This New Wine Walk Along South Granville Lets You Sip and Shop At The Same Time

If the sudden turbo-charged interest in Gran Turismo-style racing has taught us anything of late, it’s that maybe we could learn a little something from Italian culture.

Eating slow, languishing meals in the open air, drinking wine on the streets, adoring finery—whether that’s clothing or cars.

Now Vancouver is blending those Italian virtues with local sensibilities for the first-ever Granvino Wine Walk, an event put on by the South Granville Business Improvement Association (BIA).

Happening on August 16, the Granvino wine walk will put together two favourite Vancouver pastimes: drinking wine and shopping—from late morning to evening. Featuring several B.C. wineries and local shops, the (car-free) track is laid along Granville Street, from the bridge to 16th Avenue.

“We felt it would be fun to bring a little bit of that Dolce Vita to Vancouver this summer. We have so many lovely boutiques and art galleries who are excited to host and celebrate the best of B.C. wines,” says Ivy Haisell, executive director for the South Granville BIA .

Here’s how it works: ticket holders will check in on the day of to pick up their pass, cup and tote bag made specially for the occasion. They can shop at their own pace, wine in hand at each stop, plus check out live music, activations and sales.

The B.C.-based wineries in question are Birch Block, Black Hills, Gray Monk, Grow Wild Artisan Wines, Lightning Rock, Red Rooster, Rigour and Whimsy, Sandhill, Saturday Sun and Tinhorn Creek, plus Bowen Island Cider House and distillery Glendalough Gin.

This isn’t the first time the association has built a brand new and unique cultural experience to the west side. In the past six years, they’ve also inaugurated art walks, the South Vancouver Supper Club; Summer Pop, a free concert series where the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra performed pop songs in orchestral style; Granville Pours, a sommelier-led wine tasting series; Small Tree Sessions, which were lessons with a bonsai master on training tiny trees and Graze, a farm-direct showcase of local farmers and their fresh picked produce.

The Granvino wine walk isn’t just about Italian sensibilities–but hey, we’re here for it–but also a time to show some local love in a time of business-crunching tariffs.

“Our businesses are excited to roll out the red carpet to host wine lovers for this in-person, neighbourhood shopping experience. It’s the perfect opportunity for Canadians to support our local independent retailers,” says Haisell. 

“We are very pleased to showcase the best of B.C. wines at this event. Buy local!”

Granvino Wine Walk
Granville Street, from the bridge to 16th Ave.
August 16, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tickets here.