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The Vancouver Sun's Insider's Guide to the 32th Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival by Anthony Gismondi It is wine week in Vancouver and the country's number one consumer show sporting 61 events is all but sold out.
The Vancouver Sun's Insider's Guide to the 32th Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival
by Anthony Gismondi
It is wine week in Vancouver and the country's number one consumer show sporting 61 events is all but sold out. The week-long grape bash remains as popular as ever which is aptly demonstrated by the arrival of 197 winery principals from around the world that are expected to pour some 800 different wines inside the international tasting room.
For the first time in 32 years the festival will boast two underlying country themes: Argentina and New Zealand. I suppose it helps to be New World wine producers where tradition seldom gets in the way of practicality. Perhaps more to the point it would appear New Zealand and Argentina tend to see themselves competing globally in a complementary manner as oppose to an antagonistic one.
It helps that New Zealand's sauvignon blanc and Argentina's malbec have little in common other than legions of fans. That said it may come down to what the countries do not have in common that will turn heads inside the tasting room. Could the real jewel in New Zealand's crown be pinot noir? Might cabernet sauvignon or torrontés from Mendoza finally grab a toehold among west coast consumers? All are dreadfully under represented by a listing policy that appears to favour old brands and suppliers already ensconced within the system rather than the latest and brightest hoping to break through onto local shelves.
That's what makes this festival so vital. For one week consumers and producers have a chance to interact directly and hopefully put a bit of pressure on our antiquated listing system to get some new wines into British Columbia. I know this, without the past three decades of missionary work at the festival Vancouver would be little more than a wine backwater.
Today we prepare you for your trip to the International Tasting Room inside the magnificent, new Trade and Convention Centre West. You can't have a serious event without some big names attending (see our list of principals) and many of the biggest are here this week. Getting to meet big names at consumer wine shows rarely occurs in the modern wine world so don't miss the opportunity get all those questions you have answered. And if you are heading to wine country use your precious one-on-one time to find out where to stay or eat and or organize a visit to the winery.
The reason the festival works well on so many levels is thanks to an incredible volunteer base. All those wines, and water jugs and spit buckets do not just appear, nor do they get dumped and replenished by themselves. The Playhouse has an army of volunteers who are so efficient you seldom notice the constant swapping that leave the tables on perfect condition all night long for each of the 3000 tasters.
Finally the 2010 tasting room will be split in three. Argentina and New Zealand will have their sections along with on-site BC Liquor store, while the rest of the wine world will be spread across the huge ballroom in alphabetical order. We can only scratch the surface with our 'Insider's Guide'. Let it be the start of your game plan and whatever you do make sure you have an even better game plan to get home safely. Do not drink and drive.
There are still a handful of tickets left to assorted events. For the latest availability log onto www.playhousewinefest.com or call 604-873-3311. If you're still looking for tickets to the evening tastings, your only option is to join the queue at 6:30 each night at the on-site ticket kiosk at the Vancouver Convention Centre, West, 1055 Canada Place April 22, 23, and 24. There is a limit of two tickets per person. If you need any more help, I'll see you inside the tasting room.
AT THE CUTTING EDGE: There is an annual titanic struggle at the Playhouse to get new wines into the mix. If the committee gets it right there should be plenty of new discoveries for the curious. It's always best to get off the beaten track and to experience new taste sensations. Your reward may also include shorter line-ups.
