Sip and Savour the Vancouver International Wine Festival This Spring

March 3, 2023

4 min read

Five wine bottles with tags on a white table, some with open tops and a sign in the background.

The 44th annual Vancouver International Wine Festival (VIWF), known as “the largest wine festival in the Americas” and in founded 1979, returns for another eight days of wine-related events and tastings from April 22-30 in benefit of the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival.

Crowd of people inside a modern building with large windows and hanging hot air balloon decorations, attending a California Wines event.

One of Canada’s premiere wine events, VIWF’s mission each year is to provide informative, educational, and entertaining wine experiences for both consumers and trade in addition to showcasing the greater wine industry and raising money for the performing arts in Vancouver.

These forms of wine appreciation can be enjoyed and experienced in several different ways:

Person serving seafood paella with mussels, clams, peas, lemon wedges, and herbs from a large pan.

Wine Pairing Dinners

Enjoy your wine tasting with a full sit-down dinner featuring specially paired dishes and hosted by top-notch restaurants like Carlino, Hawskworth, Five Sails, Hydra, Homer St. Cafe & Bar, Blue Water Cafe, Elisa, CinCin, and more. These dinners provide a full evening of wining and dining together seated with other festival goers.

Notable dinners:

April 24: A Night in Tuscany @ Carlino Restaurant
April 25: Icons of South America @ Five Sails Restaurant
April 26: A Night with Marqués de Riscal @ Homer St. Cafe & Bar
April 26: A Taste of Victory: CedarCreek @ Blue Water Cafe
April 26: La Rioja Alta Dinner @ Elisa Steakhouse

People gathered around a table with bottles and glasses, likely at a wine tasting event in a bright indoor space.

International Festival Tastings

Get ready for the big multi-night tasting event. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night (with an additional Saturday afternoon tasting), hundreds of winos will gather inside the Vancouver Convention Centre to all taste hundreds of different wines together.

The Tasting Room is considered the heart of the festival for its breadth, variety, and the sheer volume of wines from around the world.

Person pouring red wine into a uniquely curved glass decanter on a table with a blurred wine-themed background.

Wine Seminars

Sip and learn at the same time by attending one of VIWF’s many wine seminars about different wine-specific topics led by some of the world’s most renowned wine experts.

Are you a wine newbie or looking to become a know-it-all? Seminars are an easy and fun way to level up your wine knowledge the next time you need to choose a vintage for a special occasion.

Wine glasses displayed on a metal rack at a table in a large event hall with people and booths in the background.

VIWF 2023 Facts

~18,000 admissions (25,000 in 2020; 12,000 in 2022)
17 countries / 152 wineries
35 events / 20 venues
27 public events / 8 trade-only events
~25 participating restaurants, hotels, caterers
~1,150 wines, including:
~825 wines in the Tasting Room
~325 wines at special events (dinners, seminars, etc.)
15,000 bottles poured and/or purchased
Tasting Room size (at VCC East): 39,000 square feet

The wine festival is as always kicked-off and anchored by the annual black-tie Bacchanalia Gala, a spectacular night of wine and food, hosted at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on April 22.

People at a wine tasting event with bottles on tables under hanging lights in a modern building with large windows.

For seven years running, VIWF’s slogan has been “The wine world is here.” This statement continues to forward their mission of wine enjoyment and engagement.

Find full event details by visiting VIWF’s website. Winery dinner tickets are on sale now. Event tickets go on sale March 8 and trade events go on sale March 15.

Vancouver International Wine Festival

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