2010 EVENT SUMMARY | 2010 WINE REPORT | PAST WINNERS | 2009 EVENT SUMMARY | CANADIAN WINE INDUSTRY STEPS UP TO THE PODIUM
ST. JOHNS - A qualification event for the Canadian Culinary Championships
Event Chair: Scott Giannou
2011 GOLD MEDAL PLATES ST. JOHN'S WINNERS
Gold Medallist: Mike Barsky - Bacalao. Paired with Pelee Island Winery Pinot Noir Reserve
Silver Medallist: Chris Chafe - Magnum & Steins. Paired with Tawse Winery 2008 Van Bers Vineyard Cabernet Franc
Bronze Medallist: Tony Velinov - Bistro Sofia. Paired with Peller Estates Winery sparkling Ice Cuvée, classic fine sparkling wine enhanced with a dosage of Icewine
JAMES CHATTO'S REPORT (www.jameschatto.com)
All good things come to an end and the weather finally caught up with us in St. John's last night as the Gold Medal Plates team blew in for the final gala of the year. But a little drizzle failed to put even the suggestion of a damper on things (they've seen worse here) as an exuberant local crowd packed the Convention Centre. And when our event was over we found the rain had stopped and we stepped out into a mild clear night to make our way to the first after-party at the Majestic.
The music is always a particularly important part of our visits to Newfoundland and Labrador and last night we were delighted to hear Jim Cuddy, Anne Lindsay, guitar whizz Colin Cripps and local star Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea. Their rocking blue-grass version of Honkey-tonk Woman had the whole room in an uproar. The trips we auction off fetched Rock-solid prices and the keynote speakers were awesome – especially Catriona Le May Doan and the great Scotty Bowman, who was interviewed beautifully by Seamus O'Regan and received the first of the evening's several standing ovations.
On the food side of things, the judges worked hard, as always – an admirable team led by Senior Judge for St. John's, television, radio and print journalist Karl Wells and including chef and educator Bob Arneil, restaurateur, food consultant and food stylist Kitty Drake, food columnist and all-round gastronomic guru Cynthia Stone, renowned local chef Todd Perrin and last year's gold medal winner, chef Jeremy Charles. Standards were very high and there was no run-away winner, with only two percentage points separating first, second and third.
Our bronze medal went – for the first time ever in Gold Medal Plates history – to a dessert. Chef Tony Velinov of Bistro Sofia was the brave man who decided to bring forth something from the sweet kitchen, though more than a couple of guests did a double take before realizing it. What looked like a small burger with fries and ketchup was nothing of the sort. The bun was soft sesame cake, the slice of cheese was firm apricot jelly, the patty was a disc of stiff chocolate mousse and the fries were crunchy sable biscuit, perfect for dipping into the tart raspberry ketchup. The only component of the dish that really was what it seemed were the rashers of crispy bacon in the "burger" but they had been candied. Indeed, the salty bacon worked beautifully with the chocolate and added a new level of sophistication to the whole witty idea. Chef Velinov's wine match worked nearly perfectly – the Peller Estates sparkling Ice Cuvée, a lively bubbly sweetened with a dosage of Icewine.
Our silver medal went to Chris Chafe, a talented young man of 24 who is chef at the veteran St. John's establishment, Magnum and Steins. He worked with lamb, offering four different cuts and four different cooking methods. First there was a thick slice of a soft, caseless lamb sausage – something like a muergez – made from the shoulder and smoky roasted red pepper. It crowned a mound of creamy celeriac purée. Beside this we found some of the pulled leg meat of the lamb, moist and well-seasoned, set on a tiny round of toasted focaccia, a raft it shared with caramelized onion, a herby ragout of chanterelles and a partially dried tomato. A nicely frenched lamb chop was the third element, cooked rare and full of flavour, set over a hillock of what chef called "risotto" but was really finely chopped potato in a creamy, parmesan-spiked sauce. The fourth lamb moment was a crisp fried raviolo filled with osso bucco. Scattered over everything, adding colour and tang were glistening red beads of "caviar" made from the wine Chef Chafe chose – the terrific Van Bers Vineyard 2008 Cabernet Franc from Tawse winery in Niagara.
