Tickets to the wildly popular Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival are presently on sale and tickets are selling briskly. Marking its 33rd year with Wines from Spain and a Global Focus on Fortified Wine, the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival runs from March 28th to April 3rd, 2011. Arguably one of the most important wine events in North America, this year’s event will bring 177 participating wineries from 15 countries, amounting to more than 1,650 different wines on pour. Expected to entertain some 25,000 oeno-enthusiasts, the Festival will offer seven days of tastings, seminars, and wine focused events hosted at the Vancouver Convention Centre and top Vancouver restaurants and hotels.

THEME REGION: WINES FROM SPAIN

Wines from Spain take centre stage as the Theme Region at the 2011 Playhouse Wine Festival. As the country with the world’s largest area of vine cultivation, Spain has emerged internationally as a producer of an extraordinary range of wines of quality and character. This is your opportunity to explore the regions and varietals and discover great value and exceptional wines.

A TASTE OF THIS YEAR’S SPANISH WINE EVENTS

SPAIN – Everything Under the Sun

Vancouver Art Gallery

750 Hornby Street

Tuesday, April 29th, 8:00pm -10:00pm

$65/$55 each for groups of 8+until February 28

Wines from Spain are in the spotlight at this lively event at the Vancouver Art Gallery’s fully enclosed elegant Rooftop Pavilion. Overlook the bustle of downtown Vancouver as you sip on a varied selection of wines, nibble on Mediterranean-inspired tapas and meet the winemakers behind the bottles that make Spain a global leader.

Vega Sicilia Vertical Tasting

Vancouver Art Gallery

Heritage Courtroom 301

750 Hornby Street

Wednesday, March 30th, 3:30pm – 5:00pm

$325

One of the wine world’s rarest events is here: an opportunity to experience a vertical tasting of wines from Vega Sicilia, Spain’s legendary and world famous winery. Vega Sicilia proprietor Pablo Álvarez will conduct this stellar tasting, which will cover the past five decades and highlight the winery’s iconic Único label. Note: There is a limit of one ticket per order.

Spanish Legend

An Evening with Miguel Torres

Boneta

12 Water Street

Wednesday, March 30th, 7:00pm -10:00pm

$175

Miguel Torres is one of the most important names in Spanish winemaking. Both the man and the wine are synonymous with quality, innovation and lasting legacy. Chef Jeremie Bastien will prepare an exquisite dinner at the acclaimed Boneta Restaurant, paired with a remarkable selection of Torres wines. The true delight of the evening will be your host, the venerable icon himself, Mr. Miguel A. Torres.

Caballeros del Vino

VCC East, meeting room 11

999 Canada Place Way

Friday, April 1st, 5:00pm – 6:45pm

$60

Take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the proprietors, CEOs and Winemakers of 10 of Spain’s iconic wineries. Taste their magnificent wines while getting a glimpse into the driving forces behind the new Spanish wine industry. Participants will include Bodegas Alvear’s Fernando Alvear, Bodegas Hidalgo’s Javier Hidalgo, Iberwine’s Javier Delgado-Aurteneche, Bodegas Piqueras’ Juan Pablo Bonete, Cavas Parés Baltà’s Joan Cusine, Gonzáles Byass’ Felipe González-Gordon, Alvaro Palacios’ Alvaro Palacios, Telmo Rodriguez’ Telmo Rodriguez, Grupo Freixenet’s Pedro Ferrer, and Juan Gil’s Loren Gil. Moderated by Wines from Spain Ambassador Roger Randolph.

GLOBAL FOCUS: FORTIFIED WINE

With this year’s Global Focus on Fortified Wine, you can expect to find a variety of Sherry, Port and Madeira to sample. Guests will find 42 different Fortified Wines in the Tasting Room, produced in a wide variety of styles. For a comprehensive comparative tasting of Fortified Wine from around the world, head directly to the Fortified Wine Tasting Station in the IFT, where experts from the International Sommelier Guild will be your guides.

A TASTE OF THIS YEAR’S FORTIFIED WINE EVENTS

A Whammy of Umami

Pairing Artisanal Spanish

Cheeses with Spain’s

Famed Fortifieds

VCC East, meeting room 11

999 Canada Place Way

Thursday, March 31st, 5:00pm – 6:45pm

$50

Sherry and Montilla are the wines in the spotlight as participants embark on a guided journey to learn the art of pairing these established Fortified Wines with artisanal cheeses of Spain. From the delicate to the intense, taste Spain’s iconic fortifieds and judge for yourself how a perfect synergy of wine and food can enhance the natural, inherent umami of these unique wines and fine cheeses to a whole new mouth-watering level. Presented by Cesar Saldaña, Director General of The Regulating Council of Jerez, and Allison Spurrell, owner of Les Amis du Fromage.

The Fladgate Partnership

VCC East, meeting room 8

999 Canada Place Way

Friday, April 1st, 5:00pm – 6:45pm

$150

The Fladgate Partnership invites you to taste an unparalleled vertical selection of Taylor, Fonseca and Croft vintage ports spanning four decades of the partnership’s history, including the benchmark 1994 vintage. Join chief winemaker David Guimaraens, CEO Adrian Bridge and Anthony Gismondi as they extol the virtuous history of the Douro Valley and the partnership’s wines during this rare and extraordinary seminar.

Tickets to the Playhouse Wine Festival can be purchased online at http://playhousewinefest.com/ or by phoning the Playhouse Box office at 604-873-3311 or toll free at 1-877-321-3121. The full Festival brochure can be viewed online at http://playhousewinefest.com/page220.htm. Follow the Wine Festival on Twitter for up to the minute information on remaining tickets and sold out events: http://twitter.com/PlayhouseWine.