Italian wines are so well loved and respected, theyโre almost synonymous with quality.
Whileย many might think of Tuscany and its Chianti with their pasta dishes, or Veneto and itโs proseccoย and amarone, Italy is home to 20 wine regions and around 350 indigenous grape varieties.
For many years, Italy has topped the charts as the worldโs largest producer of wine, with almostย 20 percent of the worldโs bottles – around double that of all the USA, yet the country is only three-ย quarters the length of California. And with a population of only 60 million people, Italians canโtย drink all the wine they make, so nearly half is exported – and Canada is Italyโs 5th largest market!
Whether youโre a fan of Barolo or Brunello, or the wines from Sicily or Sardinia, finding a storeย with a top-notch selection (and the people who can help you find the right bottle) can beย intimidating.
So where do we find the best selections of Italian products in BC?
With many of us staying in and looking for quality wines to drink at home, the Italian Tradeย Commission set out on a quest to find the liquor stores in Western Canada that have the finestย selections of Italian wines, spirits, and liqueurs.
Over 300 beverage importers were asked to nominate the sales staff and their stores, to find outย who is working with a wide variety of Italian wines – not just the well known producers andย regions – and who really embraces what Italian wines have to offer. Then for judging,ย the stores with the most nominations were asked to sum up in a video of less than two minutes, theirย approach to Italian wine, the breadth and depth of their selection (variety of prices, uncommonย wines, appellations, and producers) to encapsulate their passion.
WINNERS
The competition celebrates the very best liquor store selections and sommeliers with a clearย Diamond Award winner, as well as two Gold Award runners up. Weโre delighted to announce theย BC winners:
- Diamond Award: Legacy Liquor Store, 1633 Manitoba St, Vancouver.ย Sommelier: Kady Smith
- Gold Award: Everything Wine, 8570 River District Crossing, Vancouver.ย Sommelier: Jordan Carrier
- Gold Award: Village Taphouse, C1-900 Main Street, Park Royal, West Vancouver.ย Sommeliers: Tyler Dawson and Rich Francis