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Thanks to Alexander Payne's wine-stained, Oscar-nominated movie Sideways, organizers of next week's Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival should probably prepare for a run on pinot noir.
Even though South Africa is the theme region and sauvignon blanc will be the featured grape at the 27th annual festival, Payne's 123-minute romp through Santa Barbara County wine country has done more for pinot noir sales than a century of auctions at the Hospice de Beaune -- the holy grail of pinot events in Burgundy.
The reason is simple. For all his faults, Miles (played by Paul Giamatti) is a believable wine geek. Jack (Thomas Haden Church) likes everything he tastes, and Maya's (Virginia Madsen) passion for wine makes them the quintessential West Coast wine drinkers.
They are savvy tasters but not too serious. Interested, but not to the point of tedium. And when they do get close to going over the top, one of the group brings them back to earth.
It's the same attitude that makes Vancouver such an attractive wine destination, capable of attracting 174 international winery types to town for a week of wine and fun every year.
Sideways captures viewers in a manner few wine publications have, albeit aided by some spectacular scenery. What I liked best about the dark tale are the many parts where wine simply recedes into a matter-of-fact role and literally and figuratively becomes part of the background.
As for all the wine-speak, the sipping, the tasting, the spitting, no one appreciates the banter or the mannerisms more than veteran Vancouverites, who have been doing just that for 26 years at the continent's best consumer wine event.
In fact, I'm betting more and more attendees will be chatting up the winery principals at the booths next week, spurred on by Jack's frequent tasting-room reviews, in which he would say after each proffered wine, "that tastes good to me!"
If you want to know why B.C. is a country mile ahead of the rest of the continent when it comes to understanding wine, it's because we have managed to find room at all of our tastings for both Jack and Miles. Blending knowledge with enthusiasm should be the mantra of the wine world and the sooner it happens, the sooner wine will become part of the fabric of our culture.
Anyone who attends the Playhouse wine fest, which runs from March 14 to 20, has the opportunity to do just that.
Now, if you really want to do the pinot thing, just turn to our annual guide to the tasting room, where I have outlined a number of the top pinots scheduled to be poured -- most of which are available for tasting and buying only on site.
But there's far more to the festival than pinot noir. And while our insider's guide is designed to get you around the room in style, it can only scratch the surface. Let it be the start of your game and then simply add the aforementioned enthusiasm of Sideways to complete your tour.
Whether you are crazy about merlot or monastrell, viognier or riesling, or you want to transport yourself to Adelaide Hills, Casablanca, Santa Ynez, the Okanagan Valley or Central Otago, you can do it all in one night, live at the festival.
Expect the unexpected and keep in mind that whether you taste an old favourite or discover something new, sharing your experience is what wine appreciation is all about. See you inside the tasting room and don't forget to bring today's guide with you.
The festival's tasting room is open March 17, 18 and 19. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at 604-280-3311 or visit the on-site box office at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information on the festival, visit www.playhousewinefest.com.
