…the Sapphire Sangaree – a colorful gin cocktail, with fresh berries, reminding me of a sunny day sangria.

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, Canada’s premier wine show, runs from April 19 to 25, 2010. The Playhouse Wine Festival is one of the biggest and oldest wine festival events in the world. The featured theme regions for 2010 will be Argentina and New Zealand with the global focus of rosé. The festival features a week of special events including a gala auction, wine seminars, wine minglers, winery dinners, lunches and brunches at fine restaurants and hotels. To purchase tickets online, click here.

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On Sunday March 7, 2010, from 5pm to 10pm, OPUS Bar (350 Davie Street) and Elixir Bistro in Yaletown are celebrating the Oscars in style.

Feel like a celebrity as you walk the Red Carpet, wave to adoring paparazzi and step into the ultimate viewing party! Dress to impress and experience all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood while sipping Oscartini’s, nibbling feature Oscar O-bite platters for $25 and mingling with Vancouver’s glamorous while watching the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

3 course Oscar Dinner available in Elixir Bistro for $30 with optional wine pairings for $20. Also, don’t miss your chance to win a Bed & Breakfast package for two at OPUS Hotel Vancouver, for the person with the most correct Oscar ballot predictions. RSVP to Jessica Dunn JDunn@opushotel.com.

I’m going up to Sunpeaks this weekend for some snowboarding and coincidently, a wine festival! Since you (my reader) are probably not at Sunpeaks if you are reading this right now, I will leave you with a local wine event to check out. Vinter Raimund Pruem of German winery S. A. Prum will be on location at Granville Island Liberty Wine Merchants (1660 Johnston Street) this weekend on Sunday January 17th between 3 and 6pm. More details and a $2-off coupon is below!

…day one of seven, kicks off on a good note.

Earls Restaurant is opening the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. For more information and to purchase tickets ($65), click here.

Les Faux Bourgeois (663 East 15th Avenue) is a dimly lit French restaurant located in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood by Fraser and Kingsway. The restaurant is a partnership between the former co-owners of Jules Bistro in Gastown and Go Fish near Granville Island. I have had my eye on the place before it even opened its doors and I extremely excited to finally visit Les Faux Bourgeois for dinner last night. When we went, the 50-seat restaurant was completely full and bustling, with a few empty seats at the bar. The rustic and relaxed feel to the place makes it unpretentious French dining despite the restaurant’s seeming success. A chalkboard marked the “poisson du jour” and wine glasses were abundant at every table. It was a pleasant surprise to still be seated comfortably with a fair-sized gap between us and the next table. A few tables were left open for walk-in’s and even those were constantly being filled.
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I had previously been turned away for weekend sittings, and have read only positive reviews about Les Faux Bourgeois. Perhaps these two things raised the bar just a bit because I was disappointed by what I ate. The fausse nicoise ($10) was overdressed with vinegariette, while the lamb tenderloin ($18), although tender, was too salty and there was nothing special about the french fries. The bread for the table was cold and hard. Despite all this, I must admit I would still return for another visit. Considering the value, location and atmosphere of the place, it is worth a second shot.
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They are now open on Sundays for dinner, and just recently opened their Cafe side, which serves local organic and fair-trade coffee in the day time.

…”a celebration of local food and drink” with 40+ wineries, 10+ restaurants and 600+ attendees gathering at the Hyatt Regency in support of a charitable cause.

By Guest-writer Alicia Woodside

While waiting to be seated this holiday at Earls, I was pleasantly surprised by an offering of warm, delicious mulled wine. The popular restaurant was using a very unique and appealing way to keep customers pleased during the busy holiday rush. After quickly finishing my mug, I requested Earls’ recipe, which uses a simple and flavourful array of ingredients that would please guests at any gathering this winter. Mulled wine is a winter evening delight and a great addition to bring warmth, comfort, and style to any occasion this winter.

Ingredients:

• 2 bottles red wine: A Zinfandel or Merlot (avoid oak-aged wine, and choose a decent bottle- it doesn’t have to be expensive as it is just being heated anyway)
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup cognac
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 10 cracked cardamom pods

Directions:
Heat-up the flavour elements by bringing the two cups water, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods to a boil in a saucepan. Once it boils, lower the heat, and add the wine to the aromatic mixture you have created. Gently heat the wine to a simmer, without allowing it to boil, for anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours. Just before serving, stir in the cognac.

Tips:
For a gathering, continue to steep the wine as guests arrive to welcome them with the amazing fragrance of fruit and spices. Serve in mugs, and keep the wine warm throughout the evening in a thermos, as guests are likely to want more

Inniskillin Wines is proud to be an Official Wine Supplier of The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and invites Canadians to celebrate the Olympic spirit and support Canadian athletes at home. Celebrate the Olympic Spirit with Inniskillin Wines on Monday November 3, 2008 at the BC Liquor Store on Cambie & 39th Avenue from 3pm to 5pm with a special public tasting. Commemorative pins, food samples and autographs available on a first come basis.