Sommelier Showdown: Vancouver
Celebrate the art of food & wine pairing, through the lens of some of the industries finest wine professionals.
THE EVENT: Two leading Sommeliers compete to pair the perfect wine with each course at a decadent 4-course dinner. You vote to pick the winner, who proceeds to the final showdown.
WHERE: Five Sails Restaurant, on the fourth floor of the Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver.
THE DINNER: Reception with canapés, 4-course dinner, and 9 beautiful wines.
WHEN: Round 1 – February 2, Round 2 – March 9, The Final Showdown – April 6, 2027
$225 per person plus taxes and gratuities
THE SHOWDOWN
The sommelier’s mission is to pair the perfect wine with each of the 4 courses designed by Five Sails Culinary Director Alex Kim. Your mission is to be the judge. Using your smartphone you will vote for whichever wine you felt paired best with the dish. The votes will be tallied, culminating in a winner. The winning Sommelier from each of the first two dinners will proceed to the final showdown.
THE DINNER
At 6 pm we begin with a reception of bubbly and canapés. The 4-course dinner will begin at 6.30 p.m. with introductions to each Sommelier and the Chef. Five Sails is one of the finest restaurants in Vancouver with gorgeous views overlooking the harbour. Come and meet other food and wine lovers at this exceptional celebration of food and wine.
YOU VOTE
Bring your smartphone so you can vote for the best paired wine with each course. Votes are tallied electronically and the results revealed after each course, culminating in a winner.
Vancouver Dates
Stay tuned for Sommelier Showdown in other cities..
Vancouver
February 2, 2027
$225 CAD per person
Plus taxes and gratuities
Vancouver
March 9, 2027
$225 CAD per person
Plus taxes and gratuities
ABOUT SOMMELIER SHOWDOWN
The Venue
Five Sails
Overlooking Lions Gate bridge and Coal Harbour, Five Sails has been rated one of the top fine dining restaurants in Canada. It is located on the fourth floor of the Pan Pacific Hotel, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC V6C 3E1.
The Food
The night begins with a pre-dinner reception, with sparkling wine and canapés. A 4-course dinner is then served showcasing the Chef’s talents. We cannot accommodate allergies because everyone needs to taste the exact same food and wine for the votes to be fair.
The Wine
You will enjoy 9 different wines during the evening. There are two different wines served blind with each course, wine A and B. You pick and vote for your favourite. The wines are revealed after each course and the Sommelier who picked the winning wine explains their choice.
The Format
Doors open at 6 p.m. for a reception. Enjoy some canapés and bubbly while you mingle with other guests. At 6.30 pm you will be seated and MC Sarah McCauley DipWSET, CS will introduce the event and the two competing Sommeliers. With each course two wines are served blind. Simply pick the wine that paired best with the dish and vote. Then all will be revealed!
The Finale
At the final event the winners of the first two events will compete for the crown in the grand finale of the Sommelier Showdown Vancouver.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
All sales are final and non-refundable but you can transfer your booking to someone else for free. Just give us the new names for our reservation list. We cannot accommodate allergies as everyone needs to taste the exact same food and wine for the votes to be fair.
MEET YOUR sommeliers
Our Sommelier Showdowns feature some of the top sommeliers in Vancouver. The Round 2 sommeliers will be announced soon.
Chris Rielly is a hospitality veteran with over 30 years of experience, spanning his humble roots in the West Kootenays as a dishwasher and pizza delivery driver, a stint bartending in Mexico, and his arrival in Vancouver in 1992. For the last 8 years Chris has been the Wine Director for the Hawksworth Restaurant Group, and Vice President of CAPS BC. Chris was awarded Sommelier of the Year in 2025 by the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.
Additionally, the wine programs at both Hawksworth and Nightingale have earned multiple awards from the Vancouver International Wine Festival for their wine lists and wine service. As Vice President of CAPS BC, he volunteers alongside outstanding wine professionals in a non-profit organization that provides professional development and educational opportunities to wine, culinary and hospitality professionals in British Columbia.
Ciaran is a Certified Sommelier through CMS-A and is currently the Lead Sommelier at the Michelin-starred Published on Main in Vancouver, British Columbia. With a career spanning almost a decade, his work has taken him across Canada, having previously worked at Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver, and at Atelier in Ottawa.
Currently, Ciaran is finishing the final modules of his DipWSET, and intends to turn his attention back to his CMS-related goals in the near future, all while continuing to aid in the steady growth of the wine program at Published on Main.
Vancouver
February 2, 2027
$225 CAD per person
Plus taxes and gratuities
Vancouver
March 9, 2027
$225 CAD per person
Plus taxes and gratuities
Stay tuned for Sommelier Showdown in other cities..
