Canada

Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival

Excitement is growing about the 2010 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. This year, co-theme regions Argentina and New Zealand will share the spotlight at Canada’s premier wine event.

Excitement is growing about the 2010 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.  This year, co-theme regions Argentina and New Zealand will share the spotlight at Canada’s premier wine event.  On Tuesday, March 2 2010 the VPIWF provided an overview of the Festival for members of the media.

The pairing of Argentina and New Zealand promises to be a bonanza for wine lovers who savour the idea of exploring the differences and similarities in international winemaking.  In excess of 250 wines will be available to sample in the tasting room, brought from the cellars of 36 Argentinean and 40 New Zealand wineries.  More than 40 agencies represent the wineries in Canada.  The Festival will give guests a unique opportunity to meet many winery principals, including winemakers and proprietors, and considering the distances involved (it’s approximately 11,000km from either Auckland or Buenos Aires to Vancouver), it’s an opportunity not to be missed! 

With 225,846 hectares of vineyards and 7 major grape-growing regions, Argentina’s winemaking history extends back to the days of the Spanish conquistadors.  The country’s wine export industry has grown exponentially in recent years.  Wines of Argentina representative Mario Giordiano notes that “Success in international markets is important to us because it is a measure of the quality and value of our wines. We’re excited to be sharing with New Zealand this opportunity to introduce more of our wines to Canadian audiences.” 

New Zealand’s wine industry has also attracted international attention and accolades.  Over 31,000 hectares of vineyards in the country’s 10 winemaking regions offer a huge diversity of climate, terroir and varietals.  While New Zealand is well known for producing benchmark Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, New Zealand winemakers are looking forward to showcasing all of their varietals at the VPIWF.  Philip Gregan, Chief Executive Officer of New Zealand Winegrowers commented that “New Zealand is proud to partner with Argentina to show the exciting wines from two of the world’s most dynamic wine regions.  We invite the attendees at the VPIWF to enjoy our wines, meet our people and make our discoveries their own.”

Wines from New Zealand and Argentina will be showcased at the following VPIWF events:

Winery Dinners

• The Journey is the Reward (New Zealand) Tickets Available
• Lift Your Glass with Babich Wines Tickets Available
• Argentine Terroir Meets Coastal Cuisine (Argentina) SOLD OUT                         
• Mendoza Medley (Argentina) SOLD OUT
• Tango for Your Tastebuds (Argentina) SOLD OUT

Seminars

• Going for Gold (Argentina) Tickets Available
• Passionate About Pinot (New Zealand) Tickets Available

Trade Seminars

• Dare to Compare! Discover the Wines of Argentina and New Zealand (Opening Plenary) Tickets Available
• Argentina’s Malbec:  A Host of Stars in the World of Wine (Argentina) Tickets Available
• Get the Dirt on New Zealand Terroir (New Zealand) Tickets Available

Lunches

• A Celebration of Passion (Shared Argentina and New Zealand) Tickets Available
• 7th Annual Awards Lunch (Shared Argentina and New Zealand) SOLD OUT

Wine & Food Grazing

• Get Uncorked! (Shared Argentina and New Zealand) Tickets Available
• Tiki Tour of New Zealand (New Zealand) SOLD OUT
• Big Sky Party & Grill (Shared Argentina and New Zealand) SOLD OUT
• Curtain Raiser (Shared Argentina and New Zealand) Invitation Only

Media contact:          Wines of Argentina                     www.winesofargentina.org

Dana Lee Harris                   

P- 604-986-3262

Danalee.harris@shaw.ca

Media Contact:         New Zealand Winegrowers                 www.nzwine.com

Robert Ketchin

P -1 888 993 9927

rketchin@ketchin.com