2010 EVENT SUMMARY | 2010 WINE REPORT | PAST WINNERS |
SASKATCHEWAN - A qualification event for the Canadian Culinary Championships
Event Chair: Zeba Ahmad
2011 GOLD MEDAL PLATES SASKATCHEWAN WINNERS
Gold Medallist: Anthony McCarthy - Saskatoon Club, Saskatoon. Paired with Nichol Vineyard's 2007 Cabernet Franc Syrah
Silver Medallist: Ryan Marquis - Delta Bessborough Hotel, Saskatoon. Paired with Le Vieux Pin Winery 2008 Adieu Pinot Noir
Bronze Medallist: Trevor Robertson - Radisson Hotel, Saskatoon. Paired with Nk'Mip Cellars 2007 Qwam Qwmt Syrah
JAMES CHATTO'S REPORT (www.jameschatto.com)
Sophomore years can sometimes feel like the morning after… Not in Saskatoon! Gold Medal Plates took over spacious Prairieland Park for our second-ever Saskatchewan event and it was a fabulous triumph any way you look at things – from the mind-boggling amount of money raised to the mood (very high energy but eagerly attentive) and the VIP reception (where last year's champion chef Dan Walker served awesome sausage rolls that made my old English coeur flutter)– but especially to the excellent food. Chefs from Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert really lifted the bar high above last year's mark and set the room abuzz with admiration. Speed-skating immortal Catriona Le May Doan was the MC, eliciting great stories from the pack of Olympic and Paralympic athletes who paraded onto stage. Excellent, get-up-and-dance music was provided by Jim Cuddy, Barney Bentall, Anne Lindsay and the inimitable Alan Doyle. And, once again, Hailey Pasemko, mixologist extraordinaire from Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, produced her stunning cocktails. Her Victoria gin-based G.B.G.V. (Victoria gin, fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lemon juice, vanilla syrup and fresh basil leaf) was the city's particular fancy (the basil leaf and vanilla syrup really lift this cocktail to dizzying heights) but all three of her creations ended up as the talk of the town. A huge thankyou to Hailey for travelling with us, working so hard, squeezing a hundredweight of citrus in every city and generally thrilling the cities of Western Canada with her luxe textures and layered flavours.
This was indeed a night to remember for chef Trevor Robertson of the Radisson Hotel, Saskatoon, who won the bronze medal. He chose to prepare a "deconstructed osso bucco," slow-braising the meat but leaving it juicy and rich as well as superbly tender, carefully removing the bone and then rebuilding the boneless shank inside a sheath of cawl fat. He removed the marrow from the bones, turned it into a reach, creamy foam then piped it back into the bone which became a second element on the plate (somehow, "whipping" the marrow made it seem less heavy but every bit as rich). The third component was a crisply fried arancino ball of toothsomely textured Italian rice pressed around a spicy Italian sausage that was in turn filled with a heart of buffalo mozzarella. An asparagus mousse panna cotta with a rosemary cream sauce continued the Italian theme. The final touches were a dab of roasted red pepper paste and some cubes of an intense jelly made from the wine Chef Robertson picked. Tangy, fruity, big and delectable, it was the 2007 Nk'Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Syrah.
Our silver medal went to chef Ryan Marquis of the Delta Bessborough hotel, Saskatoon, who also won silver last year. His dish seemed to elevate the level of the competition when the food runners brought it to the judges (as we sat in our splendour in the centre of the great room, our round table spread with scarlet satin and Union Flags in honour of the coming Olympiad). Chef chose to cook rabbit saddle sous vide whioch left the truffle-scented meat very pale and interesting, juicy and yieldingly tender. Tucked in around the bunny were some perfect, pan-seared chanterelles (Saskatchewan has the best chanterelles in the world – and that's official), streaks of red beet purée, a pool of intense truffled-balsamic reduction like some supercharged jus, and dots of a pungent green onion emulsion that made all the judges coo. As a kind of post-modernist component, a transparent plastic tetrahedron held a super-creamy cauliflower purée strewn with crimson beads made (by subtile molecular methoddes) from chef's chosen wine. There was also a yummy rye and sesame cracker which I used as a spoon for getting the last of the cauliflower parfait out of its gaol. The plates were hot, the parfait chilled, the rabbit warm: Chef Marquis aced the textural component and also the wine match – the smooth, fruity 2008 Adieu Pinot Noir from Le Vieux Pin winery in the south Okanagan: it worked particularly well with the red beet.
