual awards lunch.      
The onsite BC Liquor Store
BC Hospitality Foundation 2017 Sommelier Scholarship recipients
The links on our Wine Program Excellence Awards webpage will take you directly to the wine lists in many cases. If you're looking for a great place to eat with an amazing wine experience to match, start clicking here!
Our Partners

MAJOR SPONSORS

 


 
CELEBRATING IN


Portugal
2018


Spain
FUNDRAISING


BENEFITING 
 

 
PREMIER SPONSORS  

 


 
  

 
 

 
 
 



Mark Your Calendar

August 28-November 1
Wine Program Excellence applications open
September 2017
Participating wineries announced
November 1-December 15
Advance tickets on sale
December 1
Trade Days Pass on sale
January 10
Public tickets on sale
January 17
Trade Days tickets on sale
February 24
Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction
February 26-March 4
Festival Week
February 28-March 2
Trade Days Conference
Tickets on Sale for #Bard2017

Click on the images below for information about the plays in Bard's 2017 season.
Kevin MacDonald as Benedick & Amber Lewis as Bearice


Charlie Gallant as Proteus & Nadeem Philip as Valentine
Photography & Image Design by David Cooper & Emily Cooper
STAY CONNECTED:
Looking for festival highlights, wine suggestions and the latest festival news? Check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for festival articles, reviews, videos, and photos. Join the conversation at #VIWF. We keep you in the loop all year round.
Vancouver International Wine Festival | Email us   | VanWineFest.ca