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11th Annual ChefmeetsBCGrape Signature Tasting – Recap

Posted in Cheese, Chocolate, Culinary Events, Kathryn, Meat, Seafood, Vancouver, Wine Pairing, Wine Series, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 8, 2015| Leave a Comment »

When Bryan (the “beer guy”) isn’t writing about beer I put him to work as my camera man – so he and I were proud and honoured to represent VanFoodies at the 11th Annual ChefmeetsBCGrape while our fearless leader, Joyce, had other work commitments. The ChefmeetsBCGrape Signature Tasting is a fundraiser for the Arts Club Theatre to support the local theatre arts while showcasing BC food paired with BC VQA Wine.

Very “handy” third hand provided at the event

Very “handy” third hand provided at the event

The event started off with a bang with my favourite dessert of the evening (and, needless to say, favourite dish overall):

Chocolate gianduja pate with sour cherry compote

Chocolate gianduja pate with sour cherry compote, lychee foam and toffee brittle paired with Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2014 presented by P2B Bistro & Bar

I’ve never had chocolate in a pate form before but let me tell you, it was smooth, creamy, not too sweet, and went beautifully with the toffee brittle crunch. The lychee foam and sour cherry compote disappeared behind the richness of the chocolate but gave it an interesting look with the white bubbles and pop of red colour. I found the white wine pairing quite surprising and would have preferred something equally as rich to balance with the chocolate/toffee flavours such as a Cabernet Sauvignon – the Pinot Gris was washed out by this delicious and delightful treat.

Now being Aussie I am a lamb fan (it’s a national Aussie meat) but I don’t find many Canadians who enjoy it. However, on this night, I only heard positive feedback from everyone I spoke to regarding this dish:

Sous-vide lamb sirloin slider

Sous-vide lamb sirloin slider, grey baby cheese, smoked tomato relish and beet chip paired with Upper Bench Winery Estate Grown Merlot 2012 presented by Provence Marinaside

The combination of flavours was well balanced with an equally balanced wine that paired very well with the strong flavours of the meat and cheese. (more…)

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[Wines] ChefmeetsBCGrape – A Recap [Photos]

Posted in Cheese, Chocolate, Culinary Events, Dessert, Joyce, Seafood, Snacks, Tapas, Vancouver, Wine Pairing, Wine Series, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

We were invited to the ChefmeetsBCGrape event back in June. Co-produced with the Wines of British Columbia, it’s a wine and food fundraiser for the Arts Club Theatre, celebrating the finest offerings of wine and food from across BC. I had a backlog of photos and posts to go through, and finally here I am to show you some mouth-watering photos from the event. Better late than never, right?

It was a sold out event with more than 500 wine lovers. Each of us went from station to station to taste dishes put on by 15 local restaurants, and sample wines from close to 100 BC wineries. You know there would be no shortage of good food and good wines.

A sold out event featuring close to 100 BC wineries

A sold out event featuring close to 100 BC wineries

Each of us was given an event guide, with a slot for the wine glass. What a great idea to free up our hands from juggling plates and glasses!

Event guide with wine glass holder

Event guide with wine glass holder

Participating restaurants included: (more…)

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[Wines] Tasting the Wines of Australia – Part 2

Posted in By Invitations, Culinary Events, Mr., Vancouver, Wine Pairing, Wine Series, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2010| 2 Comments »

During my last post, I discussed the delicious food and wine pairings at this event; but there was much much more — over 70 types of wine was presented for tasting, and I did what I can to try them all.  Here’s a list of my favourites.

Notable wines

I’d like to make it clear that I’m by no means a wine connoisseur. This is a new found appreciation, so if you are a seasoned wine drinker, you should take what I have to say with a grain of salt. However, if you are a beginner yourself, you’ll likely find my opinions useful.

For more information on Australian wines, please visit www.wineaustralia.com


Chardonnays

I’m a big fan of Australian Chardonnays. I prefer their weaker oak taste and stronger fruity notes. They are great for wine beginners. My favourite was the Cooralook Chardonnay from Mornington Peninsula (left), the Evans & Tate Chardonnay from Margaret River was a close second. Both are under $20.


Holiday Reds

As a beginner, I prefer the softer and lighter palates of Pinot Noirs. The Cooralook was the most easy-drinking of this category, but the taste of fresh grape is a bit too transparent, making it taste like grape juice.

(more…)

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[Wines] Wine Tasting at Seasons in QE Park

Posted in By Invitations, Food Bloggers, Great Views, Joyce, Mr., Vancouver, Wine Pairing, Wine Series, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Last Tuesday, VanFoodies was invited to the “Treats for Tweeters” event at the Seasons Restaurant in Queen Elizabeth Park. It’s similar to its bi-weekly wine tasting series, but this one was exclusively for some tweeters, bloggers and foodies.

Wine tasting at Seasons Winebar

Wine tasting at Seasons Winebar

The evening featured wines from Blue Mountain Winery and its sales rep, Christine Fawcett, was there to explain about each wine. Paired with each wine were canapes by the Seasons. In addition to the 3 Blue Mountain wines, we were also treated to the restaurant’s featured summer cocktail called “Summer in the Park”. (more…)

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