2009 EVENT SUMMARY | CANADIAN WINE INDUSTRY STEPS UP TO THE PODIUM | 2008 EVENT SUMMARY | 2007 EVENT SUMMARY
VANCOUVER
Master of Ceremonies: Brian Williams
Honourary Chair: Trevor Linden
Chairs: Arthur Griffiths, Tricia Smith, Joel Finlay, Steve Swaffield
Gold Medal Plates is the ultimate celebration of Canadian Excellence in cuisine, wine, entertainment and athletic achievement.
Gold Medal Plates Vancouver
Friday October 23, 2009 6:00 pm
The Westin Bayshore
1601 Bayshore Drive
Contact:
Tina Oliver
Power of T.W.O
3219 West King Edward Avenue
Vancouver, BC, V6L 1V6
604-803-8813 - phone
604-730-9592 - fax
E: tinaoliver@shaw.ca
VANCOUVER EVENT SUMMARY 2009
Last night, the Olympic city of Vancouver restated its intention to be regarded as Canada's gastronomic capital with a dazzling sell-out fundraiser for Gold Medal Plates. The evening began with a VIP reception where lucky guests were treated to an array of Canada's finest wines as chosen by GMP National Wine Advisor, David Lawrason, and Wine Access magazine. Last year's gold-medal chef, Frank Pabst of Blue Water Café, provided a delectable accompaniment in the form of tiny pyramids of crab mousse topped with sustainable Canadian sturgeon caviar. Speeches were inspiring, pertinent and brief - then the crowd headed off for the first part of the evening, the chefs' competition, pausing between stations to bid on the rare wine silent auction - an exceptional collection this year thanks in large part to the generosity of Mr. Edgar Kaiser Jr. Where our chefs were concerned, the list of gustatory gladiators was the strongest ever gathered in this city, with every competitor a potential winner, and standards were extraordinarily high. The final decisions were only reached after close to an hour of deliberation among the hard-working judges. Their reward was a sit-down celebration and some great music from Jim Cuddy and Stephen Page.
In the end, the bronze medal was awarded to former gold-medallist Pino Posteraro of Cioppino's. He began by presenting an "amuse" - morsels of sweet, maple-marinated sable fish on a tangy jelly made from his chosen wine, a delectable Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend called Alibi from Black Hills Estate Winery in B.C.'s Okanagan valley. Then came a small bowl containing a perfectly textured raviolo filled with smoked sable fish and a dab of puréed potato. Beneath this was a bed of impeccably tender-firm green Umbrian lentils cooked in the broth that had poached the smoked fish, reinforced with some smoked olive oil. The sauce was a spot prawn cream subtly enhanced with traces of parmesan, lemon and Demerara sugar, a little of which had been turned into a snowy foam that capped the raviolo. All in all, a stunning affair.
The silver medal was awarded to Dale Mackay of Lumière. He presented a most elegant dish consisting of three components, with flavours that drew moans of pleasure from the judges. The principal element was a slice of a terrine en croute, its delicate frame of soft pastry shaped like an arched chancel window, but instead of stained glass Chef Mackay had layered several treatments of Sloping Hill Farm pork, using the gizzard, leg and belly, reinforced with foie gras and a topaz-coloured Okanagan quince jelly. Beside it, tiny turned radish, turnip, cornichon and poached quince had been lightly pickled - they looked like a handful of precious gems. On the right a rectangular strip of firm quince jelly was another sweet-tart condiment while a teaspoonful of pork jus completed the dish. Chef Mackay's chosen wine, a tangy 2008 Tantalus Riesling from the Okanagan, was a luminous match.
The gold medal, not for the first time, was awarded to Rob Feenie of Cactus Club. He began his dish with a teaspoonful of sorbet made from parsnip, pear and pineapple, perfectly judged to introduce flavours in his chosen wine, a big, bright 2008 blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne from Road 13 in the Okanagan. Two principal elements on the plate that followed wowed the judges: first, a brick-shaped portion of layered Virginia Jacobs duck meat confited sous-vide for 24 hours to the peak of tenderness. Beside it, Chef Feenie posed a small boudin noir made of pressed chicken from Polderside Farms in Chiliwack, subtly enriched with foie gras. A dot of puréed fig was one garnish, matching another illusory moment in the wine; on top of everything lay a flavourful slice of flash-frozen truffle. More truffle was chopped up and mixed with a vinegar-based sauce, its acidity muted and mellow. The dish had its own thrilling and resonant harmonies and eventually emerged as a most worthy winner.