Our gold medallist pipped the silver by only a couple of percentage points – though Vancouver has taught us that that can be a substantial margin. Chef Anthony McCarthy from the Saskatoon Club won bronze last year; this time he vaulted over Ryan Marquis to bring home the bacon – or, more precisely, the foie. Chef McCarthy had been planning this dish for the best part of a year, so when the morels were in season last spring he bought a thousand of the biggest and best and froze them with all the care and precision afforded to Walt Disney's head. He thawed them for us and filled them with foie gras and a brunoise of black winter truffle and coated them in a superfine grinding of last summer's corn before cooking them off. I loved the texture and the flavour of the morels and the way the molten foie gras squirted out into my mouth. Beside this superlative treat was a sort of agnolotti made with a dense gnocchi-like pasta and filled with slow-braised organic beef, slutted up with some of that creamy, sweetly blue cambazola cheese that had melted and oozeditself in and amongst the forked meat. There was a swipe of supersmooth squash purèe and a token salad-moment of embryonic broccoli and radish microgreens, a stripe of finely minced parsley in oil and a classic demiglace so perfect it would have made Escoffier reach down from heaven and pat Chef McCarthy on the toque, had he been wearing one. The wine was an unusual blend of cabernet Franc and Syrah from Nichol Vineyards in Naramata – a wine I really enjoyed, especially since it scored a bull's eye matching with the braised beef and the demiglace. Great work.
So thank you Saskatoon! Once again you came to play and to party and to support GMP and our wonderful athletes. Having now eaten my way across Western Canada, I can say that the standards have risen for our competition in every province. I've noticed a radical commitment to sourcing local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients, to interpreting those ingredients within every imaginable cultural idiom, to an ever-increasing awareness that wine or beer or a cocktail can be a part of the work of the art rather than some kind of front-of-house afterthought.
DAVID LAWRASON'S WINE REPORT
A B.C. Wine Showcase
The chefs of Saskatchewan presented one of the most stylistically diverse menus of the campaign, so it was no surprise that a broad range of wine styles emerged as well; with all but one being from B.C.. Unfortunately, no winemakers were on hand for the pouring, but they were represented by the staff of Cava Wines and Spirits, the only private wine store in Saskatoon, who were well-versed in the particular wines they poured.
For the judging of Best of Show Wine, I was joined by Cava owner Cameron Rizos, who acted as an invaluable liaison in getting many of the wines “imported” into Saskatchewan. And as fate would have it, Cameron was hosting an Australian winemaker Shane McLaughlin who volunteered to judge as well. No stranger to Canada or international sport, Shane was on Australia’s national rowing team in the nineties, and competed in the Commonwealth games in Canada in 1994. He now makes wine at Canonbah Bridge in New South Wales.
There was no unanimous decision on the Best of Show Wine, but the bright peachy and honeyed Orofino 2010 Riesling from the Similkameen Valley placed in the top-three by all three judges. The runner-up was Nichol Vineyard 2008 Cabernet Franc Syrah, a stylish, subtle and complex blend that faithfully showed its varietal and regional roots. Third place went to Le Vieux Pin 2008 Adieu Pinot Noir, a firm, complex pinot named Adieu because it will be the last vintage – with the vineyard in the south Okanagan being replanted to reds more suitable to the sandy soils and hot climate.
