Vancouver International Wine Festival 2015 prepares to go big and bold Down Under

Yes, Champagne is always a good idea and there’s nothing quite like sipping rosé in the height of summer, but on cool, dark, damp Vancouver evenings, I love cradling a glass of red wine.

The theme of this year’s Vancouver International Wine Festival comes at just the right time—big and bold, fruity and spicy Syrah (also known as Shiraz), ideal for cozying up with when the weather is miserable.

The 37th annual VIWF takes place February 20 to March 1, and last night (January 12), I had a chance to preview some of the wines that will be poured during festival events.

In addition to a global focus on Syrah/Shiraz, the spotlight country at this year’s festival is Australia. At the media preview, attendees were greeted with a glass of Jansz Premium Cuvée. This wine will be featured at VIWF’s Bacchanalia Gala Dinner and Auction, which benefits the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival.

This was the first time I had sparkling wine from Australia, but apparently cool, temperate Tasmania is gaining a reputation for bubbly. This wine, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, is dry and crisp, with notes of lemon, green apple, and pear.

Australia is well-known for its production of Chardonnay, and festival-goers can expect to see a good representation amongst the 220 Australian wines that will be poured in the International Festival Tasting Room this year. The one pictured by Margaret River-based Evans & Tate has body and creaminess from oak-barrel aging as well as delicate stone-fruit notes that linger in the long finish.

The country also has a good reputation for Riesling, which can be found in the Clare and Eden valleys. At the preview, I enjoyed tasting Pewsey Vale’s Eden Valley Riesling. This 2014 vintage had lively citrus and tropical fruit notes balanced with minerality, and will be one of the wines poured at the Savour Australia party on February 24.

Not all of the wines featured at VIWF are from Australia or made from Syrah/Shiraz. Trade events, lunches, and winery dinners will highlight bottles from around the world, including B.C., France, Croatia, Argentina, New Zealand, Chile, and California. The bottle of 2011 Zenato Lugana Riverva (pictured above) is from Italy and made from the country’s most widely-planted white grape, Trebbiano. The Zenato will be poured at a Dine Italia lunch at La Terrazza restaurant during the festival.

Even though the weather was mild on the night of the media preview, I still lingered at the table of Syrah/Shiraz wines. The three bottles (pictured at the top of this blog post) are fine examples of what will be available at VIWF. Painted Rock is from B.C., but the two on the right are from Australia.

The 2012 Shingleback Wines Unedited Shiraz originates from the McLaren Vale, while the 2009 Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz is sourced from multiple regions in Southern Australia, including Clare and Barossa valleys, McLaren Vale, and Adelaide Hills. Both these wines had lush berry and jam flavours balanced with spicy characteristics and high tannins. They will be poured at the Vancouver Convention Centre during events entitled McLaren Vale Scarce Earth and All about Syrah.

For details and tickets to VIWF events, visit the festival’s website.

Below are more photos of wines that were enjoyed at the media preview and will be featured at VIWF.