Boutinot La Côte Sauvage, Cairanne, Côtes du Rhône Villages $33
(Chéreau Carré) Chateau Le Chasseloir Muscadet 2008, Loire Valley France $20
Bodegas Etchart Cafayate Reserve Torrontés, Salta Argentina $17
Falesco Vitiano Rosso 2007, Umbria, Italy $19
Golan Heights Yarden Mount Hermon Red 2007, Galilee, Israel $22
Hope Family Treana Red, Paso Robles, California USA $56
Jacob's Creek Steingarten Riesling 2007, Eden Valley, South Australia $35
L.A. Cetto Nebbiolo Reserve 2004, Baja California, Mexico $14
Pertaringa Verdelho 2008, South Australia $20
Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series 2 Bench White 2008, Okanagan Valley, BC $23
Torres Salmos Priorat 2006, Priorato, Catalunya, Spain $39
(Saven) Quinta da Touquinheiras Alvarinho 2008, Vinho Verde, Portugal $30
Seghesio Cortina 2007, Sonoma County California USA $48
RIFFING ON ROSÉ: Rosé is the festival's global theme and it meshes perfectly with the end of April as spring begins to shift toward summer on the west coast. Al fresco dining and warm nights make the modern pink the ultimate party starter.
(Boutinot) Chat En Oeuf Rose 2008, Languedoc, France $14
Chapoutier Tavel Rosé, Rhône Valley France $25
Gray Monk Rotberger Rosé, Okanagan Valley 2008 $16
Lanson Brut Rosé, Champagne, France $60
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose N/V, Champagne, France $70
Sandalford Margaret River Range Rosé, Western Australia $20
(Taylor Fladgate) Croft Pink N/V Rosé Port, Douro Valley, Portugal $24
Champagne de Venoge Rosé Brut Reserve $77
A MULTITUDE OF MALBEC: If you are a malbec fan there are plenty to choose from this year so taste early and taste often. Note the sleeper from British Columbia.
Catena Zapata Alta Malbec 2006, Mendoza, Argentina $54
CedarCreek Platinum Malbec 2007, Okanagan Valley, BC $55
Vina Cobos Bramare Malbec 2007 Luján De Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina $43
Bodegas Escorihuela Presidents Blend Malbec 2006, Mendoza, Argentina $43
Punto Final Malbec Reserva 2007, Mendoza, Argentina $43
Finca Flichman Gestos Malbec 2008, Mendoza, Argentina $20
O. Fournier Alfa Crux Malbec 2006, Mendoza, Argentina $45
Mi Terruno Mayacaba Malbec 2008, Mendoza, Argentina $46
Terrazas de los Andes Afincado Malbec Las Compuertas Vineyard 2006, Mendoza, Argentina $64
Trapiche Malbec Single Vineyard Vina Venturin 2006, Mendoza, Argentina $45
Bodega Vistalba Tomero Gran Reserve Malbec 2006, Mendoza, Argentina $60
BEST PINOT NOIR - Kiwi producers are on a mission to take their place among the world's best pinot noir producers thanks to a delicious factor and a price/quality ratio that simply screams drink me. Here's a list of some of the best at the show.
Ara Composite Pinot Noir 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand $25
Ata Rangi Crimson Pinot Noir 2008, Martinborough, New Zealand$28
(Ata Rangi) Paddy Borthwick Pinot Noir 2008, Wairarapa, New Zealand $35
(Chard Farms) Rabbit Ranch Pinot Noir 2007, Central Otago, New Zealand $25
Soultaker Pinot Noir 2006, Central Otago, New Zealand $36
Matua Valley Shingle Peak Pinot Noir 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand $20
Moncellier Pinot Noir 2008, Central Otago, New Zealand $35
Mudhouse Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand $23
Nautilus Pinot Noir 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand $30
Sacred Hill Prospector Pinot Noir 2006, Central Otago, New Zealand $50
Spy Valley Pinot Noir 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand $27
Staete Landt Estate Grown Pinot Noir 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand $40
Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2007, Central Otago, New Zealand $40
Waitiri Creek Drummer Pinot Noir 2008, Central Otago, New Zealand $29
(Wither Hills) Shepherd's Ridge Pinot Noir 2007, Marlborough, New Zealand $30
Wollaston Pinot Noir 2006, Nelson, New Zealand $24
Yealands Estate Pinot Noir 2009, Awatere Valley, New Zealand $20
LOCAL HEROES: I suspect local producers will be riding high after the Canadian showing at the Olympics. Here's a selection from what is appears to be one of the smaller contingents to be invited in years.
