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The last Vancouver International Wine Festival event that we attended was the popular 25 Under $25. It’s one of the last events of the festival and in my mind, it’s a great event for first-timers or wine beginners. Tickets were priced reasonably and you get to try 25 wines that are generally priced under $25, a price point that would be affordable to most, if not all, of us wine drinkers.

The following is the list of sampled wines grouped by white and red, then sorted by countries in alphabetical order. Most wines should be available at a BC Liquor Store. The listed price (in the event program) is also included for your reference, but it might be different at each wine store. I’ll keep this short and highlight ones that I liked the most. You should know that I’m usually drawn to sweet, fruity whites and full-body reds. You’ll probably notice the same pattern here:

White

• Australia, Jacob’s Creek, Moscato $11.99
• Australia, Pewsey Vale, Eden Valley Riesling $23.99
• Canada, Sandhill, Pinot Blanc $16.99
• Canada, Wild Goose Vineyards and Winery, Mystic River Pinot Blanc $18.00
• Chile, Carmen, Carmen Wave Series Sauvignon Blanc $14.99
• Germany, Weingut St. Urbans-Hof, Old Vines Riesling $22.99
• Italy, Anna Spinato, Prosecco Brut Organic NV $14.95 (Sparkling)
• New Zealand, Giesen Estate Winery, Estate Sauvignon Blanc $17.99
• Spain, Torres, Viña Esmeralda $15.99
• USA, Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma Chardonnay $21.99

Red

• Argentina, Altos Las Hormigas, Malbec Clasico, $17.99
• Australia, Ringbolt, Cabernet Sauvignon $23.99
• Australia, Penfolds, Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvedre $22.99
• Australia, Wakefield Wines, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon $23.99
• Australia, Yalumba, Y Series Shiraz Viognier $18.99
• Canada, CedarCreek Estate Winery, Merlot $19.95
• Canada, Haywire, Syrah $20.90
• Canada, Quails’ Gate Winery, Pinot Noir $24.99
• Chile, Viña Tabalí, Reserva Pinot Noir $19.99
• France, Louis Bernard, Côtes du Rhône Villages $19.99
• Italy, Il Nespoli, Sangiovese Romagna Superiore Riserva DOC $22.99
• South Africa, The Grape Grinder, The Grinder Pinotage $14.99
• Spain, IberWine, Canta Perdices Tempranillo $15.99
• USA, Charles Smith Wines, Boom Boom Syrah $23.99
• USA, Ravenswood, Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel $17.99

In addition to the wine tasting, this event also included a cheese and charcuterie platter. Tip: Make sure to take advantage of this platter! While you’re supposed to sip, swirl and spit, it’s still a lot of alcohol to go through your system within a 1.5 hour time frame. The food will help absorb some of the alcohol.

What great fun this year at the Vancouver International Wine Festival! I’m already counting down to next year’s festival haha! Also check out my event buddy Dianne’s (aka Fabulously Frugal in Vancouver) post on this event.