Our gold winner was a chef who has really been building his approach over the last two years of Gold Medal Plates St. John's – Mike Barsky from Bacalao. He chose to work with local goats, putting no fewer than 11 separate components on his plate. Slices of the seared loin were the major element, the meat rare, juicy and admirably tender, dressed with a classic demiglace of red wine and partridgeberries. A goat rillette was crusted with panko crumbs and fried to create a scrumptious little croquette the size of a loonie. Beneath it was a spoonful of smooth, creamy mousse made from the goat's brains. Two slices of pickled goat tongue were propped up against brussels sprouts petals. There was a comma of bright yellow saffron goat-milk pudding and some crunchy crumbs of crumbled goat cheese sablé. Two dots of goat curd vinaigrette stood apart from the well-composed arrangement, matched by two perfectly turned spheres of turnip. All in all, it was an amazingly labour-intensive offering but it ate beautifully, paired with the Pinot Noir Reserve from Pelee Island Winery.
So, Mike Barsky now joins a potent line-up who have until February to prepare for the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna – Michael Dacquisto from Winnipeg, Jean-Philippe Saint-Denis from Montreal, Mike Dekker from Calgary, Jan Trittenbach from Edmonton, Rob Feenie from Vancouver, Anthony McCarthy from Saskatchewan, Jonathan Gushue representing Toronto and Marc Lepine from Ottawa-Gatineau. I'm already pondering what fiendish items to hide in the black box for that part of the competition – and I'm sure David Lawrason has an idea of what the mystery wine will be… It's going to be extraordinarily good fun.
DAVID LAWRASON'S WINE REPORT
The Party
With fewer chefs (only eight competed) and less access to Canadian wines from the mainland, the wine component of Gold Medal Plates St. John’s was clearly not as strong as in other cities. But there was plenty of it consumed, along with Molson’s M beer as St. John’s turned out to party.
Several chefs sought my help in finding pairing partners, but I would like to defer to and thank St. John’s GMP Chairman Scott Giannou of Beverage World for his help in co-ordinating so much of the wine presence, as well as donating the Moonlight wines by Andrew Peller to the Celebration and Awards portion of the evening.
I was joined by two of Newfoundland’s most prominent wine palates to find our Best of Show Wine Award. Local wine connoisseur Tom Beckett, of Beckett on Wine, is widely known as one of the most experienced palates on the Rock. Stephen Delaney is a former area rep for the Opimian Society who writes a wine column for the St. John’s Telegram. It was my first time working with these two gentlemen and I was impressed by their fastidious note taking and rating of the wines.
Our opinions on the best wines lined up well, with a unanimous choice of Tawse 2008 Van Bers Vineyard Cabernet Franc as Best Wine of Show. From an organically-farmed vineyard just on the escarpment downslope in the Twenty Mile Bench, this was impressive indeed with much more richness and depth than expected from the vintage. Second place was awarded to the complex, firm Le Clos Jordanne 2008 Village Reserve from Niagara, and third spot went to the very well-balanced, off-dry Andrew Peller Ice Cuvée sparkler.
The wine that accompanied the Gold Medal winning chef Michael Barsky’s inventive goat-inspired dish was Pelee Island 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve, a quite successful match. Other chef-paired wines included Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Brut, Peninsula Ridge 2008 Chardonnay Reserve and a delicious Eric’s Cream Ale from St. John’s Quidi Vidi Brewery.
