Advance Tickets for Vancouver International Wine Fest on Sale NOW

ADVANCE TICKETS FOR VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL ON SALE NOW
Reduced prices available for International Festival Tasting, Gold Pass and Discover California Pack

November 1, 2012, Vancouver, BC – In time for the holiday gift giving season, the Vancouver International Wine Festival has released select tickets and packages to the 2013 festival. Wine aficionados will have the opportunity to purchase discounted Festival packages and International Festival Tasting tickets in advance of the official ticket release date on January 8, 2013.

2013 will be a very special year for the festival. In addition to being the 35th year of what is now one of North America’s largest wine festivals, this edition also marks the first fundraising year for new charitable partner Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival.

The advance ticket release offers the opportunity to secure access to the wildly popular International Festival Tastings. A unique chance to sip rare bottles and discover new treasures in the company of renowned winery principals, the 2013 Tasting Room will feature 176 wineries, with 63 of these from the Theme Region of California. Advance tickets will also be available to two of the California Theme Region events as part of the Discover California Pack. “On behalf of California Wines, we are thrilled to be the Theme Region of this year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival,” says Rick Slomka, Canadian Director for California Wines. “California wines have increasingly become a preferred lifestyle choice for British Columbians and we take tremendous pride in being part of this vibrant and diverse community. We look forward to a week of fabulous events hosted by many of our premium wineries and exciting vintner personalities.”

For those looking to amplify their wine festival experience, the advance ticket release also offers guests a chance to enjoy VIP treatment with a reduced-price Gold Pass. Gold Pass holders will have exclusive access to the Gold Pass Tasting Lounge, which will offer an assortment of the festival’s premium bottles, delicious appetizers and sommeliers on hand to guide guests through wines from around the world.

Of the advance tickets that will be released, the Gold Passes and Discover California Packs are sure to be the most popular. As well, 1000 advance tickets to the International Festival Tasting Room will also be available. The 2013 festival is expected to entertain and educate over 25,000 thirsty wine enthusiasts and will feature 176 participating wineries from 15 countries pouring 30,000 bottles of wine over 55 events in 7 days.

Tickets for International Festival Tastings and other advance tickets events will be available online at vanwinefest.ca or by phoning 604-873-3311 or toll free at 1-877-321-3121 or in person at the VanWineFest Box Office (305 – 456 West Broadway, Vancouver).

AVAILABLE ADVANCE TICKETS: 

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL TASTINGS 
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Vancouver Convention Centre West

This year’s International Festival Tasting Room will showcase the best wines from around the world with all 176 participating wineries in one room. Centre stage will be the remarkable winemakers from the 2013 Theme Region of California and a wide range of this year’s Global Focus, Chardonnay. Once again, this year’s International Festival Tasting Room will 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 2013 IFT
The Chardonnay Tasting Station will engage connoisseurs and the curious alike with a range of Chardonnays 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 British Columbia, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well as a California Tasting Station, featuring wines from Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Also included in the price of each ticket is the opportunity to shop at the on-site BC Liquor Store where wines from presenting wineries will be available for purchase – a unique and rare opportunity! The BC Liquor Distribution Branch will also help everybody Get Home Safe by providing a complimentary transit ticket to patrons as they leave the Tasting Room.

GOLD PASS
Enjoy VIP treatment with the Festival Gold Pass, which offers incredible access to the festival. Sample an assortment of premium bottles with the helpful guidance of sommeliers, and enjoy some early light bites 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 February 28, and Friday and Saturday entry to the exclusive Gold Pass Tasting Lounge which opens at 5:30 pm (well before the IFT).

Advance pass price     $445 (includes HST and ticket service charges)
Regular pass price      $475 (includes HST and ticket service charges)

DISCOVER CALIFORNIA PACK
Enjoy an afternoon and two evenings of celebrations with the Discover California Pack: the ultimate sipping experience that will take you from two of Yaletown’s vino hotspots – Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar and George Ultra Lounge – to a ballroom in the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Cap your California experience off with a tour through the International Festival Tasting Room on your choice of Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Package includes:

California Cruisin’
Wine Mingler in Yaletown
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
8:30 pm to 11:00 pm
Brix Restaurant and George Ultra Lounge
(Available individually for $59 including HST and ticket service charges)

Savour California Flavour
Saturday Lunch in the Theme Region section of the Tasting Room
Saturday, March 2, 2013
12:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Vancouver Convention Centre West
(Available individually for $99 including HST and ticket service charges)

International Festival Tastings
Also included in the price of the Discover California Pack is an evening session at either the Thursday, Friday or Saturday International Festival Tasting.

Advance pack price $233 (includes HST and ticket service charges)
Save $20 on the total ticket value, only available during advance ticket sales

ABOUT THE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL
Canada’s premier wine show will run from February 25 to March 3, 2013. The festival features 176 participating wineries over a week that sees 55 special events including the Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction, wine seminars, wine minglers, winery dinners, and lunches and brunches at fine restaurants and hotels. The Vancouver International Wine 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.

In 2013 VanWineFest will mark its 35th anniversary of pairing wine, food and the performing arts, with a Theme Region of California Wines and a Global Focus of Chardonnay. Tickets to all public events will be on sale January 8, 2013.

To view this year’s participating wineries visit vanwinefest.ca/page412.htm
For more information about the Vancouver International Wine Festival go to vanwinefest.ca