Congratulations to all the chefs who performed so well, and to the judges who had their work cut out determining a winner from such a talented field. Chef Feenie goes on to the Canadian Culinary Championship in Vancouver in November which is already shaping up to be the mother of all gastronomic confrontations.
James Chatto
National Culinary Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
A special thank you to our Platinum Sponsor Edward Kaiser Jr for his gracious donation to the Vancouver rare wine auction, allowing us to raise even more money for Canada's Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
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
VANCOUVER EVENT SUMMARY 2008
The Vancouver 2008 Gold Medal Plates gala was another triumph. Almost 700 guests, chefs, cooks and athletes crowded the Westin Bayshore hotel looking to party and the event did not disappoint. Melissa Craig, chef of Barefoot Bistro and current Canadian Culinary Champion, was back on her home turf, showing her mettle with a delectable dish during the VIP reception. Jim Cuddy was joined on stage by local hero Barnie Bentall and the incomparable Anne Lindsay for several musical sets that had the audience on their feet.
Last year's gold-medal wining chef, Pino Posteraro, owner-chef of Cioppino's, prepared dessert and served as one of the judges. Pino's involvement with Gold Medal Plates has been tremendous over the years in terms of both practical support and inspiration within the chefs' community and it was a pleasure to induct him into the Gold Medal Plates Hall of Fame. We also welcomed Daniel Boulud, renowned as one of the world's greatest chefs and now a gastronomic presence in Vancouver, as Honourary Chair of the gala. His generous donation of a weekend in New York including flights, meals at his restaurants there and in Vancouver led off a very successful auction.
The competing chefs' imagination and dedication to the competition was in particular evidence last night with a wide variety of dishes on offer. The judges has their work cut out for them and, as has often been the case during this campaign, marks were extrremely tight with less than one percentage point separating the gold and silver medallists' scores.
Taking the bronze medal was Andrey Durbach of Parkside. He presented each guest with an individual pot au feu of game birds and wild mushrooms based on a sumptuously layered, dark, clear game consommé. Bathing in the broth were several items: here a soft-textured farce of duck confit and chestnut wrapped in a bright green cabbage leaf; there a slice of capon and truffle boudin blanc; beside them, a porcini mushroom-stuffed capeletto, the pasta darkened by the inclusion of powdered dried porcini instead of a measure of the flour; a torchon of quail and pheasant breast completed the dish. Chef Durbach paired it with Stag's Hollow Simply Noir 2006 from the Okanagan, a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir that worked beautifully with the many flavours and textures of the gamebirds.
The silver medal was awarded to the inimitable Hidekazu Tojo, who has stepped onto the podium each time he has entered Gold Medal Plates.In honour of the season, Tojo decorated his plate with a real maple leaf and pine needles topped with a paper parcel tied tightly with raffia. Inside the parcel was a remarkable offering: a juicy chunk of supple poached pine mushroom; a panko-crusted shiitake mushroom with its own slightly different texture; a gloriously plump West Coast mussel taken out of its shell and topped with a morsel of lobster. These elements were wrapped in a cloak of soft, warm, golden smoked sablefish and shared their parchment prison with a green chili of the most subtle capsicum heat stuffed with a delicate mousse of ling cod. Outside the package was a small dish of crunchy sweet-tart Japanese pickled vegetables that provided a delightful and refreshing contrast. Tojo chose an excellent wine as a partner to his dish - the 2007 Riesling from Mission Hill Family Estate winery in the Okanagan.
