Reduced prices available for IFT, Gold Pass and Salud Chile Theme Region Pack
On November 22nd the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival will release advance tickets to the 2012 Festival. The tickets will offer wine-savvy consumers an opportunity to purchase discounted Festival packages and International Festival Tasting tickets in advance of the official ticket release date on January 10th, 2012.
The advance ticket release offers an incredible opportunity to access the International Festival Tasting, which will look out to the spectacular backdrop of the mountains of the North Shore for the first time in Festival history. Advance tickets will also be available to two of the Wines of Chile Theme Region events as part of the Salud Chile Pack. Surrounded by sea and mountains, Chile offers an incredible diversity of terroir and a broad range of grape varieties. From crisp Sauvignon Blanc to lush Chardonnay, zippy Riesling or fragrant Viognier, juicy Merlot or classic Cabernet, festival goers will have the opportunity to sample these and many more.
Of the advance tickets that will be released, the Gold Passes and Salud Chile Packs are sure to be the most popular. 1000 advance tickets to the International Festival Tasting Room will also be available for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. The 2012 Festival is expected to entertain and educate over 25,000 thirsty wine enthusiasts to the tune of 181 wineries, 15 countries, 30,000 bottles of wine and 64 events in 7 days.
Tickets will be available by phoning the Festival box office at 604-873-3311 or toll free at 1-877-321-3121 or in person at Playhouse Theatre Box Office (601 Hamilton Street, Vancouver). Internet sales are available for International Festival Tasting events only at www.playhousewinefest.com.
AVAILABLE ADVANCE TICKETS:
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL TASTING
Thursday, March 1st, 2012
Friday, March 2nd, 2012
Saturday, March 3rd, 2012
7:00PM to 10:00PM
Vancouver Convention Centre West
For the first time ever the International Festival Tasting will look out onto the mountains of the North Shore and the Pacific Ocean thanks to the addition of Ballroom D at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Centre stage will be the remarkable winemakers from the 2012 Theme Region of Chile and this year’s Global Focus, Cabernet(s). This year’s International Festival Tasting will once again be organized by country, allowing oenophiles easy access to wines of the world.
Advance ticket price $85 (includes HST and ticket service charges)
Regular ticket price $95 (includes HST and ticket service charges)
Highlights of the 2012 IFT
The Cabernet(s) Wine Tasting Station will engage with connoisseurs and the curious thanks to samplings of various Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet Francs—and blends thereof—from around the world, poured by experts from the International Sommelier Guild. Regional Tasting Stations will take visitors through a series of sommelier-assisted wine flights highlighting the unique regional terroirs of Australia, British Columbia, New Zealand, South Africa, or the South of France. Also included in the price of each ticket is the opportunity to shop at the Festival Tasting on-site BC Liquor Store, where wines from each presenting winery will be available for purchase – a unique and rare opportunity!
GOLD PASS
Enjoy VIP treatment with the Festival Gold Pass, which offers incredible access to the Festival. Sample an assortment of premium bottles thanks to the helpful guidance of sommeliers and enjoy some early light bites in the before hitting the tasting floor. This pass includes three evenings in the International Festival Tasting Room (with priority access), two afternoons at the Trade Tasting sessions where you’ll rub elbows with Vancouver’s top sommeliers and restaurant owners, admission to the exclusive Curtain Raiser VIP reception on March 1st and weekend entry to the exclusive Gold Pass Tasting Lounge which opens at 5:30PM (well before the IFT).
Advance ticket price $425 (includes HST and ticket service charges)
Regular ticket price $460 (includes HST and ticket service charges)
SALUD CHILE PACK
Enjoy an afternoon and two evenings of celebrations with the Salud Chile Pack: a taste and swirl sensation that will take you from the incredible Waldorf Hotel in East Vancouver to a ballroom in the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Cap your Chile experience off with a tour through the International Festival Tasting on your choice of Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Package includes:
Celebrate Chile
Saturday, March 3rd, 2012
12:30PM to 2:30PM
Vancouver Convention Centre West
Wines of Chile has tasked VCC Executive Chef Blair Rasmussen with the seemingly impossible task of creating a Chilean themed menu to pair with more than 70 Chilean wines. Chef Rasmussen will no doubt rise to the challenge and create some amazing synergies between our own Pacific Northwest cuisine and the wonderful flavours of Chilean dishes. Your challenge will be to try and figure out which wine and food pairing you love most!
Taste Chile
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
8:00PM to 10:00PM
The Waldorf Hotel
Kick off the festival with an evening of wine, food and music at the Waldorf Hotel. Let the venue take you back to 1947 while the wines bring you up to speed on what this exciting region has to offer. Despite nearly 500 years of winemaking, Chile’s wine industry is fresh, young, and boldly evolving to meet the needs of today’s consumers. Chilean styled canapés will pair wonderfully with the exceptional wines from more than 20 wineries while the beats of resident DJ El Garzita will set the mood.
International Festival Tasting
Also included in the price of the Salud Chile Theme Region Pack is an evening session in either the Thursday, Friday or Saturday International Festival Tasting.
Advance pack price $219 (includes HST and ticket service charges)
Regular pack price $249 (includes HST and ticket service charges)
ABOUT THE PLAYHOUSE WINE FESTIVAL
The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, Canada’s premier wine show, will run from February 27th to March 4th, 2012. The Playhouse Wine Festival is one of the biggest and oldest wine festival events in the world. In 2012, the Theme Region will be Chile and the Global Focus, Cabernet(s). The Festival features a week of special events including the Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, wine seminars, wine minglers, winery dinners, and lunches and brunches at fine restaurants and hotels. The Playhouse Wine Festival is produced by the Vancouver Playhouse 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 Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company. Since its inception in 1979, the Festival has raised over $7.5 million to enable Western Canada’s leading theatre company to mount 229 productions and develop extensive community outreach and educational programs.