Other wines donated to the chefs pairings included Tantalus 2009 Riesling, See Ya Later 2010 Gewurztraminer, Laughing Stock 2009 Blind Trust, Haywire 2010 Pinot Gris, Nk’Mip 2007 Syrah, Ganton & Larsen Prospect 2008 Pinot Noir, and finally, the only Ontario wine, Peninsula Ridge 2010 Cabernet Franc Rose. Le Vieux Pin 2008 P’tit Rouge was poured to all during the Celebration and Awards portion of the evening.
2011 Competing Chefs Derek Cotton -
Bliss Restaurant,
Saskatoon |
2011 Judges C J Katz |
GOLD - DAN WALKER -
Weczeria Food & Wine : Paired with Road 13 Vineyards, B.C.
SILVER - RYAN MARQUIS -
Delta Bessborough : Paired with Black Hills Winery, B.C.
BRONZE - ANTHONY MCCARTHY - Saskatoon Club : Paired with Peller Estates Winery, B.C.
James Chatto's 2010 Report (www.jameschatto.com)
The Gold Medal Plates team blew into Saskatoon on Saturday, knowing that we had a sell-out crowd of 550, a great venue at the TCU Centre and an irresistible show to offer with Jim Cuddy and Anne Lindsay, Barney Bentall and Colin James providing the music. Comedian Ron James was in very fine form, keeping the audience in stitches (plenty of whispers of “I can’t believe he said that!” amidst the laughter). Saskatchewan’s own superstar Olympian Catriona Le May Doan emceed the second half of the evening and interviewed gold medallist Alexandre Bilodeau on stage. By then the crowd was feeling very well fed but none of us on the team knew how the auction might go. In the end, it was the most successful live auction in Gold Medal Plates’s history reaching close to $400,000!
I was just as happy where the food was concerned. Our ten chefs came from Regina and Prince Albert as well as Saskatoon, making this a true representation of Saskatchewan and it’s one million population. And I was thrilled to see and taste a huge range of local product from farmed steelhead trout to lentils, black pansy syrup to haskap to the world’s best wild chanterelles, awesome lamb to local venison, wild boar and duck.
Our bronze medallist was Chef Anthony McCarthy of the Saskatoon Club. He braised Berkshire pig cheeks to the point of tenderness and sauced them with the braising liquid and a pork demi-glace made from the pig’s bones. The lean meat stood beside a small and elegant pirozhki filled with a purée of semi-dehydrated Prairie Sensation apples, touched by a subtle hint of black truffle. A fava bean purée added lovely colour to the plate and a delicate apple cider cream picked up the flavour of the pirozhki. Chef had twisted a very crisp, lightweight strip of crackling into the Q of a pig’s tail and the dish was finished with a couple of perfect little golden chanterelles foraged in the Whitefox area by a gentleman called Lorne Terry. “Call it ‘pork and beans,’” said McCarthy. So we did. The wine was a good match – the dry, aromatic 2008 Pinot Blanc from Peller Estates in B.C.’s Okanagan valley.
The silver medal was awarded to Chef Ryan Marquis of the Delta Bessborough hotel in Saskatoon. Front-and-centre on his plate stood a hen’s egg shell filled with a spectacularly luxe foie gras crème brûlée that many of the judges deemed to be the single most delicious item of the evening. Beside it stood a big square-cut slab of smoked pork belly with a maple molasses glaze and more dots of the black, deeply flavoured glaze decorated the platye. A stripe of parsnip purée and a crisp parsnip chip represented the vegetable kingdom. Chef’s wine choice worked well – the awesome 2008 Nota Bene from Black Hills winery in the Okanagan, British Columbia.