Scroll Down To:
SIDEWAYS WITH PINOT NOIR
BEST-VALUE WINE IN THE ROOM
BEST OLD WORLD
BEST BOOTHS AT THE FESTIVAL
A PERFECT CASE FOR COLLECTORS
THE HIGHEST-PRICED JUICE IN THE ROOM
LOCAL HEROES - BEST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
SAVVY SAUVIGNON BLANC
TWIST AND SHOUT
HIP, HAPPENIN' BOTTLES
WHERE TO EAT BEFORE OR AFTER THE SHOW
PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING TO SAY...and
Festival DOs and DON'Ts
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SIDEWAYS WITH PINOT NOIR Miles, Jack, Maya and the rest of the pinot gang from the movie Sideways would be in heaven inside the international tasting room, where some two dozen international pinot noirs lurk. Here are some top picks that should get you moving Sideways in the aisles. Babich Wines East Coast 2003, New Zealand, $20 |
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There is a common misconception that best value means inexpensive or, worse, cheap. Best-value wines simply over-deliver for their price, and you can't argue with that. Whether you are browsing the booths at the festival or headed into your local liquor store, the following labels represent outstanding values in their class. Boekenhoutskloof Farm The Wolf Trap 2003, $17 |
BEST-VALUE WINE IN THE ROOM
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BEST OLD WORLD Old World wines have been under fire for more than a decade, but the persistent pushing and prodding of the rest of the world has only firmed up the resolve of Old World producers to reassess their wines and come back stronger than ever. There is plenty of fight left in Europe's vineyards as evidenced by the following Old World stars that should light up the International tasting room. Antinori, Tuscany Italy - Guado al Tasso 2001, Bolgheri, Tuscany, $86 |
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Gunderloch Rheinhessen, Germany: Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Beerenauslese 2000, $126 |
BEST BOOTHS AT THE FESTIVAL
A PERFECT CASE FOR COLLECTORS 
Festival insiders know that each wine poured at the festival must be available for sale at the on-site liquor store. This means several limited-release specialties seldom seen in government liquor stores can be purchased during the festival. Be prepared to strike quickly on Thursday, March 18 as soon as the on-site store opens and look for the following highly collectible labels. Antinori 2001 Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy, $86 |
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THE HIGHEST-PRICED JUICE IN THE ROOM It is considered poor form to taste only the most expensive wines at any booth, but it never hurts to know where they are in the room. My advice is be cool, chat up the principal and taste all the wines at the table -- preferably in the order the winery suggests. But don't miss any of the following. Lingenfelder Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Goldberg 2003, $298 (375mL) |
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LOCAL HEROES - BEST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA B.C. is just one of many regions at the festival, but in 2004, the little region that could topped the $100-million mark in VQA wine sales, thanks to an increase in quality fuelled by its many competitors at the show. Here's a short list of the top local labels expected to be in the tasting room. Blasted Church Vineyards Pinot Gris 2004, $19 |
SAVVY SAUVIGNON BLANC
White is the new red, in my estimation, and that ties in with the underlying varietal grape theme at the festival, namely sauvignon blanc. Don't miss the sauvignon blanc tasting booth manned by Vancouver Wine Academy sommeliers and editorial staff from Wine Access magazine, all pouring sauvignon blanc labels from the many wineries attending the show. Babich Wines 2004 Marlborough, N.Z., $18 |
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TWIST AND SHOUT The taming of the screw-cap is coming whether you like it or not, so why not jump in feet first and check out some of the latest twist-offs in the market, each bearing the fast-opening, easy-care screwcap closure? Bonny Doon Big House Red, California, $20 |
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HIP, HAPPENIN' BOTTLES New wines, new appellations, cool spots, screw caps or anything else out of the ordinary -- there's so much boring wine in this world that we thank those wineries determined to be just a little bit different. Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Riesling, California, $19 |
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PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING TO SAY Rainer Lingenfelder, owner/winemaker of Lingenfelder, is the force of the Pfalz and a worldwide riesling crusader. In the age of post-Chardonnism, Lingenfelder leads the charge worldwide. As usual, his booth will be an oasis of fruit. Ray Signorello Jr., winemaker/owner of Napa Valley-based Signorello Vineyards, owns a home in West Vancouver and divides his time between San Francisco and Vancouver when he's not making some of the finest wine in Napa. Ask about Seta. Erica Crawford, a native of South Africa, sells the wine; husband Kim Crawford makes the wine and Canadian wine giant Vincor owns the winery. Drop by and meet Erica and find out why Kim Crawford is a world wide brand.
