Vin Van: The pop up you need to know in Vancouver
It was the calm-before-the-storm in February 2019 when I had the chance to meet Stephanie Walker and Joanna Owen, the charismatic duo behind Vin Van. In a city where pretentiousness reigns, Steph and Jo permeate joy wherever they go.
It was at a party hosted in a Gastown loft, where we sabered bottles, played slaps like school children and danced all night that I knew they were two women I wanted in my network.
Since then, their project has grown, having recently acquired a Bolero camper van turned travelling wine bar, among other on-going events that continue to garner attention and sell out on the regular.
I had the chance to catch up with them recently to hear all about what they’ve been up to.
LM: How did you meet?
VV: Our partners played rugby together so we met on the sidelines as WAGS in 2016!
LM: How did the idea of Vin Van come about?
VV: It has evolved a lot over the years. The original idea was to bring some of the pop-up/supper club scene that is so prevalent in London (UK) to Vancouver, with a wine focus. We started out doing long table dinners and pop-up tastings in unique locations in Vancouver and in 2019, we started the wine bar, first at Fiore and now weekly at Dock Lunch.
LM: What is your ethos?
VV: All our evenings are laid back and fun and we are always up for trying something new! It probably drives people crazy as it's hard to keep up with all that we've got on the go. We focus on wines that are from smaller producers, often with a sustainable approach to their winemaking and farming, creating a wine list that has interesting wines to spark a conversation. We are big advocates of supporting local both with our wines and food offerings - we partner with different local chefs for our Tuesday wine bar evenings at Dock Lunch.
LM: Tell me about your latest projects/events/news.
VV: Weekly wine bar on Tuesdays at Dock Lunch.
Stompin' Grapes: A Monthly Wine and Disco night at the Ellis Building with an all female line-up of wine and cocktail bartenders and DJs.
Vivian the Vin Van - our latest venture - a renovated 1975 Bolero camper turned wine bar on wheels. Up for rent for private events around BC.
LM: How have you seen the industry change since your inception?
VV: Wine bars have become more prevalent in Vancouver - which we LOVE. There are now lots of great spots to find good wines in the city. It's awesome to see more people interested in learning and experiencing different wines. We've also seen more people do their own pop-up nights, utilizing spaces that would otherwise be empty in the evenings. Vancouver has also become slightly more open to business models such as ours. Still a long way to go, but things are on the up!
LM: How do you connect with your consumers?
VV: We are both on the floor at all our events - serving, chatting with our customers and telling stories about the wines we are pouring and the amazing local chefs we are showcasing each week. You'll also find us dancing behind the bar at our Stompin' Grapes evenings or rolling around in Vivian! We find it hard to imagine not being there in person at our events, we love connecting with our guests and have a lovely group of returning customers we now call friends.
LM: What wines have blown you away as of late?
VV: Roberto Henriquez wines from Itata Valley in Chile, really blew us away when we tasted them, had to stop ourselves from snapping up the whole line-up. The skin contact Corinto Super Estrella and the Cinsault were highlights. Local producers we've been loving lately have been Else (especially the Gew), Lightning Rock and Pamplemousse Jus and Kutatas from Salt Spring - to name a few!
LM: Who are some tastemakers/influential folks in the wine industry you think I should feature?
Yourself :)
Gael Mackie - This Way Wine
Maude Brisson - APÉRO
Simon Fallick - he is behind the scenes but is so supportive of people in the industry, especially people like us who have one foot in and one foot out (we both still have our 9-5 jobs) and who have more unique business models. He is one of the people behind the Ellis Building, The American, Hero's Welcome among others.
You can learn more about Vin Van here.
