Alois @ Vancouver International Wine Festival

The Vancouver International Wine Festival, Canada’s premier food & wine event, has three mandates: to provide an informative, educational and entertaining wine experience for public and trade; to be a premier marketing opportunity for the wine industry and festival partners; and to raise funds for the Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. The 2024 festival is scheduled for February 24-March 3.

VanWineFest is Canada’s premier wine show and widely considered to be the best wine event in North America. With ~18,000 admissions and at 45 years of age, it is one of the biggest and oldest wine events in the world. Its slogan is “The Wine World is Here”. It has been voted the “#1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada” for eight years running by New York’s BizBash. Trade Days, which runs February 28-March 1 in 2024, comprises 9 of the festival’s 42 events.

The heart of the festival is the Tasting Room, where the public can choose from ~800 wines at four International Festival Tastings, and industry professionals can sample those at two Trade Tastings. There are ~30 special events that orbit the tasting room (seminars, vintage tastings, winery dinners, lunches, brunches, wine minglers and more) at which ~550 other wines are served.

The 2023 festival featured 147 wineries from 17 countries. There is a focus on a different region or country every year; the featured region has its own section in the tasting room and offers thematic seminars and food and wine pairings throughout the week. In 2024, the festival will celebrate wines from Italy.

Vancouver International Wine Festival website