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Gold Medal Plates Wine, Beer, and Spirits Report 2011
By David Lawrason
The Gold Medal Plates 2011 nine-city campaign to raise funds for our Olympic and Paralympic athletes was the most comprehensive and fascinating to date when it came to the wines, beers, and spirits presented to our guests. The generosity of the industry continued unabated with a record seventy winemakers, brewers, and distillers donating tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of their products (a complete list follows the city-by-city reports). And they all upped the ante even further by donating their premium labels.
Interesting trends emerged this year. First, we had a record number of breweries donate their ales and pilsners, with Molson M being served across the land during our Celebrations. And most cities also had a local craft brewer team-up with a chef – indeed Montreal had three and they finished gold-silver-bronze on the podium. And this year three local distillers also joined in nationally – Victoria Gin, Iceberg Vodka and Alberta Premium – to provide a local base for our new Mixology stations.
On the wine side, I noted a movement to the pouring of white wines with many of the chef’s dishes. All cities, except Edmonton, had more whites than reds. This presents one of those chicken and egg moments. Were whites chosen because the chefs were simply moving to lighter dishes, or, were the chefs more confident with Canadian whites, creating their dishes accordingly? What gives some weight to the latter theory is that at least three chefs matched whites to red meat dishes – and did it very well.
On to the city by city details, in chronological order.
Montreal 2011 Wine Report
PEC and Beer Night
The kick-off to the 2011 Gold Medal Plates campaign in Montreal unveiled a new Best of Show Award designed to bring more attention to the incredible generosity of Canadian wineries, brewers, and distillers who provide their products to the chefs, to the VIP Reception and the Celebration portion each event. In each city, I am joined by a local expert or experts to judge the wines, beers, and spirits on their own merit. The food judges are responsible for assessing the food and drink pairings as part of the overall performance. In Montreal I was joined by Veronique Rivest of the Gatineau region, twice a finalist representing Canada at the World Sommelier Competition held in Europe, and a frequent contributor to Cellier, La Presse, Wine Access, and CBC.
Our first choice for Best of Show was unanimous: the incredibly rich and elegant Closson Chase 2009 South Clos Chardonnay made in Prince Edward County. The runner-up was not quite unanimous, but ranked in both our top three – Norman Hardie 2009 Cabernet Franc, an elegant, layered, light red brimming with fresh currant-berry fruit. Third place went to Quebec’s own Domaine Le Brome 2007 Vidal Reserve, a very elegant barrel-aged, maturing dry vidal.
Other wines donated to chefs included: Grange of Prince Edward 2010 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (PEC), Haywire 2010 Pinot Gris (BC). But it was the beers that hauled in the medals when it came to the chef pairings led by Saint-Ambroise Cream Ale from McAuslan brewery with gold medal winning chef Jean-Philippe St-Denis of Kitchen Galerie Poisson. McEis Scotch Ale Glace by Siboire was chosen by silver medallist Danny St. Pierre of Auguste in Sherbrooke, and Ontario’s Creemore Springs Premium Lager accompanied the recipe of Nick Hodge from Kitchenette.
I would also like to acknowledge the following donations: Nova Scotia’s L’Acadie Vineyards for their elegant 2008 Prestige Brut Sparkling wine, Malivoire 2008 Pinot Noir from Niagara which is being released in Quebec in November, and imported reds including Masi 2010 Bonacosta Valpolicella and Cono Sur 2010 Pinot Reserve from Chile. The last three Celebration wines were very kindly donated by Authentic Wines Quebec.
Winnipeg 2011 Wine Report
An Auspicious Debut
With the opening night of Gold Medal Plates 2011 Campaign split between Montreal and Winnipeg, my wine duties fell to Montreal (but given the state of my French, I don’t quite understand the logic). Anyway, to do the duties in Winnipeg I enlisted the help of friend and fellow Canadian Wine Awards judge Ben McPhee-Sigurdson, wine columnist of the Winnipeg Free Press and a Canadian Wine Awards judge. He was joined by Gary Hewitt, senior wine consultant and educator at Banville and Jones, a leading Winnipeg wine shop, and by Domer Rafael of the Manitoba Club, who recently earned his International Wine Education Guild Diploma.
The first-ever Best of Show Award for wines, beers, and spirits was handed out one hour prior to Montreal, with the top nod going to Gray Monk 2010 Pinot Gris (BC), a wine praised by the judges for its purity and balance. The runners up were virtually tied in the judge’s estimation, and indeed of very similar origin and style. A pair of 2008 Rieslings took the honours: Cave Spring Niagara Peninsula, and Henry of Pelham Off dry.