Our Vancouver gold medallist was Frank Pabst, chef at Blue Water Café. His dish was a bold one, involving the (for some guests) challenging flavour of local red sea urchin. Chef Pabst mitigated the pungency by turning the urchin meat into a mousse blended with sweet Qualicum Beach scallop, glazed with a fine ponzu jelly. Beneath the mousse was a crunchy, refreshing salad of chopped wakame seaweed and leek. Beside it was a cloud of cucumber vichyssoise foam, its ethereal texture in contrast to the distinctive cucumber flavour, and on top of the foam lay a semi-translucent white pearl of sake and yuzu liquid jelly. A nori crisp. Brittle and tissue-thin, provided a different texture. The judges felt the wine match - Sumac Ridge Winery's sparkling 2001 Pinnacle from the Okanagan - was one of the most successful in all the years of competition.
Chef Pabst now goes on to compete in the Canadian Culinary Challenge in February 2009 - three days of gruelling gladiatorial gastronomy to be held at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
VANCOUVER EVENT SUMMARY 2007
VANCOUVER
Master of Ceremonies: Brian Williams
Honourary Chair: Trevor Linden
Chairs: Arthur Griffiths, Tricia Smith, Joel Finlay, Steve Swaffield
Gold Medal Plates is the ultimate celebration of Canadian Excellence in cuisine, wine, entertainment and athletic achievement.
Gold Medal Plates Vancouver
Friday October 23, 2009 6:00 pm
The Westin Bayshore
1601 Bayshore Drive
Contact:
Tina Oliver
Power of T.W.O
3219 West King Edward Avenue
Vancouver, BC, V6L 1V6
604-803-8813 - phone
604-730-9592 - fax
E: tinaoliver@shaw.ca
Last night, the Olympic city of Vancouver restated its intention to be regarded as Canada's gastronomic capital with a dazzling sell-out fundraiser for Gold Medal Plates. The evening began with a VIP reception where lucky guests were treated to an array of Canada's finest wines as chosen by GMP National Wine Advisor, David Lawrason, and Wine Access magazine. Last year's gold-medal chef, Frank Pabst of Blue Water Café, provided a delectable accompaniment in the form of tiny pyramids of crab mousse topped with sustainable Canadian sturgeon caviar. Speeches were inspiring, pertinent and brief - then the crowd headed off for the first part of the evening, the chefs' competition, pausing between stations to bid on the rare wine silent auction - an exceptional collection this year thanks in large part to the generosity of Mr. Edgar Kaiser Jr. Where our chefs were concerned, the list of gustatory gladiators was the strongest ever gathered in this city, with every competitor a potential winner, and standards were extraordinarily high. The final decisions were only reached after close to an hour of deliberation among the hard-working judges. Their reward was a sit-down celebration and some great music from Jim Cuddy and Stephen Page. In the end, the bronze medal was awarded to former gold-medallist Pino Posteraro of Cioppino's. He began by presenting an "amuse" - morsels of sweet, maple-marinated sable fish on a tangy jelly made from his chosen wine, a delectable Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend called Alibi from Black Hills Estate Winery in B.C.'s Okanagan valley. Then came a small bowl containing a perfectly textured raviolo filled with smoked sable fish and a dab of puréed potato. Beneath this was a bed of impeccably tender-firm green Umbrian lentils cooked in the broth that had poached the smoked fish, reinforced with some smoked olive oil. The sauce was a spot prawn cream subtly enhanced with traces of parmesan, lemon and Demerara sugar, a little of which had been turned into a snowy foam that capped the raviolo. All in all, a stunning affair.
The silver medal was awarded to Dale Mackay of Lumière. He presented a most elegant dish consisting of three components, with flavours that drew moans of pleasure from the judges. The principal element was a slice of a terrine en croute, its delicate frame of soft pastry shaped like an arched chancel window, but instead of stained glass Chef Mackay had layered several treatments of Sloping Hill Farm pork, using the gizzard, leg and belly, reinforced with foie gras and a topaz-coloured Okanagan quince jelly. Beside it, tiny turned radish, turnip, cornichon and poached quince had been lightly pickled - they looked like a handful of precious gems. On the right a rectangular strip of firm quince jelly was another sweet-tart condiment while a teaspoonful of pork jus completed the dish. Chef Mackay's chosen wine, a tangy 2008 Tantalus Riesling from the Okanagan, was a luminous match.
