Vancouver International Wine Festival, Bard on the Beach team up for virtual wine auction
Rare wines, getaways, and Bard-themed experiences are up for bidding at the Bacchanalia Online Auction to benefit both local fests
Bard on the Beach artistic director Christopher Gaze (left) with Vancouver International Wine Festival executive director Harry Hertscheg.
A HIGHLIGHT OF annual Vancouver International Wine Festival is the Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction. The indulgent evening typically takes place in person, but with the pandemic pouring those plans down the drain for 2021, it’s now happening online.
VanWineFest and Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival are joining forces to present the Bacchanalia Online Auction. All the fine wines are still there, and so are wine- and Bard-related experiences, the event raising crucial funds for both beloved local festivals.
Among the items up for bidding is a rare 15-litre bottle of Champagne Taittinger Brut Reserve (valued at $3,000). Known as a Nebuchadnezzar, this size of bottle is equivalent to 20 standard 750-mL bottles. There’s also a bottle of 1994 Pétrus valued at $4,000.
Private wine-tasting sessions at Vanessa Vineyards and Nk’Mip Cellars, with a two-night stay at Spirit Ridge Resort, will be on the auction block, as will a tasting at Mission Hill Family Estate. There’s a package focused on Bard on the Beach’s extravagant costume collection and another that includes time with the Shakespeare fest’s founder and artistic director, Christopher Gaze.
“The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction has earned a reputation for offering an unparalleled opportunity for wine collectors and serious wine aficionados to stock up their cellars with unique and rare wines,” VIWF executive director Harry Hertscheg said in a release. “Bacchanalia Online aims to keep that valuable experience alive. And it will serve as a vital cornerstone in our efforts to ensure a robust return for both our Festivals.”
The Bacchanalia Online Auction’s virtual catalogue will go live April 25 at IronGateAuctions.com, and bidding takes place between April 27 and May 1.
On April 29, The Vancouver Club is hosting an event called Uncorked!. The virtual tasting experience comes with select wines and foodstuffs pre-delivered to ticket-buyers’ homes, with wine experts animating the online gathering. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Bard on the Beach.
“The in-person Gala and Auction has been a key fundraiser for Bard on the Beach in recent years,” Gaze said. “We are honoured that Bard is the official charitable beneficiary of the Wine Festival and we are incredibly grateful that their team is working with us to sustain their annual financial support, even though their full festival and Gala event couldn’t go ahead this year.”
More information is at VanWineFest and Bard on the Beach.
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