2011 Competing Chefs Mike Barsky -
Bacalao |
2011 Judges Karl Wells |
2010
GOLD - JEREMY CHARLES -
Raymonds : Paired with Ravine Vineyard
SILVER - TAK ISHIWATA -
Basho : Paired with Millot-Pete Luckett Vineyard
BRONZE - ROARY MACPHERSON -
Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland : Paired with Prospect Winery
2009
Gold: Chef Ivan Kyutukchiev, Bianca's
Silver: Chef Jeremy Charles, Atlantica
Bronze: Chef Mark McCrowe, Aqua
James Chatto's 2010 Report (www.jameschatto.com)
Well, there you have it… The 2010 Gold Medal Plates campaign is officially concluded, the wonderful envoi a tremendous do in St. John’s, Newfoundland – and no, there is nowhere on the planet where better shindigs are thrown. So many highlights to remember, especially Jim Cuddy and Anne Lindsay playing along with Alan Doyle and Sean McCann of Great Big Sea… Stupendous energy, but it was the quality of the food that blew me away. Senior Judge Karl Wells did a magnificent job winnowing down the possible competitors. We had eight chefs giving their all tonight, and I do not exaggerate when I say that any of the top four or five of them would have won, hands-down, in three or four of our other cities. The bar was raised fifty feet tonight in Newfoundland. (And the bar was razed at the after party at the Majestik, a lovely club just down the street from the Convention Centre. I’m quite sure they are still partying on as I write.)
The bronze medal went to chef Roary MacPherson of Oppidan who told us he had created his dish based on flavours and recipes from his childhood. There was a dark block of local pork belly braised in molasses and anise, the texture rich and heavy, as pork belly should be, the flavour savoury-sweet and profound. He set the meat over a smooth, pale purée of bubble-and-squeak made with potato, cabbage and a hint of salt pork. Shavings of house-made gouda sharpened with bakeapple added extra richness while a trace of partridgeberry-cherry syrup contributed an elusive sweetness and picked up the cherry aromatics of the wine. A ragout of tender white beans in a soft stewed apple matrix was a delectably down-home starch while the garnish was an ethereal macaron flavoured with traditional Newfoundland mustard pickle (we call it picallili in England). Chef chose a wine from the west to compliment his creation – the Haynes Barn Merlot-Cabernet from Prospect Winery in B.C.’s Okanagan valley.
The silver medal was awarded to Tak Ishiwata of Basho. He prepared a ceviche of lobster, scallop and whelk, each tasting as if it had been in the ocean moments before, the textures unique and distinct, the tender morsels wrapped in a pashmina of raw sea bass fillet. Instead of cilantro and lime, he used yuzu juice and shiso to cure the flavourful marine elements, and finished the dish with a sprig of shiso florets, the basil-menthol aroma creating a herbal aura around everything. There was a tart, intensely sapid jelly of grape tomatoes beside the benthic bundle and a dark brown stripe of preserved plum on the plate to boost the acidity. Shredded daikon cooled things down; pomegranate juice brought it up again. The garnish of a small, crunchy deep-fried shrimp chip added a different texture. Chef offered a cocktail with the dish – a sweet concoction of local Shiver vodka over muddled cucumber, melon and yuzu, the glass prepared with a shiso-sugar rim. It was delicious, fruity, but needed more acidity to reach out to the flavours on the plate.
