Spirited Industry Professional, Sommelier of the Year, Wine Program Excellence Awards
Vancouver, BC (February 28, 2020) – The Vancouver International Wine Festival announced the 2020 trade competition winners on Friday at Celebrating Excellence: 17th Annual Awards Lunch Featuring France, presented by ContainerWorld. The Celebrating Excellence program is part of the three-day Trade Days Conference; 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 Mark Massicotte, exquisitely matched with a selection of 32 wines from France’s iconic wine regions.
2020 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 15th annual award goes to Dana Lee Harris.
After many years in wine sales and management, Dana Lee Harris started her own consulting business in 2005, bringing her skills and experience in public relations, marketing and event management to organizations in the food and wine industry. She has also volunteered much of her time as a board member of the BC Hospitality Foundation, as a member of the BC chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, and as a fitness instructor of the YMCA. She is currently Executive Director of the BC Hospitality Foundation.
2020 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, Peter Van de Reep, wine director & bar manager, Campagnolo Restaurant, was selected through a hands-on competition organized by the BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. As Sommelier of the Year, Peter receives Delta Air Lines vouchers valued at $2,000 USD from the festival.
Peter Van de Reep is the wine director and bar manager of Upstairs @ Campagnolo and Campagnolo Restaurant. Peter started with the company in 2012 at Campagnolo Roma after working for Elysian Coffee and completing studies in Geology at the University of British Columbia. He is a certified sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is writing his advanced examination with the CMS later this year. He is easily plied with amaro, Champagne and Riesling.
2020 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, Martha McAvity, Iain Philip, and Jason Yamasaki. The top restaurants were awarded Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, or commended with an Honourable Mention. The Wine Program Excellence Awards are sponsored by Vancouver Magazine.
METRO VANCOUVER
Platinum
L’Abattoir
AnnaLena
Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar
Chambar
CinCin Ristorante + Bar
Hawksworth Restaurant
Nightingale
Gold
Captains Room
Le Crocodile
Elisa
Ugly Dumpling
Yuwa Japanese Cuisine – Best Food & Wine Pairing
Silver
Burdock & Co.
dachi
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House
PiDGiN
Savio Volpe
Wildebeest
Bronze
Feast
Forage
Minami Restaurant
Piva Modern Italian
VV Tapas Lounge
Honourable Mention
Chi
WHISTLER
Gold
Il Caminetto
Silver
Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar
Bearfoot Bistro
Bronze
Basalt Wine & Salumeria
VANCOUVER ISLAND
Silver
Agrius Restaurant (Victoria)
The Pacific Restaurant at the Hotel Grand Pacific (Victoria)
Bronze
Alpina Restaurant at the Villa Eyrie Resort (Malahat)
Vis-à-Vis (Victoria)
Honourable Mention
10 Acres The Commons (Victoria)
Bard & Banker (Victoria)
BC COAST
Silver
Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort (Great Bear Rainforest)
ALBERTA
Gold
Vin Room YYC Airport (Calgary)
Bordeaux Wine River Cruise
The celebration of France, as theme country, will extend beyond festival week with a curated seven-night wine river cruise to Bordeaux from April 9-16, 2020. The cruise is offered in partnership with Expedia CruiseShipsCenters and AmaWaterways and includes exclusive wine dinners, tastings and seminars led by Paul Wagner, the festival’s 2018 keynote speaker and seminar leader in 2019 and 2020.
HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Online: VanWineFest.ca 24/7
Phone: 604-873-3311, toll free 1-877-321-3121 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)
In person: 202-162 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)
All ticket prices include wine, food (if a food event), gratuities, taxes and service charge.
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.
Facebook, LinkedIn & Instagram: @VanWineFest
ABOUT TRADE DAYS CONFERENCE
The 13-event Trade Days Conference is the wine business component of the Vancouver International Wine Festival. The media partner is BC Business. 2020 events include masterclasses and seminars sponsored by Gérard Bertrand, Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna, Italian Chamber of Commerce, Wine Growers Canada, British Columbia Wine Institute, Winery Association of Nova Scotia, and Wine & Spirit Education Trust; Principals Welcome Lunch, presented by JF Hillebrand; Celebrating Excellence: 17th Annual Awards Lunch Featuring France, presented by ContainerWorld; and two Trade Tastings, presented by ContainerWorld. Other Trade Days sponsors and partners include Vancouver Magazine, Vancouver Sun, and information technology company ITS Consulting Inc.; as well as 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 42nd edition of pairing wine, food and the performing arts from February 22 to March 1, 2020. The festival features France and is showcasing 162 wineries from 15 countries (including 42 wineries from France) pouring ~1,450 wines at 57 events to a projected 25,000 admissions. The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction opened the festival on Saturday, February 22 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The Trade Days Conference runs Wednesday, February 26 to Friday, February 28. The festival has been named the #1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event in Canada by New York’s BizBash for seven years running and was recently named the Best International Wine Festival – North America by LUX Life Magazine. 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 nearly $9.5 million for the performing arts. Major sponsors are Delta Air Lines and the Vancouver Sun; major industry partners are the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, BC Liquor Stores, and the Import Vintners & Spirits Association. The festival is graciously co-hosted by our participating countries’ consulates and embassies.
ABOUT BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. It is presented on the waterfront in Kitsilano’s Vanier Park, adjacent to Vancouver’s downtown core. The festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas and popular special events in two performance tents every June through September. The 2019 festival drew 103,000 attendees and almost 2 million patrons have experienced Bard since its inception. This year’s festival dates are June 11 to September 26, 2020, and the 31st Season line-up will include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry V, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Paradise Lost by Erin Shields. Bard also offers a range of education programs, including Young Shakespeareans workshops for 8-18 year-olds at its Vanier Park site during the summer, and the Riotous Youth program for 19 to 24-year-olds. During the school term, Bard also offers workshops for educators and youth in schools and community centres throughout BC’s Lower Mainland, as well as at its administrative home, the BMO Theatre Centre (162 West 1st Avenue). Full details and education program information are at bardonthebeach.org.
