Tickets still available for afternoon Grand Tastings

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Times & Transcript Staff

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Back in 1991 George Wybouw, a professor at l'Université de Moncton and a wine enthusiast, opened the doors on the Metro's first World Wine Festival.

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RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

Bill Vance pours a glass of bubbly during the Prestige Tasting of the World Wine and Food Expo.

Starting out in the ballroom of the Brunswick Hotel, the annual festival then moved into the ballroom at the Delta Beausejour Hotel, then took over the ballroom and mezzanine, then the ballroom, hallway and mezzanine -- growing each year until it moved to the larger space at the Moncton Coliseum Agrena Complex.

"We were lucky that, in 2002, the city decided to expand the complex, adding a third wing and making it perfect for our needs," says Bill Vance, the current chairman of Moncton's World Wine and Food Expo.

"I was originally just one of the best customers," laughs Bill. "I've attended every show since it began.

"I got more and more involved as George got me to lead seminars and participate in different aspects of the show. Eventually I was tapped on the shoulder to take over when George was ready to step back," he says.

Bill has been the chairman since 2003 and has been trying to create the best show possible ever since.

Seminars are held throughout the week but the main event remains the Grand Tastings. The four sessions, held Friday and Saturday, offer wine lovers a chance to taste over 370 different wines in one place, along with gourmet food and snacks to tempt your palate.

Each of the four tastings has a different feel to it, and the Friday and Saturday events sold out in record time this year.

"But the truth is that if you have never been to the event, it is the afternoon events that you should be thinking of," says Bill.

The afternoon sessions have a much different feeling, he says. "There are fewer people, and you end up with a very relaxed, mellow, '60s sort of feeling," laughs Bill.

"The wines and the food are the exact same. You have perhaps taken away some of the crowding and anxiety, and it just makes it better for those who are feeling at all intimidated.

"People respond really, really well to this," he says. "You are able to move around easier, you get to ask a question and not feel that you are rushed, and the people pouring the wines have a chance to slow down, present what they have to offer well, and answer questions in a more relaxed manner."

While it may seem obvious, Friday afternoon is the least crowded because many people are still working.

The show is at the point where almost everything they offer is sold out each year. The only two things that do not sell out are the afternoon tastings, and they get closer and closer each year.

"This is the largest event like this in the Maritimes, and we are hosting it in the largest facility of its type in the province," says Bill. "There is speculation that we will move to the casino, or maybe a new convention centre (in the future), but we will have to wait and see what those venues have to offer before making any sort of decision."

Bill is very proud of the fact that the festival set up allows space for people to move; it is not wall to wall, and putting this whole event into a smaller, even if more upscale venue, would mean making it harder to find what you are looking for, and make it seem like a more stressful event.

As it is, there is room for food venues, there is the NB Liqour store that offers most of the wines found on the floor for sale, and there is the relaxed ambience that the expo has become known for.

Bill is the type of person who wants to make the world of wine accessible to the average person. Before taking the course to become a sommelier in 2001, he was simply self-taught through a love of wine.

"Wine is not as difficult as everyone believes," says Bill, "If you like a wine, then it is a great wine."

Last year, over 5,500 people attended expo events. This year it looks like there will be even more.

At the grand tastings, start from what you know and broaden your horizons, suggests Bill. Try out different grapes, different vineyards from the same region or different vintages; and then branch out to something you have never tried before.

"The people in the booths are going to be as helpful as possible," says Bill. "They will pour you samples in the best order to taste them, they will tell you a bit about each one and help you experience them."