Written By Guest Writer Libations / Wine News Mar 8, 2012 Playhouse Wine Festival 2012 Trade Competition Award Winners SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter PinterestVancouver Playhouse 2012 Award Winner Luncheon Rick Cluff, host of CBC’s Vancouver’s Early Edition emceed in usual breezy but precise mode, the 9th Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival Awards. Prior to the ceremony, attendees sipped Chilean wines, and savoured South American influenced dishes including cod ceviche, seafood soup, salmon, pork sliders with guacamole, and shockingly good short ribs on a bed of creamiest corn. Here’s a run-down of the awards and winners. Adrien Boisvert from Black + Blue trumped his opponents to win the coveted Puddifoot Award in the seventh annual Art Institute of Vancouver Wine Professional Challenge in which competitors have to rotate around 5 judging stations and speak for 3 minutes on a specified wine-related topic. This year’s first Blind Tasting Challenge three awards went to man-in-the-street Brian Glaum for the consumer award and Leah Gamache of Chambar for culinary professional, Having worked with Lesley Anne Saito (Legacy Liquor Store). it was good to see her diligence and passion pay off with the trade accolade. Armed with barbed wit and banter Boneta’s Neil Ingram and Wine Educator DJ Kearney took over the podium to present Vancouver Magazine-sponsored Wine List Awards. The awards, however, are no joke. According to DJ, a lot of “caffeine and muffins are scarfed down as we spend grueling hours mulling over lists”. Back in 1991 I recall CinCin, the second to open in Top Table Group of restaurants, turned Vancouver’s restaurant wine lists on their grapey heads. Well thought out and well categorized, it pioneered lists toward careful global selections and extensive wine-by-the the glass programs. Twenty-one years later CinCin and other noted TT restaurants still triumph. Blue Water Café and West won platinum, while CinCin and Whistler’s Araxi garnered gold. Hardly surprising were platinum medals granted to Cioppino’s and Hotel Georgia’s Hawksworth whose head sommelier and wine director Terry Threlfall returned from a four-year stint abroad to nail Sommelier Of The Year honours. Other gold (and silver) award winning venues included L’Abbatoir, Cork and Fin, Brix, Nicli Antica Pizza and Edible Canada at the Market. Folks were up on their feet to applaud Richard Carras, this year’s Spirited Industry Professional (SIP). Via video, friends and colleagues praised Rick’s thorough professionalism. But it is Rick’s reputation for watching the other guy’s back for what I think, clinched his award. A key founder of the BC Hospitality Foundation, formed in 2006, (bchospitalityfoundation.com) Rick came to the aid of long-time wine agent and friend Michael Willingham, who had suffered a massive stroke. Through a major fundraiser, and other avenues, the foundation supported Michael’s prohibitive medical expenses. From this first cause was established a trust fund for those in the foodservice, beverage, and hospitality industries who need financial help while coping with severe illness or accident. Rick’s recognition is well overdue and for me was the highlight of the awards lunch. For complete details on award winners go to http://playhousewinefest.com/page395.htm SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Written By: Guest Writer We get many people writing guest articles for us, as well as past contributors. This is the Guest ... Read More You may also like Food Events / Food News September 18, 2019 EAT Buzz Up-Island & Tofino September|October 2019 The Buzz Up-Island It’s high time for festival season! I anticipate this time of the year all year long when fresh produce is in abundance, ... Read More Food Events / Food News July 3, 2019 EAT Buzz Up-island & Tofino July|August 2019 The Buzz Up-island July 2019 “First we EAT, then we do everything else”(M.K.Fisher) – at least I do anyway. Never short of ... Read More Events / Food News / Places June 27, 2019 City EATS July|August 2019 Summertime means eating al fresco, whether on one of our city’s many lovely outdoor patios or packing a picnic and heading to a park or ... Read More Events / Food News / Places May 3, 2019 City EATS May 2019 Summer is on the way! This seems like a good time to remind you about Victoria’s incredible small batch ice cream and frozen treat makers, just in ... Read More Events / Food News / Places May 3, 2019 The Buzz Tofino May 2019 16th Tofino Food & Wine Festival — 20 top chefs, 75 wineries and 21 breweries to indulge on June 7th – 9th. Friday kicks off The Cocktail ... Read More Events / Food News / Places May 3, 2019 The Buzz Up-island May 2019 Living on Vancouver Island is like living in paradise; however, I think Mother Nature is possibly going to test our resilience this season with ... Read More Comments are closed.
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