Taking the gold medal by a unanimous decision of the judges was Chef Dan Walker of Weczeria Food and Wine in Saskatoon, by far the smallest restaurant in the competition. His strip of wild boar belly was perfectly textured – crisp where it needed to be, unctuous elsewhere, and richly flavoured. An almost undetectable scattering of crumbled pecans added an extra dinension. Beneath the belly we found some pulled leg meat from the boar, moist and sapid from a well-seasoned marinade. Two purées – one of carrot, the other of jerusalem artichoke – were delightfully lightweight but also full of flavour, matched by crisps made from the same vegetables. Two soft, pan-fried potato gnocchi were exemplary in texture and useful for mopping up a finishing flourish of green herbal oil. The winning wine was a great match – a wine that has already captured gold elsewhere in this year’s campaign – Rockpile 2008 from Road 13 winery in the Okanagan.
So our first venture into Saskatchewan was an unparalleled success in every way. Chef Walker will be coming to Kelowna in February and it’s fascinating to see that competition beginning to take shape now that four of our champions are now confirmed.
The Gold Medal Plates Wine and Beverage Report 2010
By David Lawrason
The sold out, eight-city 2010 Gold Medal Plates tour showcased the products of a record 62 Canadian wineries, cideries, sake producers, breweries and distillers – with 17 participating in more than one city, and five in three or more cities. They donated over 400 cases to be enjoyed by over 4,500 guests coast to coast. My deepest thanks to the industry for its support and largesse for supporting what has become the largest national showcase for Canadian wine.
Seven wineries will be accompanying their Gold Medal Chefs to the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna, B.C. in February. There are eight cities competing in Kelowna but B.C.s Road 13 Winery has pulled off the impossible by winning in two cities – Edmonton and Saskatoon. Other CCC wineries are Black Hills and Tantalus from B.C.; Hillebrand Trius, Fielding Estate and Ravine from Ontario, and La Face Cachée de la Pomme from Quebec.
The winning wineries do not have to use the same wine that won gold, but they must work with the chef to find a great match within their portfolio. The food and wine pairing is scored by the judges and in a close race with so much talent in the room, it could make the difference. The tension will be running high.
I was particularly pleased by two new developments in the 2010 campaign. In keeping with other dramatic improvements in the Celebration program, the wine quality jumped this year as donors generously came up with some of Canada’s top wines for hundreds of guests. Laughing Stock Vineyards of B.C. poured its 2007 Portfolio in Edmonton and Saskatoon, and La Vieux Pin opened its 2007 Merlot in Vancouver and La Stella 2007 Fortissimo Calgary. Malivoire Wine Company of Niagara poured its 2009 Gamay and Guilty Men White in Toronto and Ottawa. Up to 20 cases were donated to the Celebrations in each city.
Rickards Red also generously donated their range of Canadian brews to the Celebrations and VIP Receptions in all cities.
For the first time Gold Medal Plates welcomed new, small Canadian distillers to festivities. We were particularly thrilled to test drive Victoria Gin in martinis served at the VIP Receptions in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. This small Vancouver Island based distillery is just breaking into markets across the country and promises to be back nationwide in 2012. In Toronto and Ottawa we also poured a new Canadian “white” rye whiskey called White Owl, by Alberta’s Highwood Distillers. Thanks very much to Ontario agent Woodman Wines and Spirits for arranging this special cameo appearances.
In another departure for 2011, Canadian sparkling wine producers who won medals in the Canadian Wine Awards were approached to donate their gold and silver medal winning wines to the VIP Receptions. The east-west mix was excellent with Hillebrand Trius Brut from Niagara offered in most cities, as were B.C.’s See Ya Later Ranch Brut and Sumac Ridge Steller’s Jay Brut – both Vincor properties. B.C.’s Blue Mountain Brut was poured in Vancouver and Toronto. L’Acadie Brut from Nova Scotia was poured in St. Johns and Toronto as well. Grange of Prince Edward 2007 Brut was shown in Toronto and Ottawa, and Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine was also poured in Toronto.
