The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival runs from April 19-25.
Now in its 32nd year, this annual fundraiser for the Playhouse Theatre gives Vancouverites the opportunity to sample an enormous selection of the world's leading wines. This year, the featured wine-producing regions are New Zealand and Argentina, and there's a global focus on rosé.
Check out the events calendar and ticket availability and book online.
For our experts' guide, we asked a selection of visiting winemakers from around the world to tell us how they became involved in wine. Their thoughts will feature in our daily Tasting Notes series.
We also asked local wine professionals and sommeliers to give us the lowdown on what they will be seeking out in the festival tasting room - as well as their top tips for the best bottle of wine under $20 currently available at the BC Liquor Stores - for our daily On the Grapevine feature.
TASTING NOTES
Sonja Christ is the 61st German Wine Queen - crowned at the end of a gruelling annual competition to find the entrant with the deepest knowledge of German wines. The daughter of a wine-grower from Oberfell (Mosel), Chriis is currently managing wine reviews for a German wine magazine.— Handout/ The Globe and Mail
1. When and how did wine become a big part of your life?
Wine has always been a big part of my family’s life. My parents own a small vineyard in the Mosel region. When I started to drink wine I got more interested in everything that has to with wine growing and I try to pass this passion and knowledge on to guests who come to visit our region.
2. What do you look for in a wine?
Complexity, characteristics of the grape variety and a balance between fruit, acidity and residual sugar.
3. There are many myths around wine-drinking. Which one annoys you most?
I’m surprised to meet a lot of people who think that German wine is always sweet. In fact, most of our wines are dry or semi-dry and they are fantastic.
4. What is the one thing you would do to change wine or winemaking?
Universal labelling with tasting notes for all wine bottles. That way consumers will know what they're buying and what to expect from the wines.
5. it’s your last supper. Choose the location, the meal and what’s in your glass.
It is a bit weird to think about my last supper, but as a location I would choose a table at the top end of our vineyard where there is an amazing view onto the Mosel river and my home town Oberfell. Along with pasta in a creamy sauce with salmon I’d definitely drink a dry German Riesling.
ON THE GRAPEVINE
Kurtis Kolt was awarded the Sommelier of the Year Award at the 2010 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. He is the General Manager at Gastown’s Salt Tasting Room and has been in the Vancouver wine and food industry for the better part of two decades. He is a passionate supporter of BC wines, and has been at the forefront of introducing them to Vancouver consumers. He is certified by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, The Wine Academy of Spain and is credited in the Winemaking program at UC Davis. — Handout/ The Globe and Mail
1. What was the last glass of wine you drank?
You know, this sounds quite pedestrian, but it was a bottle of Sebastiani 2007 Carneros Chardonnay. My wife was recently traveling in California wine country and brought home a bottle because she'd expected the wine to bore her when she tried it, but the stuff totally sings with pears, tropical fruit and marzipan!
2. What wine are you most excited to taste at the festival?
I love that New Zealand is a regional focus this year, so if you need to find me, I'll be spending a lot of time trying the Pinot Noirs from the Central Otago area.
3. You're going to a dinner party tonight. You have $20 to spend on a bottle of wine from the BC Liquor Board. What would you buy?
I'm always the guy who likes to go local. Road 13 2009 Honest John's Rosé from Oliver, BC. My favourite pink wine made in BC these days, with a good splash of Riesling in the blend to add a little character. The stuff stands up to France's Tavel-region classics.
Special to The Globe and Mail.