The gold medal winning paired wine also went to Gray Monk, with their 2010 Riesling. Other products donated to the chefs included Pelee Island 2010 Blanc de Blanc Vidal Riesling, Malivoire 2010 Gamay, and two beers: Picarroon’s Timber Hog Ale and Half Pints Bulldog Amber Ale. And for the Celebration portion of the event, guests were treated to a pair of Italian wines from a property owned by Tina Jones of Banville and Jones: Quadri 2010 Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie and Tolaini 2006 Valdisanti, Toscana IGT, Italy.
Calgary 2011 Wine Report
Whites Rule in Cowtown!
The third city in the 2011 Gold Medal Plates campaign was Calgary, and as we moved farther west the number of great B.C. wines increased, with a who’s who of big names from the Okanagan. And there were a surprising number of white wines in the room given we were in Canada’s beef capital.
For the Best of Show Award, I was joined for the judging by Jackie Cooke, president of the Sommelier Association of Calgary, and Tom Firth, wine writer with Wine Access magazine and a Canadian Wine Awards judge. The winner was Dirty Laundry 2010 Woo Woo Gewurztraminer from BC, a beautifully defined and balanced gewurz donated to Catch restaurant. The runner-up was the impeccable Stratus 2009 Red Icewine from Niagara, followed by Laughing Stock’s 2009 Blind Trust, a modern Bordeaux blend.
Other wines donated to the chefs included: Kettle Valley 2008 Gewurztraminer (BC), Bartier Scholefied 2010 Rose (BC), JoieFarm 2010 Noble Blend (BC), Inniskillin Okanagan 2009 Marsanne (BC), Peninsula Ridge 2009 Fume Blanc (ON), and Black Hills 2010 Viognier.
The following were donated for the VIP Reception and Celebration portions: L’Acadie Vineyards 2008 Brut Prestige (NS), Hillebrand Trius Brut (ON), Le Vieux Pin 2008 Adieu Pinot Noir (BC), Laughing Stock 2008 Portfolio, and the newly released Calliope Figure 8 2010 by Burrowing Owl (BC). Many thanks to all the wineries for making Calgary one of the richest wine cities on the tour.
Edmonton 2011 Wine Report
Night of the Big B.C. Reds
The three-cities-in-three days western leg of Gold Medal Plates touched down at the massive terraced Shaw Centre in Edmonton, in a city that came out to play, and drink some great red wines. In the previous three cities the chefs had overwhelmingly gone for white wines and brews, but in Edmonton it seems any season is red wine season.
For the Best of Show Wine Award, I was joined by two local pillars of the wine community. Gurvinder Bhatia is a wine columnist for The Edmonton Journal, a Canadian Wine Awards judge, and manager of Vinomania, leading Edmonton wine shop. William Bincoletto is another wine institution in Edmonton, the chief wine consultant at Vines Wine Merchant (a long time supporter of Gold Medal Plates) and instructor of the Independent Wine Education Guild programs in the city.
The winner was a shoe-in with two first place votes and a second place vote: the beautifully constructed, firm and cellar-worthy Le Vieux Pin 2007 Merlot from B.C.’s Okanagan Valley. Second place went to new, creative, and very successfully layered and fine Road 13 2009 Merlot Syrah. Third spot went to another iconic B.C. red: Laughing Stock’s 2008 Portfolio – the second time this complex, layered, and reserved cellaring red has shown up in the winner’s circle this year.
There were actually many good wines in the room this night – my point spreads were not that far apart. The winning wine paired with Gold Medal Chef Jan Trittenbach was Peller Estates 2007 Private Reserve Syrah. Other red candidates included Le Vieux Pin 2008 Pinot Noir, Le Vieux Pin 2008 P’tit Rouge, ExNihilo 2007 Night, Township 7 2007 Merlot, Lake Breeze 2007 Seven Poplars Pinot Noir. Other selections included the racy Little Straw 2010 Pinot Rose, La Stella 2010 Leggerio Unoaked Chardonnay and Sumac Ridge Steller’s Jay Brut.
Vancouver 2011 Wine Report
Pinot Gris and Riesling in All Their Finery
The wine roster in Vancouver read like an Okanagan who’s who, but to my surprise there were far fewer hefty B.C. reds on display than I would have predicted. Instead, it was B.C. pinot gris, Riesling, and sparklers that dominated the show-floor and the awards. And these very fine, elegant wines captured the tone of perhaps the most refined and accomplished food and wine pairings I have experienced so far in the 2011 campaign.