Averill Creek Pinot Noir 2007, Vancouver Island $28
CedarCreek Estate Ehrenfelser 2009, Okanagan Valley $19
Herder Pinot Gris, Similkameen Valley, $17
Mission Hill Compendium 2006, Okanagan Valley $00
Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2007, Okanagan Valley, $40
Poplar Grove Legacy 2006, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley $50.00
Quails' Gate Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay 2008, Okanagan Valley $30
Sandhill Pinot Gris 2009, Okanagan Valley $19
PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING TO SAY: After 31 years it's clear to me that the success of the Playhouse festival has everything to do with its roster of attending principals. Be sure to ask for the winery principal as you taste at the booth and start asking all those questions you've been saving up.
Gilles de la Bassetiére of Champagne De Venoge is a fountain of champagne knowledge and a big festival fan. He's pouring a lineup of bubble that befits his title: Président Directeur Géneral. Make sure you taste all of them.
Daniel Castaño returns to wave the monastrell flag of Murcia and Yecla, Spain and Bodegas Castaño. Bright engaging and making fabulously good value reds he is a voice of price reason in world of over inflated wine prices.
Sir George Fistonich owner/ founder of Villa Maria is the first ever in the business to be acknowledged for service to the New Zealand wine industry. When you meet Sir George you will understand why his wines over deliver for the price.
Spaniard José Manuel Ortega has made a very successful transition from Goldman Sachs investment banker in New York to Mendoza man. The O. Fournier proprietor is a globetrotter making wine in Argentina, Chile and Spain.
I suggested to actor Sam Neill he would be able to attend the festival without being totally mobbed, help me out here. The Kiwi producer who owns Two Paddocks is of course known for his numerous starring roles in the likes of Dead Calm, Hunt For Red October, The Piano and Jurassic Park. Try the pinot noirs and try not to ask for any autographs.
Sergio Zingarelli is the son of the late Italo Zingarelli, a highly-acclaimed film producer who established the Rocca delle Macìe property in Castellina in Chianti in 1973. Under Sergio's direction Rocca delle Macìe has become a star among the great Tuscan estates.
Argentine winemaker Daniel Pi has been turning around the good ship Trapiche since 2002 and slowly but surely the wayward brand is moving back on track. Pi is working with some of the finest single vineyards in Mendoza to reveal the soul of malbec.
Peter Yealands dreams big. His Awatere project on the edge of the sea spans some 1000 hectares and he one of a handful in the world to achieve carboNZerocertTM certification for his winery. Yealands is the first to have measured and offset all greenhouse gas emissions since day one. If you are going green a stop here is a must.
THE HIGHEST PRICED JUICE IN THE ROOM: It is always considered poor form to booth hop tasting only the most expensive wines in the room but it never hurts to know where they are. Our advice: stay cool, chat up the principal and taste all the wines at the table -- preferably in the order the winery suggests.
Damilano Barolo Cannubi 2005, Piedmont, Italy $90
Errazuriz Kai 2006, Aconcagua Valley, Chile $90
(Hope Family) Austin Hope Syrah 2005, Paso Robles, California USA $65
(Perrin) Chateau Beaucastel 2007Châteauneuf-Du-Pape Rouge 2007, Rhône Valley, France $92
Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2006, Burgundy, France $140
Penfolds RWT (Red Wine Trial) 2006, South Australia $140
Rinaldi Maior Amarone della Valpolicella 2001, Vento Italy $124
Wolf Blass Cabernet Shiraz, South Australia $100
BEST BOOTHS AT THE FESTIVAL: The Sun best booths picks (at least on paper) tends to cause a line-up in the room but it's usually worth the wait. Our selection is based on experience with the winery, the quality of the wines and the principal attending. Here's our 2010 picks along with a super pick from the winery's top-rated line-up.
