"France" and "Bubbly" for the 36th Annual VIWF

From the VIWF PR feed...

Vancouver, BC, March 27, 2013 – Canada’s premier wine show wrapped up March 3, ending its 35th year by announcing France as the theme for 2014. Next year, flutes are raised to Bubbly as the global focus. Oenophiles eagerly anticipate sips of the world’s finest sparkling wines, with corks popping from rare bottles and vintages during the effervescent week-long festival. With France in the spotlight, 2014 is certain to be an exceptional year, with a tantalizing selection of tastings, winery dinners, wine minglers, lunches and seminars. The 2014 Vancouver International Wine Festival, presented by The Vancouver Sun, runs February 24 to March 2 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West and fine restaurants and select venues throughout the city.

France is well recognized as a leader in the industry and has produced wine for two and a half millennia. One of the world’s most prolific winemaking nations, France’s nearly two million acres of vineyards yield over 7 billion bottles each year. The country is known for grape-growing regions synonymous with wine, including Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, Rhône and South of France, and is widely admired for its diverse styles. France was last the theme region of the Vancouver International Wine Festival in 2006.
Our take...

So happy to see France return as the theme region as it remains the world wide leader in producing (and hyping) quality wine. We're certainly hoping that as the designated theme region that more producers from Bordeaux and Burgundy decide to attend. Representation from all of France's many wine-producing regions has been minimal in recent years with only Southern Rhone being reasonably well-represented by well-known producers like the Perrin Family.

We're not expecting any Bordeaux first growths or DRC to show up with samples to share, but a reasonable selection of recognizable and unheralded producers from Bordeauxe, Burgundy, Alsace and the Loire Valley would be welcomed by the wine-loving public of Vancouver. We can't wait to learn who will accept the invitation. Keep an eye on http://www.vanwinefest.ca/ for more information over the next 11 months.
 - Liam Carrier