Chef Jeremy Charles of the bran-new restaurant Raymonds won the gold medal by a unanimous decision. As I added up the marks for his dish – presentation, texture, taste, originality, wine-match, wow factor – I realized I had never awarded such a high score to any chef’s work in any regional, national or international competition I had ever judged. Try as I might, I could find no fault with his dish. Raymonds has assembled a dream team in the kitchen, including last year’s St. John’s champion Ivan Kutyukchev and the brilliant young baker from Ravine winery in Ontario, Erin Turke. But this was Charles’s dish. It began in the wilds of the province with the trapping of some 60 wild rabbits. Wild rabbit meat is dark and flavourful but also lean and delicately textured. Charles used the complete lapin. The tiny ribs were frenched and cooked as if they were a rack of lamb – elfin but succulent. The livers were turned into a rich, creamy, silken mousse fashioned into a teaspoon-sized quenelle and set upon a coin of fresh brioche. A purée of Jerusalem artichoke grounded a rich but refined ragout of local brussels sprouts moistened with rabbit jus and spiked with rabbit bacon. A crisp little ravioli held braised rabbit meat, local chanterelle duxelles, a hint of date for sweetness and Canadian feta for salty tang – a spectacularly complex mouthful. Then there was the roulade of confited rabbit meat enhanced with duck fat, juniper and chives and pressed around the wee loin – an impeccably tender roll. Against such a doll’s-house display of miniaturist technique, a firm, thimble-sized turned carrot soused in honey and butter seemed positively butch. The harmonies were in perfect pitch, the wine match – a 2008 Merlot from Ravine Vineyard in St. David’s, Ontario – faultless.
Jeremy Charles won silver last year when he was chef at Atlantica. Next year, he is hosting the pan-Canadian Chefs’ Congress here in St. John’s. I think he will be going into the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna as a very serious contender for the ultimate prize.
St. John’s – and Newfoundland – proved tonight that they are the real deal. Over all, this was the best food I have tasted all year in Canada.
Before signing off, I’d like to take this opportunity to offer a heartfelt thankyou to all the judges across the country who so generously volunteered their time and expertise to Gold Medal Plates. Our Senior Judges are invaluable, playing the major role in choosing the chefs who will compete in each city and coming together to form the adjudicatory panel for the Canadian Culinary Championships. In Vancouver, two men share the duties – writer and international food and wine judge Sid Cross and food writer and editor Andrew Morrison. In Edmonton, it’s Chef Instructor Clayton Folkers, former captain of the Canadian National Culinary Team. In Calgary, author, food writer, teacher and broadcaster John Gilchrist is our Senior Judge. Food writer, editor and broadcaster CJ Katz covers Saskatchewan for us. Food writer, editor and columnist Sasha Chapman is our Senior Judge in Toronto. Anne DesBrisay, revered restaurant critic for the Ottawa Citizen, heads our Ottawa-Gatineau panel. Robert Beauchemin, author, teacher and gastronomic journalist is our Montréal Senior Judge. Food writer and broadcaster Karl Wells leads the team in St. John’s.
One other duty we ask of each of our Senior Judges is that they guide us in assembling a panel of judges in their city – food writers, chef instructors, chefs, restaurant critics, all of them professional culinarians – to adjudicate the Gold Medal Plates regional events and award gold, silver and bronze medals to the successful competitors. These judges, volunteering their time, provide the backbone of credibility that makes our Gold Medal Plates events more than just fund-raising galas. They have now become the most significant gastronomic competitions in Canada.
So a huge thank you to our judges across the country during the last campaign: in Vancouver, John Bishop, Barbara-Jo McIntosh and Lesley Stowe; in Edmonton, Liane Faulder, Gail Hall and Chris Wood; in Calgary, Michael Allemeier, Susan Hopkins and Michael Noble; in Saskatchewan, Trent Brears, Amy Jo Ehman, Vince LaPointe and dee Hobsbawn-Smith; in Toronto, Christine Cushing, John Higgins, Anita Stewart and Lucy Waverman; in Ottawa-Gatineau, Pam Collacott, Margaret Dickenson, Chris Knight and Judson Simpson; in Montréal, Julian Armstrong and Lesley Chesterman; in St. John’s, Bob Arneil, Tom Beckett, Kitty Drake and Cynthia Stone. Mes amis, let’s do it all again next year!
