By Joanna Lee, Modern Mix Vancouver writer

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival is an annual event that attracts some of the largest players and international vintners in the industry. It is a week-long festival where owners, winemakers, and representatives converge from wineries around the world. In its 34th year, this year’s festival featured over 1,700 wines, 181 wineries, 15 countries, and brought over 25,000 attendees from around the world. The festival hosts a trade show, public wine seminars, and events held in conjunction with Vancouver’s top restaurants and hotels. Its most anticipated event is the three-day International Festival Tastings held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, where wines are available for sampling and paired with various foods.

MMV had the opportunity to attend the first night of the International Festival Tasting, where more than 750 wines from 181 wineries and 15 countries were showcased.  This year’s regional theme was a focus on Chile, which is the world’s eighth largest wine producer and the fifth largest exporter. Chile also has some of the largest organic vineyards in the world. 35 Chilean wineries in total were present in one special section of the Tasting Room, where three different types of Chilean wine – Sauvignon Blanc, Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon – were on hand for attendees to sample. Chile’s signature grape variety, Carmenere, was few in the room. However, what one Chilean winemaker noted was that aside from its uniqueness, when the grape is ripe, it can be delicious. Some notables include Concha Y Toro’s Terrunyo 2008 Carmenere, Vina Santa Carolina 2009 Reserva De Familia, and Tamaya 2010 Winemaker’s Selection Carmenere.

Some of the world’s finest and most affordable wines – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, Carmenere – are produced in Chile. Its appeal is its warm climate and proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, which create ideal temperatures conducive for growing grapes. The “vinestars” and more well-known wine proprietors of the country are Eduardo Chadwick, Miguel Torres Jr., and Alvaro Espinoza, all of whom presented at various wine seminars during the week.

The Vancouver International Playhouse Wine Festival is a fundraiser for the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company, and is one of Canada’s best festivals, if not one of the world’s best. Since its inception in 1979, the Festival has raised over $7.5 million to support the theatre company, enabling it to produce over 200 productions and develop outreach and educational programs for the arts community.

The East Van Wine Academy‘s upcoming event at The Waldorf on Tuesday January 10th at 6:30pm, takes you “Around the World in 80 Minutes” event.  Think “Wine 101″ but at breakneck speed, covering all the major countries, wine grapes, how to read labels, food pairing tips and more! Walk away knowing your Bordeaux and Burgundies from your Riojas and Chiantis with dozens of regions to spare.  Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online here.  For more information about the East Van Wine Academy and Modern Mix Vancouver’s Q&A session with event host and producer Kurtis Kolt, click here.

Started by local wine writer and consultant Kurtis Kolt about a year ago, the East Van Wine Academy produces wine-related events “that don’t suck” at The Waldorf Hotel. All events are produced and hosted by Kurtis, who “likes a good time just as much as you do”.  Recently, Modern Mix Vancouver had the opportunity to do a quick Q&A with Kurtis and learn more about his background in wine and his visions and involvement with the East Van Wine Academy.

MMV: How did you develop your expertise in wine and how did you get into wine writing?

Kurtis: I developed my wine knowledge by working my way up through the restaurant industry, from bussing to serving, managing and so on. Along the way I’ve taken courses which helped me grow by leaps and bounds. I’m certified by the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and have credit in the Winemaking department of UC Davis. Most of all it’s been constant tasting, whether at home or trade events. The writing aspect came from being asked here and there for the odd tasting note or recommendation from certain magazines, and finding I really enjoyed that process.

MMV: When did you start the East Van Wine Academy?

Kurtis: About a year ago. I constantly hear from people that they’d love to learn a little more about wine, but don’t want the time or financial commitment of taking a ‘serious’ academic course. I saw a place for fun, casual, educational wine evenings that would help people navigate store shelves or wine lists that where I could impart some solid basics that are totally easy to grasp but generally elusive to the average consumer. My goal is to share my enthusiasm of wine while breaking down those needless hurdles that prevent people from trying new things or increasing their knowledge.

MMV: Why did you choose to focus on East Vancouver?

Kurtis: I’ve worked with the Waldorf Hotel in a few capacities since it relaunched as a creative compound just over a year ago. I love the energy and inspiration that emanates from the place, there’s always so many cool, fun things going on – from art shows and concerts to dinners, film screenings and parties. The place seemed a natural fit to develop this project. I chose the name East Van Wine Academy because I thing it extends the fact that while, yes, there’s an educational side to the evenings and some people see wine as an elitist thing, confidently throwing the words “East Van” in there really illustrates the accessibility of the events for everyone.

MMV: What kind of crowd usually comes out to your East Van Wine Academy events?