But as always it was the chef/winery pairings that provided the real fireworks and stoked much of the conversation. Here are the list of wineries, with the chefs and restaurants, city by city, with the Gold, Silver and Bronze medalists heading each section. Cities are listed in the chronological order of the date the their competition was held
The Competition Wines, Chefs and Restaurants
MONTREAL October 19
La Face Cachée de la Pomme Dégel Martin Juneau - La Montée (GOLD)
Osoyoos Larose 2006, Marc-André Royal - Le St-Urbain (SILVER)
Malivoire 2008 Gamay, Michel Ross - MAS Cuisine (BRONZE)
Junmai Nama Nigori Sake, Darren Bergeron – Decca 77
Nichol Vineyard 2006 St. Laurent 2006, Derek Damann – DNA
Quail’s Gate 2009 Dry Riesling, Alexandre Gosselin - Bar & Boeuf
Stratus 206 White, Alexandre Loiseau – Cocagne
Lailey 2007 Cabernet Franc Francis Pouliot – Laurie-Raphaël, Hôtel Germain
EDMONTON Oct 27
Road 13 2008 Jackpot Pinot Noir 2008, Andrew Fung - Blackhawk Golf Course (GOLD)
Tinhorn Creek 2009 Gewurztraminer , Michael Brown - Pradera, The Westin (SILVER)
Wayne Gretzky 2005 Vidal Icewine, Shane Chartrand - L2 Fantasyland Hotel (BRONZE)
La Stella 2009 Unoaked Chardonnay, Paul Campbell - Café de Ville
Mission Hill 2007 Shiraz, Christophe Ithurritze - Sage Restaurant
Hillside Estate 2009 Gewurztraminer, Susan Kellock - Skinny Legs and Cowgirls
Quail’s Gate 2008 Old Vines Foch, Tracy Lydtser - Dish
Le Vieux Pin 2007 Merlot, David Omar - ZINC
Cedar Creek Estate 2008 Chardonnay, Paul Shufelt - Hundred Bar and Kitchen
Sandhill 2005 Barbera Small Lots, Jan Trittenbach - Packrat Louie Kitchen & Bar
VANCOUVER OCT 29
Black Hills Estate 2009 Viognier , Robert Clark - C (GOLD)
Tantalus 2009 Riesling, Dale Mackay - Lumiere (SILVER)
Foxtrot Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir, Neil Taylor - Cibo Trattoria (BRONZE)
La Stella 2009 Pinot Grigio Vivace, Darren Brown - Coast
Sandhill 2009 Small Lots Viognier , Quang Dang - Diva at the Met
Aces Okanagan Estate Pocket King , Stuart Klassen - Delta Grand Kelowna
Painted Rock Red 2007 Icon, Nick Nutting - The Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino
8th Generation 2009 Chardonnay Frizzante, Nico Schuermans - Chambar
Quail’s Gate 2009 Pinot Noir, Roger Sleiman , Quails Gate Winery, Kelowna
Laughing Stock 2007 Portfolio, Cam Smith & Dana Ewarts - Joy Road, Penticton
SASKATOON OCT 30
Road 13 2008 Rockpile, Dan Walker - Weczeria Food & Wine (GOLD)
Black Hills 2008 Nota Bene 2008, Ryan Marquis - Delta Bessborough (SILVER)
Peller Estates 2008 Pinot Blanc, Anthony McCarthy - Saskatoon Club (BRONZE)
Tree Brewing Hop Head IPA, Malcolm Craig - Beer Bros. Bakery & Cuisine, Regina
Morning Bay 2005 Merlot, Kevin Dahlsjo - Sublime Catering, Prince Albert
Noble Ridge 2007 Pinot Noir, Tim Davies - Willow on Wascana, Regina
Orofino 2009 Riesling, Lee Helman - Truffles Bistro
Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Series 2006 Merlot, Leo Pantel - Conexus Arts Centre, Regina
Cave Spring 2008 Pinot Noir, Rusty Penno - The Boffins Club
Lake Breeze 2009 Pinot Gris, Peter Phillips - Riverside Country Club
TORONTO Nov 4
Trius Red 2008, Frank Dodd, Hillebrand Winery, Niagara (GOLD)
Hidden Bench 2008 Estate Chardonnay, Lorenzo Loseto – George (SILVER)
Henry of Pelham 2007 Baco Noir Reserve, Michael Steh - Reds (BRONZE)
Tawse 2009 Pinot Noir, Ted Corrado - C5
Cave Spring 2008 Chenin Blanc, Jonathan Gushue - Langdon Hall, Cambridge
Southbrook 2007 Poetica Cabernet Merlot, Jamie Kennedy - Gilead Bistro
Organized Crime 2008 Cabernet Franc , Lora Kirk - Ruby Watchco
Konzelmann 2007 4 Generations Merlot, Martin Kouprie - Pangaea
Norman Hardie 2008 County Chardonnay, Anthony Walsh - Canoe
Stratus Red 2006, Anne Yarymowich - Frank
CALGARY Nov 12
Tantalus 2008 Pinot Noir, Duncan Ly - Raw Bar Hotel Arts (GOLD)
Noble Ridge 2007 Pinot Noir, Shaun Desaulniers - Belgo (SILVER)
Laughing Stock 2009 Chardonnay, Justin Leboe - Model Milk (BRONZE)
Laughing Stock 2007 Meritage Blend, Jared Alvey - Petite
Black Hills 2007 Carmenere, Cam Dobranski - Muse
Black Hills 2009 Alibi, Chris Grafton - Murrieta’s
Summerhill Pyramid Pinot Noir Brut, Charlie Holschuh - Bavarian Inn
Sandhill Estate 2007 Three , Andrew Keen - Chop Steakhouse and Bar
Henry of Pelham 2006 Select late Harvest Vidal, Bob Matthews - La Chaumière
Desert Hills Winery 2009 Gamay, Paul Rogalski - Rouge
OTTAWA Nov 16
Fielding Estates 2008 Pinot Gris, Michael Moffatt - Beckta Dining and Wine (GOLD)
Angels Gate 2008 Archangel Sparkling Pinot Noir, Caroline Ishii - Zen Kitchen (SILVER)
Hillebrand 2008 Artist Gewurztraminer, Ross & Simon Fraser - Fraser Café (BRONZE)
Niagara College 2007 Dean’s List Meritage, Ben Baird - The Urban Pear
Vineland Estate 2008 Chenin Blanc, Charlotte Langley - Whalesbone Oyster House
Cave Springs 2009 Gewurztraminer, Marc Lepine - Atelier
Norman Hardie 2008 County Pinot Noir, Steve Mitton - Murray Street
Sandbanks Winter Harvest 2008 Vidal, Charles Part - Les Fougères, Gatineau
Rosehall Run 2008 Pinot Noir, Michael Potters - Harvest, Picton
Casa-Dea 2009 Chardonnay, Rene Rodriguez - Navarra
ST. JOHN’S Nov 18
Ravine Vineyards 2008 Merlot, Jeremy Charles – Raymonds (GOLD)
Shiver Vodka (Nfld), Tak Ishiwata – Basho (SILVER)
Prospect Winery 2007 Haynes Barn Merlot Cabernet, Roary MacPherson - Sheraton Hotel (BRONZE)
Peninsula Ridge 2008 Viognier, Mike Barsky - Bacalao
Domaine de Grand Pré 2009 Millot-Pete Luckett Vnyd, Jason Lynch - Le Caveau, Wolfville
Tangled Garden Damson & Basil liqueur & Iceberg Gin, Stephen MacDonald -Oliver’s Restaurant
Trius 2008 Dry Riesling, Mark McCrowe - Aqua
Storm Coffee Porter, Steve Vardy - Atlantica
|
MALCOLM CRAIG -
Beer Bros. Bakery & Cuisine, Regina |
Tree Brewing Company, B.C. |