Vancouver International Wine Festival organizer spill the latest

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There aren’t many surprises in store for attendees of the 43rd Vancouver International Wine Festival. It’s an element of the wine celebration that’s perfectly in keeping with the organizers’ plans.

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“We’ve had enough surprises over the past two years — we’re just hoping for a smooth and successful festival,” Harry Hertscheg, the executive director of the festival, says.

Instead, the event, which is set to run May 16-22, will provide a celebration of the province’s wine country contributions — along with a robust sampling of options from international participants. In advance of the event, we caught up with Hertscheg to get the latest updates for what people can expect.

Q: This year’s festival puts Vancouver under the spotlight. Why was it important to organizers to highlight the home city this year? 

A: It’s been a tough two years for everybody, but the hospitality and tourism industries in particular have taken huge hits because of the pandemic. So what we really want to do is make the festival a celebration welcoming people back to the heart of our city, whether they’re coming from across the country, or just over the bridge. And because the festival is in May this year, all of the sessions in the Tasting Room, not to mention our festival closing brunch, Spring Fling, will have a spectacular daylight view across Coal Harbour to the North Shore mountains.

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We also have a long-standing partnership with the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association; we’re encouraging people to make downtown Vancouver their long weekend destination by offering a free ticket to one of the International Festival Tastings if they book a hotel stay through StayVancouverHotels.com.

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Q: The focus is local but there are still several international wineries attending. What more can you share about this? 

A: While our largest representation by region is from B.C., in fact, the majority of wineries are still international. We have wineries participating from 14 countries in total, including wines from Georgia — the country, not the state — for the first time ever at the festival. And while we haven’t required wineries to send a principal from the winery, many winemakers and owners are still making Vancouver and the festival part of their travel plans. Expect to find many visiting vine stars on seminar panels, hosting dinners, or sharing stories about their wines in the Tasting Room.

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Q: Despite several setbacks due to the pandemic, the festival seems to be coming back strong for this year’s event. What do you anticipate being the biggest highlights?

A: The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, this year presented by National Bank Private Banking 1859, is always a highlight. Five courses, 11 wines, and one of the top wine auctions in Western Canada. It’s a spectacular evening and a vital fundraiser for our charitable partner, Bard on the Beach. My personal highlight, however, will be attending tastings and seminars in person again, getting to talk to our principals and winery representatives about their wines face to face, and seeing people reconnect through their shared love of wine.

Q: How, if at all, will attendees notice differences at this year’s events? Or is it going to be business as usual? 

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A: For many of our events, such as the winery dinners and seminars, it will be business as usual. But because we made our plans anticipating that there might still be capacity restrictions in place, the International Festival Tastings will have half the number of people in the same space. We’ve also spaced out the winery tables a bit more, so this year there won’t be the same crush of people elbowing in to get a taste of wine. That means more breathing room, more comfort, and more opportunities to learn more about the wines at the tables by talking to the experts. All of the wines offered at the winery tables are available for purchase at the on-site B.C. Liquor store, so if you taste something you love, you can bottle check it at the store and then take home your purchases at the end of the afternoon or evening. Though if you live in B.C., your wine can also be shipped free of charge to your nearest B.C. Liquor store.

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Q: What do you hope attendees and participants take away from this year’s wine festival? 

A: The first thing we hope they’ll take away is a free Compass ticket from the Get Home Safe table in the on-site B.C. Liquor store! We always want to make sure our attendees have a safe option to get home. Our mandate is to provide an informative, educational and entertaining wine experience for public and trade; be a premier marketing opportunity for the wine industry and festival partners; and raise funds for the Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. So above all, I hope that attendees will discover new wines and wineries, add some special bottles to their cellars or wine lists, and have a fantastic time, all while helping us raise funds for one of Vancouver’s most beloved theatre companies.

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Q: Lastly, what can wine lovers look forward to for next year? 

A: We’ve only just started making plans for 2023 — but what we know is that the wine world will be back in Vancouver again, eager to showcase the fermented fruits of their labours.

Aharris@postmedia.com