Antinori Estates, Tuscany Italy: Guado Al Tasso Bolgheri 2006 $94
Bürgerspital Estate Wurzburg, Germany: Würzburger Abtsleite Rieslaner Beerenauslese 2006 $83
Catena Zapata, Mendoza, Argentina: Alta Malbec 2006 $54
Vina Cobos, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina: Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, $40
O. Fournier, Uco Valley, Mendoza Valley, Argentina: Alfa Crux Malbec 2006 $45
Gunderloch, Rheinhessen, Germany: Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Spatlese 2008 $54
Négociants Australia, Barossa Valley, Australia: Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling 2003 $33
Panther Creek, Willamette Valley, Oregon: Freedom Hill Pinot Noir 2006, Oregon $69
Perrin Fils, Rhone Valley, France: Gigondas La Gille 2007 $35
Signorello, Napa Valley, California: Seta 2008 $43
A PERFECT CASE FOR COLLECTORS: Just about every wine poured at the festival is available for sale at the on-site BC Liquor Store including many limited-release specialties, not likely to be sold anywhere in the province. Be prepared to strike early on Thursday, April 22 as soon as the on-site store opens.
O Fournier Alpha Crux Malbec 2006, Mendoza, Argentina $45
(Perrin & Fils) Chateau Beaucastel Châteauneuf Du Pape 2007, Rhone Valley $92
M Chapoutier Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Bernardine 2007, Rhone Valley France $50
(Santa Margherita) Cà del Bosco Cuvee Prestige Franciacorta $50
Terrazas de Los Andes Afincado Malbec Las Compuertas 2006, Mendoza Argentina $64
Bodega Vistalba Tomero Gran Reserve Malbec 2006, Mendoza Argentina $60
(Ata Rangi) Paddy Borthwick Pinot Noir 2008, Wairarapa, New Zealand $35
Panther Creek 20th Anniversary Pinot Noir 2006, Oregon $69
Seghesio Home Ranch 2008, Sonoma County California $50
Trapiche Malbec Single Vineyard Vina Venturin 2006, La Consulta Mendoza, Argentina $45
Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2008, Central Otago, New Zealand $40
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Pinot Noir 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand $66
WHERE TO EAT BEFORE AND AFTER THE SHOW: Vancouver's wine restaurants are well known to visiting principals and they will busy all week. If you want to rub shoulders with the wine mob check out any of the following before or after the tasting room closes.
Aqua Riva, 200 Granville Street (604) 683-5599
Blue Water Café, 1095 Hamilton Street (604) 688-8078
Boneta, 1 West Cordova, Gastown, (604) 684-1844
Bao Bei, 163 Keefer Street, (604) 688-0876
Cactus Club, 588 Burrard Street (604) 682-0933
Chambar, 562 Beatty Street (604) 879-7119
Coast, 1054 Alberni Street (604) 685-5010
Cobre, 52 Powell Street (604) 669-2396
CinCin Restaurant & Bar, 1154 Robson Street (604) 688-7338
Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill, 1133 Hamilton Street (604) 688-7466
Earl's (Hornby) 905 Hornby Street (604) 682-6700
Five Sails (Pan Pacific Hotel) 410- 999 Canada Place (604) 844-2855
Hapa Izakaya, 1479 Robson (604) 689-4272
Imperial Chinese Seafood, 355 Burrard Street (604) 688-8191
Italian Kitchen, 1037 Alberni Street (604) 687-2858
Joey, 820 Burrard Street (604) 683-5639
Judas Goat Taburna, Blood Alley Gastown (604) 604-681-5090
L'Altro Buca, 1906 Haro Street (604) 683-6912
Market by Jean-Georges, (Shangri-La Hotel) 1128 West Georgia (604) 695-1115
Oru (Fairmont Pacific Rim), 604 695-5500
Salt Tasting Room, Blood Alley Gastown (604) 633-1912
Shore Club, 688 Dunsmuir Street (604) 899-4400
