Vancouver Wine Festival Wine List Awards . . .

[jamiemaw]

Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival/Vancouver Magazine

Wine List and Sommelier of the Year Awards

The methodology for judging the Wine List Awards was considerably changed this year. Instead of sifting through countless wine lists, a large panel of expert judges went into the field to adjudicate not just the lists, but the entire wine program including food and wine pairings, staff knowledge, and storage and presentation of wines--right down to the glassware.

Vancouver Magazine partners with the Wine Festival to recognize the award winners editorially and at our annual Restaurant Awards on the 29th of March.

Today at the Festival, in front of 300 industry colleagues, wine consultant David Scholefield, Vancouver Wine Academy’s (and international Sommelier Guild’s) Mark Davidson and I presented the following awards in these categories:

Sommelier of the Year Award

Tom Doughty, C Restaurant

WINE LIST AWARDS

Great Value

Bravo Restaurant & Lounge (Chilliwack), Canadian Mountain Holidays (Banff), Cassis Bistro, Chi’I Restaurant, Ridge Bistro (Maple Ridge), Vintropolis Wine Bar & Bistro, Wild Rice Modern Chinese Cuisisne

Best First Time Entry

Pearl on the Rock (White Rock), Winebar @ Fiction

Gold Glass Awards

All Seasons Cafe (Nelson), Araxi Restaurant and Seafood Bar (Whistler), Arbutus Grille & Wine Bar (Brentwood Bay Lodge), Bearfoot Bistro (Whistler), Blue Water Cafe, C Restaurant, Cin Cin, Cioppino’s and Enoteca, Diva at the Met, Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro (Calgary), Earls, La Terrazza Restaurarant and Lounge, Le Gavroche, Raincity Grill, Sooke Harbour House, Aerie Resort (Malahat), The Fish House in Stanley Park, West

Silver Glass Awards

Aqua Riva, Cobblestone Wine Bar at the Naramat Heritage Inn, CRU, Feenie’s, L’Heritage, Il Terrazzo Ristorante (Victoria), La Masia (Surrey), Lizard Creek Lounge (Fernie), Provence Marinaside, Rimrock Cafe (Whistler), The Ranche (Calgary), The Wildflower at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Vij’s Curry Art

Bronze Glass Awards

Bin 941, Canoe Brew Pub (Victoria), Crowne Plaza Hotel Georgia, Hamilton Street Grill, Hastings House, Joe Fortes, The Cannery, The Five Sails

Honourable Mention

A Kettle of Fish, Chambar, DOC 503 (Sidney), Fleuri, Island Lake Resort (Fernie), Lift, Provence Bistro (Winnipeg), Spinnakers (Victoria), The Keg

Tomato Fresh Food Cafe, Umami, Vista 18 (Victoria)

Edited March 19, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[James Kendal]

Thank you Jamie,

I was dying to know as I could not make it over today for the awards....

Cheers,

[nwyles]

I was informed that I had won an Horourable Mention by Pino as I entered the festival this afternoon at 3:00.

To my surprise, I won a bronze !

I must say that I am very, very pleased. Rumour has it this award comes with a $10,000 cheque ! Where do I pick it up ? I am heading off to Chambar this evening and I could use a couple of bucks as I am hosting for my wife's birthday.

I will place this on my mantle at home, next to the award I won as a six year old in soccer as most improved player.

Congrats to all winners - Sean Sherwood, Len @ C, D. Hawksworth, EatBC, Vikram Vij, Alex@Chi, Kari@ Chambar

Neil

[shelora]

We have dusted off the pom poms and are giving a big Hip Hip Hooray for all the island winners!

And a big French kiss to our far away friends at All Seasons in Nelson - Congratulations! We miss you!

[Leonard]

I was informed that I had won an Horourable Mention by Pino as I entered the festival this afternoon at 3:00.

To my surprise, I won a bronze !

I must say that I am very, very pleased. Rumour has it this award comes with a $10,000 cheque ! Where do I pick it up ? I am heading off to Chambar this evening and I could use a couple of bucks as I am hosting for my wife's birthday.

I will place this on my mantle at home, next to the award I won as a six year old in soccer as most improved player.

Congrats to all winners - Sean Sherwood, Len @ C, D. Hawksworth, EatBC, Vikram Vij, Alex@Chi, Kari@ Chambar

Neil

←

Thank you! Tom deserves it. He really eats and breathes wine and food.

Leonard

[jamiemaw]

Thank you Jamie,

I was dying to know as I could not make it over today for the awards....

Cheers,

←

Any comments, James? I thought the swift recognition (Gold glass award) of Earls' new list and service program was particularly interesting.

Edited March 19, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

I thought the inclusion of Earl's in the Gold Category was a bit of a shock, but they've really amped up their list this past year so I get it.

I'm in the dark as far as their education program is concerned.

Pray tell...?

Also, congrats to Rob Scales at Victoria's Il Terrazzo for getting the Silver. His cellar is outstanding.

Vista 18? Now there's a dark horse! I just checked out their wine list and it's excellent, though Deborah might have a bone to pick with their spelling of Zinfandel.

I'm curious, how have island restaurants fared in the past?

[jamiemaw]

I thought the inclusion of Earl's in the Gold Category was a bit of a shock, but they've really amped up their list this past year so I get it.

I'm curious, how have island restaurants fared in the past?

←

Earls hired David Scolefield and Anthony Gismondi to renovate their wine list. They worked closely with Purchasing VP George Piper to get value, accessibility and consistent availability onto their list. I've never asked, but it seems that there's always one person on the floor capable of making good pairing suggestions.

Island restaurants have done quite well in the past (especially Sooke HH), but this year the stretch across the whole province was impressive.