The gold medal, not for the first time, was awarded to Rob Feenie of Cactus Club. He began his dish with a teaspoonful of sorbet made from parsnip, pear and pineapple, perfectly judged to introduce flavours in his chosen wine, a big, bright 2008 blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne from Road 13 in the Okanagan. Two principal elements on the plate that followed wowed the judges: first, a brick-shaped portion of layered Virginia Jacobs duck meat confited sous-vide for 24 hours to the peak of tenderness. Beside it, Chef Feenie posed a small boudin noir made of pressed chicken from Polderside Farms in Chiliwack, subtly enriched with foie gras. A dot of puréed fig was one garnish, matching another illusory moment in the wine; on top of everything lay a flavourful slice of flash-frozen truffle. More truffle was chopped up and mixed with a vinegar-based sauce, its acidity muted and mellow. The dish had its own thrilling and resonant harmonies and eventually emerged as a most worthy winner.Congratulations to all the chefs who performed so well, and to the judges who had their work cut out determining a winner from such a talented field. Chef Feenie goes on to the Canadian Culinary Championship in Vancouver in November which is already shaping up to be the mother of all gastronomic confrontations.
James Chatto
National Culinary Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
A special thank you to our Platinum Sponsor Edward Kaiser Jr for his gracious donation to the Vancouver rare wine auction, allowing us to raise even more money for Canada's Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
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
The Vancouver 2008 Gold Medal Plates gala was another triumph. Almost 700 guests, chefs, cooks and athletes crowded the Westin Bayshore hotel looking to party and the event did not disappoint. Melissa Craig, chef of Barefoot Bistro and current Canadian Culinary Champion, was back on her home turf, showing her mettle with a delectable dish during the VIP reception. Jim Cuddy was joined on stage by local hero Barnie Bentall and the incomparable Anne Lindsay for several musical sets that had the audience on their feet.Last year's gold-medal wining chef, Pino Posteraro, owner-chef of Cioppino's, prepared dessert and served as one of the judges. Pino's involvement with Gold Medal Plates has been tremendous over the years in terms of both practical support and inspiration within the chefs' community and it was a pleasure to induct him into the Gold Medal Plates Hall of Fame. We also welcomed Daniel Boulud, renowned as one of the world's greatest chefs and now a gastronomic presence in Vancouver, as Honourary Chair of the gala. His generous donation of a weekend in New York including flights, meals at his restaurants there and in Vancouver led off a very successful auction.
The competing chefs' imagination and dedication to the competition was in particular evidence last night with a wide variety of dishes on offer. The judges has their work cut out for them and, as has often been the case during this campaign, marks were extrremely tight with less than one percentage point separating the gold and silver medallists' scores.Taking the bronze medal was Andrey Durbach of Parkside. He presented each guest with an individual pot au feu of game birds and wild mushrooms based on a sumptuously layered, dark, clear game consommé. Bathing in the broth were several items: here a soft-textured farce of duck confit and chestnut wrapped in a bright green cabbage leaf; there a slice of capon and truffle boudin blanc; beside them, a porcini mushroom-stuffed capeletto, the pasta darkened by the inclusion of powdered dried porcini instead of a measure of the flour; a torchon of quail and pheasant breast completed the dish. Chef Durbach paired it with Stag's Hollow Simply Noir 2006 from the Okanagan, a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir that worked beautifully with the many flavours and textures of the gamebirds.
The silver medal was awarded to the inimitable Hidekazu Tojo, who has stepped onto the podium each time he has entered Gold Medal Plates.In honour of the season, Tojo decorated his plate with a real maple leaf and pine needles topped with a paper parcel tied tightly with raffia. Inside the parcel was a remarkable offering: a juicy chunk of supple poached pine mushroom; a panko-crusted shiitake mushroom with its own slightly different texture; a gloriously plump West Coast mussel taken out of its shell and topped with a morsel of lobster. These elements were wrapped in a cloak of soft, warm, golden smoked sablefish and shared their parchment prison with a green chili of the most subtle capsicum heat stuffed with a delicate mousse of ling cod. Outside the package was a small dish of crunchy sweet-tart Japanese pickled vegetables that provided a delightful and refreshing contrast. Tojo chose an excellent wine as a partner to his dish - the 2007 Riesling from Mission Hill Family Estate winery in the Okanagan.Our Vancouver gold medallist was Frank Pabst, chef at Blue Water Café. His dish was a bold one, involving the (for some guests) challenging flavour of local red sea urchin. Chef Pabst mitigated the pungency by turning the urchin meat into a mousse blended with sweet Qualicum Beach scallop, glazed with a fine ponzu jelly. Beneath the mousse was a crunchy, refreshing salad of chopped wakame seaweed and leek. Beside it was a cloud of cucumber vichyssoise foam, its ethereal texture in contrast to the distinctive cucumber flavour, and on top of the foam lay a semi-translucent white pearl of sake and yuzu liquid jelly. A nori crisp. Brittle and tissue-thin, provided a different texture. The judges felt the wine match - Sumac Ridge Winery's sparkling 2001 Pinnacle from the Okanagan - was one of the most successful in all the years of competition.
