Bodega Tapiz Zolo Torrontes combines crisp acidity with fruit and floral notes.

Once again, come and gone—and so fast. We spend months gearing up for it and then—with the final strains of “Mustang Sally”, played by the inimitable Rueben Gurr’s Stolen Moments echoing down the long concourse of the new Vancouver Convention Centre—on April 25, it was all over for another year: the 32nd annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.

The new venue is great. Somehow things seemed less crowded this year, although the Saturday-night public tasting was as crush-crazy as ever. The theme regions acquitted themselves wonderfully, and the ancillary events were, for the most part, sold-out well ahead of time.

Was it as much of a success as it has been in the past? I imagine so—as I write this, the totals haven’t reached me yet. The festival’s single best event continues to be the Sunday vintners’ brunch. It’s usually the first to sell out—within days of the date being announced and tickets going on sale. I’ll give you a good heads-up for next year’s. Next week, a closer look at some of the delicious food-and-wine matches that were part of the brunch.

Argentina and New Zealand were the big feature regions this year, while rosé was the global focus. Yes, lots of Malbecs, but I hadn’t realized there were so many fine Argentine Torrontés out there—there must have been a dozen or more, and at least five or six were sensational. Yes, lots of Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand too—predictably delightful, virtually all of them. The Pinot Noirs proved a treat, and some of the other varieties and blends—particularly Viognier-based—were fine surprises.

New Zealand had the most wineries on hand: I counted 41. Argentina was next with 36, then California with 21, Australia 20, France 18, B.C. 16, Italy 15, and Chile 13. Portugal sent five, so did South Africa. There were four from Spain and two from Washington state, as well as one each from Ontario, Israel, Mexico, and Oregon.

As always, the on-site LDB store did a land-office business, and most of the wines were available for sale there and then. Some may never come back this way; others could appear in our arcane system of General, Specialty, Spec, and Limited. Nothing for it but to ask.

There were only two wines retailing for under $10 in the room, but quite a few in the $11 to $15 range—mostly from Argentina, where many of the really good values are to be found these days. Get ’em while you can: they’ve got nowhere to go but up, and they will. There were also quite a few wines hovering around the $50 mark, and a couple going right up to $200.

This continues to strike me as something of an imbalance. I well understand that wineries want to showcase some of their superb wines, but I do think more people are looking at the lower end of the spectrum than the higher. Let’s get the cheap wine festival going. Get in touch with me if you’re interested; I’ve got lots of the planning already in place.

Here are a few standouts and personal faves out of Argentina from this year’s tasting room.

Casa Montes Ampakama Syrah Rose 2009
Big and bold, bursting with fruit; a steal at $12.99.

Cavas Del 23 Beviam Tocai 2009
The single Tocai in the entire festival as far as I could determine; good value at $22.50.

Bodega Colome Torrontes 2009
One of those aforementioned excellent Torrontés, gorgeously aromatic and well worth the $19.99 asking price.

Vina Dona Paula Estate Torrontes 2009
Very spicy, with fine acidity. State-of-the-art T, well priced at $17.99.

Bodegas Etchart Cafayate Reserve Torrontes 2009
Another great example of this variety, priced even better at $16.95.

Luigi Bosca Gala 3 Viognier-Chardonnay-Riesling 2007
Probably the most interesting white blend in the room, certainly in the Argentine section. Steep at $26.95, but a major treat for the palate.

Bodegas Salentein El Portillo Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Sturdy, creamy SB with attitude; a bargain at $14.99.

Bodega Tapiz Zolo Torrontes 2009
Beautifully integrated wine bringing fruit, mineral and floral aspects, and crisp acidity together in a handsome package for $16.99.

Trivento Tribu Viognier 2009
Rich, bright, crisp, outstanding food wine; killer value at $9.98.

Xumek Zonda Chardonnay-Viognier 2009
A rich, round, soft, and mellow mix of two outstanding varieties; the $13.99 price is another bargain.

Familia Schroeder Deseado Sparkling Torrontes n/v
First bubble made with the T grape to reach my taste buds; $23.79 means it has plenty of competition from other sparklers, but it is unique and well worth a try.

Now the bad news. None of the above are presently available in B.C., with the exception of the sparkler, which is a specialty listing in the LDB and is represented by Whitehall Agencies. I hope they brought in lots.

Still to come, next week and quite likely the week after that: New Zealand standouts, international favourites, and homegrown surprises.