Bill Spence, co-founder of Matua Valley Wines, introduced sauvignon blanc to the New Zealand wine community 28 years ago. Drop by here for some illuminating talk about sauvignon and screw caps. Eric Solomon Selections/European Cellars may be new to British Columbia, but Solomon's selections have been lauded by critic Robert Parker Jr., who says the name of Eric Solomon on a bottle of wine is synonymous with high quality. Jackson Estate founder and managing director John Stichbury makes his Vancouver debut this year. Stichbury is the great-grandson of Adam Jackson, who grew bountiful crops of wheat, oats and barley on the rich river silt soils of Marlborough's Wairau Plain. Jackson Estate has been at the forefront of clonal selection and vineyard trellising, and in more recent times was one of the four companies to establish the screwcap initiative in New Zealand. Canonbah Bridge proprietor Shane McLaughlin's family has been producing award-winning Merino sheep since the 1880s. In the early 1990s, Shane pioneered a new Australian wine region, seven hours northwest of Sydney in central New South Wales. The vineyard is chemical free, bio-dynamically maintaining homeostasis. Erica Crawford, a native of South Africa, returns to talk up her husband Kim Crawford's wines, now owned by Canadian wine giant Vincor. Drop by and meet Erica and find out why Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc is world famous. Robert Hill Smith and Jane Ferrari will pack an unbeatable one-two punch at the Yalumba booth. Both are here to talk viognier a grape Yalumba has become famous for worldwide. Daniel Castano is the man behind Spain's Bodegas Castano, the Spanish winery driving much of the growth in Spanish wine in B.C. Drop by the booth and sip the latest reds of Yecla and fine out why monastrell (mourvedre) is a red grape of the future. |
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The duelling Quintas -- do Crasto, do vale Dona Maria and do Vallado -- will be set up side by side to pour some of the most exciting red wines in the room, both dry and fortified complete with conversation from the "Douro Boys," Miguel Roquette and Cristiano Van Zeller.
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BEST RESTAURANT/BAR TO SPOT A WINEMAKER AFTER HOURS Vancouver restaurants are well known to most visiting winery principals and many have late-night reservations to eat after the show. If you want to rub shoulders with the wine mob, here's a list of likely spots to find them hanging out before and after the tasting room closes. Aqua Riva, 200 Granville St., 604-683-5599 Bin 941, 941 Davie St., 604-683-1246 Blue Water Cafe, 1095 Hamilton St., 604-688-8078 Coast, 1257 Hamilton St., 604-685-5010 Chambar Belgian Restaurant, 562 Beatty St., 604-879-7119 Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill, 1133 Hamilton St., 604-688-7466 Cru Restaurant, 1459 West Broadway, 604-677-4111 Elixir/Opus Bar, 350 Davie St., 604-642-0557 Feenie's, 2563 West Broadway, 604-739-7115 The Five Sails Restaurant, (Pan Pacific Hotel) 604-891-2892 Glowbal/Afterglow, 1079 Mainland St., 604-602-0835 Joe Fortes, 777 Thurlow St., 604-669-1940 Memphis Blues Barbeque House, 1465 West Broadway, 604-738-6806 Parkside, 1906 Haro St., 604-683-6912 Rodney's Oyster House, 1228 Hamilton St., 604-609-0080 Shiru-Bay Chopstick Cafe, 1193 Hamilton St., 604-408-9315 Vij's, 1480 West 11th Ave., 604-736-6664 West, 2881 Granville St., 604-738-8938 |
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Festival DOs and DON'Ts Can't decide what to wear inside the tasting room? Fear not, just about everything under the sun goes, which makes people-watching as much a part of the evening as tasting. There is lots of wine being swished about, so if you plan on heading out to eat after the tasting, dark colours could be a smart choice. DO wear comfortable shoes. DON'T forget a pen or pencil to make notes. DO feel free to use the spit buckets located at either end of the tasting booth -- it's a sure sign you are a pro and the only way you can make through the evening. DON'T stand within splash range of the spit buckets -- it's a sure sign you are an amateur. DO take your recharged glass back to the centre of the aisle and let the people lined up behind get through to the front of the booth. DON'T wear any perfume or after-shave lotion into the tasting room. It's tough enough to distinguish the various nuances of each wine without an extra layer of perfume wafting about the room. DO take advantage of the on-site liquor store and have your purchases shipped free of charge to your neighbourhood liquor store for pickup the following week. DON'T even think about driving home. Take advantage of the Free Ride Home program available on site. |
For last-minute tickets to the festival, call Ticketmaster at 604-280-3311, or visit the on-site box office at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre.