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
ST. JOHN'S 2009 EVENT SUMMARY
It wouldn't surprise anyone here if the after-party isn't still going on over at the Majestic - a post-celebration celebration in a city that will gather today to watch the Olympic flame come through. We caught a glimpse of it last night at a Gold Medal Plates event that was a total, rousing triumph. Every element came together from MC Seamus O'Reagan's wit to spectacular music from Jim Cuddy and Anne Lindsay (Adam van Koeverden joined in too, at one point, to the crowd's delight). Adam Kreek downed a yard of ale in less than 30 seconds to encourage the crowd to bid up on the Yorkshire Dales trip and Marnie McBean was a most inspiring interviewee. The sold-out crowd were also stars, rising to the occasion and bidding like crazy. Next year's trip to Tuscany is going to include half of St. John's by my reckoning!
The chefs, too, were simply dazzling. Coming in to Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time, none of the GMP team knew what to expect gastronomically. While I don't usually compare the cuisine of different cities, I have to say that the overall standards of quality, skill and imagination in St. John's puts it up in the top two or three of the cities we've visited this year. Huge congratulations to all the chefs - and to the judges led by St. John's Senior Judge, Karl Wells.
The bronze medal last night was awarded to Mark McCrowe of Aqua. He built his dish out of three prinicpal (and deliciously local) elements - first, a moist and piping-hot little piece of salmon glazed with a bakeapple gastrique; then a soft patty of cod cheek and mashed root vegetables; thirdly, a generous raviolo of tender pasta filled with a mixture of ice shrimp and goat cheese. Bringing all three together very cleverly was the sauce - a smoked tomato vinaigrette spiked with a hint of cumin. A scattering of scrunchions was the final touch. Chef McCrowe paired his dish beautifully with a rich, soft Riesling from Prospect Winery in B.C.
Our silver medal went to Jeremy Charles of Atlantica who slow-cooked veal cheek to the very peak of luxe, tender perfection. He set the quivering little slab on a soft, creamy polenta, separated by a slice of roasted tomato that added its own sweet tang to the experience. Above the meat was a delicate pasta pillow cut out to resemble a flower and filled with a soft soubise of caramelized onion. Two asparagus spears shared the plate, paddling in the rich braising juices. On top, Chef Charles had echoed the polenta and roast tomato with a brunoise of tomato and a dusting of toasted cornmeal that added a most intriguing crunch. The wine he chose to pair with his veal was Norman Hardie Pinot Noir 2007, a gorgeous ambassador from Prince Edward County, Ontario.
Our gold medal was awarded to Ivan Kyutukchiev of Bianca's. It was the last dish the judges tasted but it certainly made them sit up! The warmed plate was decorated with a dazzling stripe of purple - an edible paint that could have been derived from beets or blueberries - or both. Equally eye-catching was a two-tiered tian with a savoury coffee sponge as the base, topped with a moussy purple beet parfait. Crisp coffee granules were strewn on top. These elements proved a fascinating accompaniment to the dish's main event - a thick slice of oven-roasted Labrador caribou, timed to perfection, rare and still juicy, its unique flavour a real eye-opener to those of us more used to farmed game. The sauce was a reduction of port wine and blueberries - exactly the right berry for the dish, the judges agreed. Chef Kyutukchiev had sailed courageously close to the wind with this creation - it was almost too sweet, but not quite! Instead it blew the judges away. His wine? The 2006 Trius Red from Hillebrand Estates Winery in Ontario, which showed very well indeed and had its own ripe berry aromas to contribute.
Chef Kyutukchiev has his work cut out now preparing for the Canadian Culinary Championship in Vancouver from November 26-28. All but one of his competitors has been decided. It only remains to see who will triumph in Toronto on November 19. Best of luck to all our champions.
James Chatto
National Culinary Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
CANADIAN WINE INDUSTRY STEPS UP TO THE PODIUM
By donating over 325 cases of wine to the seven city Gold Medal Plates culinary competitions and the Canadian Culinary Championships this fall, the Canadian wine, beer and spirits industry has contributed close to $100,000 in support of Canada's Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Sixty-five wineries stepped up to either pair wines with the competing chefs or provide Canadian Wine Awards gold medalists to VIP receptions at the events. Please see the list of donating wineries, city by city, below or at www.goldmedalplates.com.