Chef Pabst now goes on to compete in the Canadian Culinary Challenge in February 2009 - three days of gruelling gladiatorial gastronomy to be held at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
November 14 saw the 2007 Vancouver leg of the Gold Medal Plates campaign soar into history at the luxe Westin Bayshore hotel. The buzz in the room from the sold-out crowd was palpable and the welcome given to our speaker, triathlete Simon Whitfield rocked the ceiling. As did Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo who was easily coaxed into an encore before the national anthem. Appropriately, the calibre and passion of the cooking from every competitor in the first half of the evening set a new standard for this campaign.
Taking the bronze medal (by a difference of less than one percentage point over David Hawksworth of West) was Chef Scott Jaeger of The Pear Tree. Poised over a stripe of celeriac purée, his little slab of B.C. Berkshire pork belly was impeccably textured, so tender it parted at the touch of a fork. The sweet flavour of the meat was beautifully enhanced by a miniature puck of cipollini onion jelly and a tiny crunchy tube of pastry filled with pear butter. The accompanying wine, cutting valiantly through the fat, was Inniskillin's 2004 Malbec from the Okanagan.
The silver medal also went to an out-of-town chef - Melissa Craig from Barefoot Bistro in Whistler. Her presentation was exceptionally refined - four dainty treasures from the sea set out on a small wooden block. Here was a Cortez Island Black Pearl oyster - one of a new breed of East Coast oyster being farmed in the Pacific - dressed with a pickled daikon and cucumber mignonette that tasted intensely of cucumber and had a lovely sweetness to contrast with the oyster. A stiff mousse of B.C. spot prawn was cut into a tiny drum wrapped in a membrane of sesame jelly and topped with what looked like caviar but turned out to be a molecular doppelganger of miso and squid ink. Albacore tuna sashimi was dressed with a yuzu bonito mayonnaise and topped with soy-flavourd "pop rocks". A crunchy cone of cured wild salmon was dressed with horseradish cream. The matching wine, a 2005 Riesling from Tantalus Vineyards, was perfectly chosen, its acidity and intensity of flavour dovetailing with the many tastes on the plate.
The gold medal for our Vancouver event this year was awarded to Chef Pino Posteraro of Cioppino's. The banner above his station described the dish simply as a "porcini mushroom and chestnut soup" - and indeed it was, served in a coffee cup like some kind of cappuccino. But the texure was profoundly enriched and the layers of mushroom flavour were dramatically deepened by melted foie gras and a scattering of crunchy truffled brioche croutons. In a ceramic spoon set on the saucer of the "coffee cup" was the other element of the dish - a square of chilled mushroom jelly and a roasted mushroom salad served at room temperature, the supple textures and contrasting temperatures working beautifully in the mouth. The judges were unanimous in awarding the dish maximum "wow factor". As an accompanying wine, Posteraro chose a Niagara Chardonnay that proved an inspired match - Pillitteri Estates Winery Chardonnay Sur Lie 2006.
Chef Posteraro will now be competing in the Canadian Culinary Championship, our gruelling three-day finale to the competition, to be held in Toronto from February 7 to 10, 2008. So far his opposition consists of Anthony Walsh of Canoe in Toronto, Martin Ruiz Salvador of Fleur de Sel in Lunenberg, and Roland Ménard of Manoir Hovey representing Montréal. Tonight we do it all again in Calgary!
James Chatto
National Culinary Advisor
Gold Medal Plates