CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE: VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2024 TRADE COMPETITION WINNERS

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE: VIWF ANNOUNCES 2024 TRADE COMPETITION WINNERS
Spirited Industry Professional, Sommelier of the Year, Wine Program Excellence Awards

The Vancouver International Wine Festival announced the 2024 trade competition winners on Friday, March 1 at Celebrating Excellence: 20th Annual Awards Lunch Featuring Italy, presented by ContainerWorld. The Celebrating Excellence program is part of VIWF Trade Days; the program honours those professionals who contribute to this region’s exceptional wine and food culture. Guests enjoyed a meal prepared by Vancouver Convention Centre executive chef Nandakishore Rangan, exquisitely matched with a selection of 20 wines from Italy.

2024 SPIRITED INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL AWARD
The annual Spirited Industry Professional Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sales, service or promotion of wine in British Columbia. The 17th annual award goes to wine writer Tim Pawsey.

Tim has been covering the food and wine revolution for about 20 kilos. His hallmark is seeking out and recommending value wines from BC and around the world that offer quality at every level. He also scopes out noteworthy restaurants that live up to their promises and often over deliver. Readers depend on his Hired Belly for his “Belly’s Best” and “Belly’s Budget Best” picks to help them find the right wine for the occasion. For several decades, Tim has been a columnist in local newspapers, and he contributes to several other publications, including BCL Taste magazine, Quench, Vitis BC and Montecristo. He is a frequent judge for wine competitions and was a founding judge of the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Wine. Tim is a founding member and a former director of the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation.

2024 SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR
The Sommelier of the Year Award recognizes working sommeliers who consistently demonstrate an outstanding passion for marrying wine with food and a dedication to exceptional service. This year’s winner, Ian Casterton, Key Account Manager, Andrew Peller Limited, was selected through a hands-on competition organized by the BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, held on January 30.

Ian’s love of wine transcends traditional industry roles. During the last 12 spirited years, Ian has worked with import agencies, fine dining restaurants and with a helicopter skiing resort. Currently, he represents Andrew Peller Limited, selling BC wine to Western Canadian restaurant groups. Most importantly, he loves to share his passion for all things vinus to the nerdy, the interested and the thirsty. Ian is presently pursuing the Master of Wine designation.

2024 TERRY THRELFALL SCHOLARSHIP
The Vancouver International Wine Festival is pleased to partner with the BC Hospitality Foundation, the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and the Threlfall family on a scholarship in the name of our beloved friend and colleague, Terry Threlfall, who passed away suddenly in October 2020. The scholarship is awarded to a candidate seeking to make a difference in mentorship and leadership in the British Columbia wine trade. This year’s winner is Dawn Schultz, front of house manager, educator, and consultant at Designer Grapes Consulting.

Dawn has spent more than two decades expanding her knowledge and skills in the food and beverage industry. Over the span of her career, she has gained a broad range of experience – including fine dining training and professional sake making. Her exposure to a wide variety of service and clientele has instilled a passion to learn more about the industry and pass that knowledge on to the public and colleagues.

2024 WINE PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
Celebrating the best food and wine pairings in the business, restaurants throughout British Columbia and Alberta have been recognized for creating wine lists that complement their establishment’s unique menu and concept. Candidates submitted their wine and menu lists, and were then visited by judges who reviewed their programs. The key judges were Tom Doughty, DJ Kearney, William Mulholland, Chris Turyk, and Emily Walker. The top restaurants were awarded Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, or commended with an Honourabe Mention.

METRO VANCOUVER

Platinum
L’Abattoir
AnnaLena
Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar
Elisa
Hawksworth Restaurant
Nightingale Restaurant

Gold
Bar Gobo
Botanist
Burdock & Co
Chambar
CinCin Ristorante + Bar
Dachi
Elephant
Mott 32
Savio Volpe
Yuwa Japanese Cuisine

Silver
Published on Main
Tap Restaurant
Tutto Restaurant & Bar

Bronze
Acquafarina
Forage
The One Sixty
Wildlight Kitchen + Bar

WHISTLER

Gold
Alta Bistro
Bar Oso
Il Caminetto

Silver
Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar

Bronze
Quattro Restaurant Whistler

VANCOUVER ISLAND

Platinum
The Courtney Room

Gold
Marilena Cafe & Wine Bar (Best New Entry)

Silver
The Farmer’s Daughter

Bronze
Boom + Batten

ALBERTA

Gold
RGE RD (Edmonton)
Vin Room YYC Airport (Calgary)

Honourable Mention
Anh and Chi
Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio, Ambleside
Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio, False Creek

Stay in Touch:
For more information, go to VanWineFest.ca
Twitter: follow @VanWineFest for festival announcements, including e-news, media releases, and sold-out events. Join the conversation at #VIWF.
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ABOUT TRADE DAYS
The three-day 9-event Trade Days is the wine business component of the Vancouver International Wine Festival. 2024 events include seminars featuring sponsored by Wines of BCand California Wines; Principals Welcome Lunch, presented by Hillebrand Gori; Celebrating Excellence: 20th Annual Awards Lunch Featuring Italy, presented by ContainerWorld; and two Trade Tastings, presented by ContainerWorld. Other Trade Days sponsors and partners include information technology company ITS Consulting Inc and the participating event wineries. Trade Days extends special thanks to the Import Vintners & Spirits Association, Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, and BC Hospitality Foundation.

ABOUT VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL
Canada’s premier wine show marks its 45th edition of pairing wine, food and the performing arts from February 24-March 3, 2024. The festival is showcasing 147 wineries from 12 countries, featured in 42 events over eight days. The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, presented by National Bank Private Banking 1859, is the main fundraising event of the festival and kicked off the festival on Saturday, February 24 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Trade Days takes place Wednesday, February 28-Friday, March 1. The festival is consistently ranked the #1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada by New York’s BizBash, and was named one of the world’s top 10 wine trade shows by Wine International Association. The festival is produced by the Vancouver International Wine Festival Society, which has three mandates: 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. Since inception in 1979, the festival has raised more than $10 million for the performing arts. Major sponsors are Delta Air Lines and The Vancouver Sun; major industry partners are the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, BCLIQUOR, and the Import Vintners & Spirits Association. The Vancouver International Wine Festival gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.

ABOUT BARD ON THE BEACH
Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals, presented on the waterfront at Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park. The festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas, and popular special events in two performance tents every June through September. Over 2 million patrons have experienced Bard since its inception, growing to annual attendance close to 100,000. This year’s festival dates are June 11 to September 21, 2024, and scheduled plays include Twelfth Night, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors, and Measure for Measure. Bard also offers a range of education programs for learners from eight to 80. Full details and education program information are at bardonthebeach.org.

Media release provided by Ruby Gillett, MILK Creative Communications. Image: Savannah Robinson, Marilena Restaurant and Colin Davidson, the Courtney Room.