The list includes wineries owned by Vincor Canada, official wine sponsor of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Sponsorship however was not involved in deciding which wines were served by the chefs or at the VIP receptions. Each chef selected their wine independently as the success of the food-and-wine pairing was part of the judges' scoring process.
Since 2004, Gold Medal Plates has raised over $3.5 million dollars for Canada's Olympians. The program is designed to encourage and showcase Canadian excellence in the areas of sport, food and wine and entertainment, and has evolved to become the leading culinary competition in Canada!
The Winners in 2009
After local competitions in St. John's, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, the 2009 Gold Medal Plates campaign ended with the Canadian Culinary Championships in Vancouver on November 28.
The 2009 Canadian Culinary Champion is Mathieu Cloutier of Kitchen Galerie in Montreal, who paired with Huff Estate 2007 South Bay Chardonnay from Prince Edward County in Ontario. The silver medalist was David Lee of Nota Bene in Toronto, who paired with 13th Street 2008 June Vineyard Riesling from Niagara. Completing the sweep for Ontario wine, the bronze went to Matthew Carmichael of Restaurant 18 in Ottawa, who paired with Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay, also from Prince Edward County.
The winery that won the gold in its respective city competition was automatically invited to the Canadian Culinary Championships as a partner with the competing chef. The other participating CCC wineries included the Okanagan's Road 13 which took gold in both the Calgary and Vancouver competitions, Joie Farm (its 2008 Rose took the gold in Edmonton and was also poured in Vancouver) and Hillebrand Estates (its Trius 2006 Red from Niagara took the gold in St. John's).
The Mystery Wine Pairing Competition
One of the most exciting elements of the Canadian Culinary Championships was a Mystery Wine Pairing held at the trendy Republic nightclub in Vancouver. The chefs were given an unlabeled bottle and had 24 hours to shop, prepare and serve a matching dish to 200 guests. Montreal's Mathieu Cloutier was the People's Choice winner of this leg of the competition.
The Mystery Wine was revealed to be Black Hills 2008 Alibi, a crisp, complex sauvignon blanc and semillon blend that provided great refreshment with all the chefs creations then dovetailed beautifully with the best of the evening. Black Hills donated 10 cases to this event, plus another four cases to the Vancouver event, making this premier Okanagan winery the largest single donor to Gold Medal Plates 2009. Many thanks to winery President, Glenn Fawcett, who also generously donated to the Live Auction.
Canadian Wine Awards Gold Medalists Showcase
This year, Gold Medal Plates also teamed up with the Wine Access magazine Canadian Wine Awards to provide an opportunity for almost 2,000 VIP guests to taste gold medalists from the 2009 Awards programs. Wineries that had won gold were asked to donate six bottles to one or more cities, and most came through with flying colours. Those wineries are also listed below, and complete results of the Canadian Wine Awards can be found in the December issue of Wine Access magazine now on newsstands.
The Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards participating wineries:
Burrowing Owl, BC
Fielding Estate, ON
Hillebrand (Trius), ON
Kacaba Vineyards, ON
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, BC
Quail's Gate Winery, BC
Road 13 Vineyards, BC
Rosehall Run Winery, ON
Sandhill Wines, BC. (CWA Winery of the Year)
See Ya Later Ranch, BC
Seven Stones, BC
Stag's Hollow, BC
Thirty Bench, ON
Thornhaven Estates, BC
The Wines - City by City
St. John's
Trius 2006 Red, Niagara Peninsula, ON - GOLD
Norman Hardie 2007 Pinot Noir, Prince Edward County, ON - SILVER
Prospect Winery 2008 Larch Tree Riesling, Okanagan Valley, B.C. - BRONZE
Domaine Pinnacle Apple Ice Wine, QC
Iceberg Vodka, NL
Inniskillin 2007 Cabernet Franc, Niagara, ON
Mission Hill 2008 Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley, BC
Peninsula Ridge 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, Niagara, ON
Rodrigues Markland Cottage Sedna Vodka, NL
Montreal
Huff Estates 2008 Merlot, ON - GOLD
Malivoire 2007 Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula, ON - SILVER
Rosehall Run 2007 Cuvée County Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON - BRONZE
Black Prince 2005 First Crush Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON
Creemore Springs Brewery, ON
Norman Hardie 2007 Pinot Noir, Prince Edward County, ON
Val Caudalies 2008 Vidal Demi-Sec, QC
Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Estates 2007 Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Wayne Gretzky No.99 Estates2007 Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Ottawa
Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON - GOLD
Vignoble Les Pervenches 2007 Chardonnay Seyval Blanc, QC - SILVER
Southbrook 2005 Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, ON - BRONZE
Angel's Gate 2007 Riesling, ON
Cave Spring 2007 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Chateau des Charmes 2006 Cabernet-Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Coyote's Run 2007 Red Paw Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Peller Estates 2007 Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Stratus 2007 Wildass White, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Tawse 2006 Echoes White, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Toronto
13th Street 2008 Riesling June's Vineyard, Niagara Peninsula, ON - GOLD
Daniel Lenko 2007 Gewurztraminer, Niagara Peninsula, ON - SILVER
Cave Spring 2007 Estate Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, ON - BRONZE
Chateau des Charmes 2007 Riesling and 2006 Gamay Noir, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON
Fielding Estate 2008 Pinot Gris, Beamsville Bench, ON
Henry of Pelham 2007 Baco Noir, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Hidden Bench 2007 Terroir Caché, Beamsville Bench, ON
Mission Hill 2006 Reserve Merlot, Okanagan, B.C.
Organized Crime 2008 Riesling Reserve, Beamsville Bench, ON
Edmonton
JoieFarm 2008 Rose, Okanagan Valley, BC - GOLD
Kettle Valley 2008, Chardonnay, Naramata, BC - SILVER
Road 13 2007 Syrah 2007, Okanagan Valley BC - BRONZE
Cedar Creek 2006 Meritage, Okanagan Valley, BC
Gehringer Brother PR 2007 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC
Malivoire 2008 Ladybug Rose, Beamsville Bench, ON
Mission Hill 2006 S.L.C Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Meyer Family Tribute Series Bill Reid 2007 Chardonnay, Naramata, BC
Morning Bay 2006 Pinot Noir, Pender Island, BC
Quails' Gate 2007 Old Vine Fosch, Okanagan Valley, BC
Calgary
Road 13 Vineyards 2007 Syrah, Okanagan Valley, BC - GOLD
Quail's Gate Vineyard 2007 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC - SILVER
SAP Vampire Maple Lager - BRONZE
Black Hills 2007 Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Blue Mountain 2008 Gamay Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC
Gray Monk Estate Winery, 2007 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Laughing Stock Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Nk'mip Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC
Osoyoos Larose 2004 Petalos, Okanagan Valley, BC
Vancouver
Road 13 2008 Viognier Roussanne Marsanne, Okanagan Valley, BC - GOLD
Tantalus 2008 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, BC - SILVER
Black Hills 2008 Alibi, Okanagan Valley, BC - BRONZE
Blasted Church 2008 Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, BC
Clos du Soleil 2007 Meritage, Similkameen Valley, BC
8th Generation 200 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, BC
Joie Farm 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Le Vieux Pin 2008 Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Okanagan Valley, BC
Stoneboat 2007 Pinotage, Okanagan Valley, BC
Wild Goose 2008 Autumm Gold, Okanagan Valley, BC
For more information contact:
David Lawrason
National Wine Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
Phone: 613-885-4489
Email: david@davidlawrason.com