Kurtis: I love the crowd that show up to East Van Wine Academy events. The age range stretches from 20 to 50, with hipsters, bikers, foodies, blue collar workers, white collar professionals and everything else you could imagine. Very colourful and dynamic, very East Van!

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The East Van Wine Academy’s next upcoming event is “Around the World in 80 Minutes” on Tuesday January 10th at The Waldorf Hotel.  Tickets are $40 and are available online here.

On Thursday July 7th and Friday July 8th, drop by the BC Liquor Store at 39th & Cambie to attend two free tastings of Argentinean wines paired with authentic South American cuisine. Throughout the month, consumers can also enter to win an amazing prize package of two nights accommodation at Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort Hotel and Spa. Held from 3 – 6:30 pm each day, the consumer tastings offer guests samples of top Argentinean wines paired with tasty empanadas from House of Empanadas (1220 Bute Street). The events will also include a sizzling tango dance demonstration.

Has it been a year already??  For the second year in a row, Modern Mix Vancouver was at the exclusive Bombay Sapphire event with Master Mixologist Merlin Griffiths. As you may remember, last year the event took place at a loft at the Shangri-La Hotel. This year, with an equally chic environment, the event was held at a Gastown loft on Cordova Street- the perfect venue for a patio party with summer cocktail pairings and BBQ essentials.  This year, it was officially titled the “inspired entertaining party” and as per the year before, we were served Bombay Sapphire cocktails with the recipes in a press kit to try for ourselves at home.  Out of a group of 30+ media members, I volunteered to help Merlin out with the Sapphire Sangaree – a colorful gin cocktail, with fresh berries, reminding me of a sunny day sangria.  Feel free to browse the gallery at the bottom of this entry for more drink and event photos.

Sapphire Sangaree

Ingredients (Makes 4 cocktails)
4 oz Bombay Sapphire gin
2 oz Ruby Port
2 oz Cointreau Liqueur
3 1/2 oz Lemon slice, seasonal berries and mint leaves for garnish

Method
Into a chilled pitcher, add the lemon juice, orange liqueur and BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and stir to mix. Pour into rocks glasses filled two thirds full with cracked ice and gently drizzle 1/2oz of ruby port over the mixture. Finish the cocktail with a thin shimmering layer of cracked ice and ornament with a lemon slice, seasonal berries and clutch of mint leaves.

Mixology Tip: Cracked Ice
Take a large zip lock bag and fill 3/4 full with ice, and then fold a tea-towel (cloth) around the bag. Take a rolling pin or muddler and firmly, but not furiously, crack the ice with smart firm taps. The ice should reduce to popcorn-sized pieces; this improves dilution, chilling, and appearance for “sip and stir” style drinks.

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.

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.

So far, so good. One of the first events of the 7 day Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival (2009) went smoothly and helped to set the tone for the remainder of the week. Five sample wines each paired with its own respective dish was served to a densely packed, mostly standing-room only crowd, while Earls’ head chef Reuben Major and Inniskillin Okanagan winemaker Sandor Mayer pontificate on the individual samples (Icewine from Tempranillo: A strange mix), the fading elitism of wine (“Wine is about having fun everyday”), and the rising popularity and international respect of BC wines (Not Spain, but close enough).

I am not a wine buff by any means, but it does seem as though they covered a small but good spectrum of different wine varietals and the pairings were excellent. Here is the menu with some quick initial thoughts and commentary I have:

Wine List

• Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Chenin Blanc
  • A particularly sweet tasting wine. Easy to drink.
• Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Malbec
  • Strong and notable for its texture and depth. Seemed to be the most well liked and “deepest” of the selections.
• Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Zinfandel
  • A very easy wine to drink, what one would call a “party wine”.
• Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Marsanne/Rousanne
  • Dry, yet seemed to be more fruit flavored than the Chenin Blanc
• Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Tempranillo Icewine
  • My personal favorite, though it tasted more like grape juice than wine and was extremely sweet. Probably an easy way to get spotted as an unseasoned wine drinker…

Menu

• Scallop & Grapefruit Ceviche paired with the Chenin Blanc
• Sake Brined Salmon paired with Marssanne Rousanne
• Jasmine Tea Duck breast with Quinoa salad paired with Zinfandel
• Shortrib Crostini paired with Malbec
  • Amazing dish, seems to be better paired with the Zinfandel, but the Zin goes well with a lot of things
• Pear & Gouda Tarte Tatin paired with Tempranillo Icewine

Other highlights include the excellent catering from Earl’s own staff, and of course the lovely “Miss Malbec”.

There are still tickets left to be had here should you be so inclined to check out the rest of the week’s festival.