Vancouver's best-kept restaurant secrets

Directly from the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival Press Release:

PLAYHOUSE WINE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES TRADE COMPETITION AWARD WINNERS

Vancouver, BC, April 24th, 2010 – The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival has announced this year’s trade competition winners. “The trade competitions give the Festival an opportunity to honour and celebrate those professionals who have developed and enhanced the extraordinary wine and food culture of our region,” says Festival Executive Director Harry Hertscheg. Winners were honoured at the 7th Annual Awards Lunch on Friday, April 23rd, 2010. Attendees enjoyed lunch and wines from theme regions Argentina and New Zealand.

SPIRITED INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL (SIP) AWARD

The SIP Award annually honours an individual who has made a significant contribution to the sales, service or promotion of wine in British Columbia. This year, the fifth annual Spirited Industry Professional Award goes to Anthony Gismondi. Gismondi has been writing on wine since 1983 and has been the weekly wine columnist for the Vancouver Sun since 1989. He is also editor-in- chief at Wine Access, co-host of the weekly Best of Food & Wine show on AM650 in Vancouver and the man behind www.gismondionwine.com.

SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The 11th annual Sommelier of the Year Award recognizes outstanding wine knowledge and wine service. This year’s award goes to Kurtis Kolt for his short, thoughtful wine list at Salt Tasting Room, which also took the Platinum Wine List Award. The award is voted on by key members of the industry.

WINE LIST AWARDS

Restaurants in Metro Vancouver, Whistler, Vancouver Island, the Interior and Alberta have all been recognized for creating wine lists that complement their establishment’s unique menu and concept. Candidates who were considered submitted their wine lists and menus and were then visited by judges who reviewed their programs. “These awards are all about a wine program, not a wine list. Having a big wine list is not necessary. Food and wine pairings and staff knowledge is what makes a successful wine program,” says House Wine’s Michelle Bouffard. The Wine List Awards are sponsored by Vancouver Magazine and the Playhouse Wine Festival.

METRO VANCOUVER

Platinum
Blue Water Café + raw bar
Salt Tasting Room
West Restaurant

Gold
C restaurant
CinCin
Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca

Silver

Au Petit Chavignol
Le Crocodile
Cru
Lift Bar Grill View
The Observatory
Provence Marinaside
Rangoli
The Salmon House
Seymour Golf and Country Club
Vij’s
Wine Room at Joey Bentall One
Zest Restaurant

Bronze

Aqua Riva
Diva at the Met
gudrun
Hart House Restaurant
Pearl on the Rock
Shuraku
YEW restaurant & bar

Honourable Mention

Bistrot Bistro
Bravo Restaurant & Lounge (Chilliwack)
Bridges
Honourable Mention continued…
Goldfish Pacific Kitchen
Gramercy Grill
La Terrazza
Ric’s Grill (Chilliwack)

WHISTLER

Silver
Araxi Restaurant + Bar

Honourable Mention

Ric’s Grill
The Wine Room (Fairmont Chateau Whistler)

VANCOUVER ISLAND AND GULF ISLANDS

Silver

The Pacific Restaurant (Victoria)

Bronze

The Landing West Coast Grill (Nanoose Bay)
Nautical Nellies Restaurant (Victoria)
The Restaurant at Painted Boat (MadeiraPark)
SoBo (Tofino)
Veneto (Victoria)
Honourable Mention
eat@galianoinn (Galiano)
Hastings House (Salt Spring)
The Marina Restaurant (Victoria)
Stage Wine Bar (Victoria)

BC INTERIOR

Silver

Cobblestone Restaurant at the Naramata
Heritage Inn (Naramata)

Bronze

All Seasons Café (Nelson)
La Bussola (Kelowna)
Honourable Mention
Emerald Lake Lodge (Field)
Sal’s Prime Steakhouse (Kelowna)
Whitetooth Mountain Bistro (Golden)

ALBERTA

Gold

Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro (Calgary)
Taste (Calgary)

Silver

River Café (Calgary)
Vin Room (Calgary)

Bronze

The Ranche (Calgary)
Honourable Mention
Buffalo Mountain Lodge (Banff)
Cilantro (Calgary)
Deer Lodge (Lake Louise)
Ric’s Grill (Calgary)
Velvet (Calgary)

WINE PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGE

For this award, five distinguished industry professionals each play a different role in testing candidates on technical knowledge and varietal distinctions, flight tasting and customer service. This year’s winner is Sandy Hamilton, former Cannery restaurant sommelier. The Wine Professional Challenge is sponsored by Puddifoot.

QUADY DESSERT COMPETITION

For twenty-two years the Quady Dessert Competition is a test to create a dessert that pairs perfectly with a Quady wine, which this year was Elysium. First place was awarded to Tomiko Mayede from Terminal City Club. Second place was Lisa Ip from VII Lounge, and third place awarded to Whitney Reimer from Lumiere. Top Student award went to Alice Wu from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.