I was joined for the Best of Show judging by two Vancouver amigos. Anthony Gismondi of the Vancouver Sun and Gismondi On Wine.com, is also Editor in Chief of Wine Access, and my co-founder of the Canadian Wine Awards. Sid Cross is one of the most travelled and accomplished palates in Canada and wine judge for the Canadian Wine Awards. We tasted eleven wines paired with the chefs, plus another two served at the VIP Reception, and four wines donated to the Celebration portion of the evening.
We gave the nod to Best of Show to a spectacular, focused, complex Tantalus 2009 Old Vines Riesling that was impeccably matched to a riesling-inspired creation by chef Mark Filatow of Kelowna. Our second place vote went to Road 13 2007 Old Vine Chenin Blanc Brut, an intriguingly complex, mature yet very lively sparkler. We couldn’t decide on third place so we tied the very rich, semi-tropical yet elegant Mission Hill 2010 Martin’s Lane Riesling, and Black Hill’s 2009 Syrah, a particularly tasty red and a promising debut from young vines. It was poured at the VIP Reception.
The Gold Medal for Best Paired wine went to Haywire 2010 Pinot Gris, matched to the star dish from Rob Feenie’s Cactus Club Restaurants. Haywire, from the Okanagan Crush Pad, is an instant modern classic pinot gris with subtle, layered fruit and a juicy yet refined palate. The silver medallist-paired wine was Laughing Stock 2010 Pinot Gris, a completely different take with pinkish hue and a creamy, subtly oak-influenced palate. The bronze-paired wine was Road 13’s aforementioned Sparkling Chenin Blanc – a white wine sweep!
Other paired wines included: Black Hills 2010 Viognier, Poplar Grove 2006 The Legacy, La Stella 2009 Nine Hundred, and Nichol Vineyard 2010 Pinot Gris; plus a fine apricot-infused beer from Cannery Brewing and a Schramm Gin Cold Herb Tea martini from Pemberton Distillery.
Other wines generously donated for the VIP and Celebration portions of the evening include L’Acadie 2008 Brut Prestige from Nova Scotia, Hillebrand Trius Brut from Niagara, Calliope Figure 8 Red by Burrowing Owl, Laughing Stock 2008 Portfolio and Le Vieux Pin 2008 Adieu Pinot Noir.
Saskatoon 2011 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.
Toronto 2011 Wine Report
Wineries Bring Their A-Game
Toronto chefs brought their A-game to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and so did Canada’s wineries. It was the best collection of wines, all from Ontario, of the 2011 Gold Medal Plates season, complemented by two very fine beers from Beau’s and Mill Street. And although we wine judges were not officially voting for a best match, I did find the level of wine pairing skill very high as well, at the same level of expertise of Vancouver. We were unanimous in picking the Gold Medal winning dish by Jonathan Gushue of Langdon Hill and Organized Crime 2009 Fume Blanc as the best match of the evening.
For the Best of Show Wine judging, I was joined by two colleagues from WineAlign.com. John Szabo, Canada’s first master sommelier, is a writer for several publications and a judge at the Canadian Wine Awards. Most recently, he has been contracted to create the wine program at Toronto’s Trump Hotel. Sara d’Amato is a sommelier as well, currently raising a young family and writing for several publications. She too has judged the Canadian Wine Awards.
In a tough field, our Best of Show wine was a slam-dunk. Château des Charmes 2008 Old Vines Riesling has won several other awards as well, including gold at the Canadian Wine Awards and White Wine of the Year at the Ontario Wine Awards. It is deep, rich, and powerful. The refined, rich, layered Stratus 2008 White placed second, with refined and nuanced Tawse 2009 Laundry Vineyard Cabernet Franc ranking third.
The Tawse Cab Franc was one of several generously poured for the VIP reception and Celebration and Awards portions of the evening. From Nova Scotia, we enjoyed a delightful sparkling Cremant from Blomidon Estate Winery. Malivoire’s sumptuous, elegant 2008 Moira Chardonnay graced the Awards portion along with the fine, surprisingly complex Trius Brut, and the smooth, young Black Hills 2009 Syrah.
Other wines donated for the Chef Pairings included: Henry of Pelham 2010 Riesling, 13th Street 2010 Merlot, Closson Chase 2009 Churchside Pinot Noir, Hidden Bench 2008 Terroir Cache, Niagara College 2007 Dean’s List Meritage, Mill Street Organic Helles Bock and Beau’s Night-Marzen Oktoberfest Lager.
Ottawa 2011 Wine Report
A White Wine Tour de Force
The chefs of the nation’s capital were part of a country-wide trend in choosing predominantly white wines to match their creations. There were only three reds poured. All but one of the wines were from Ontario, so again riesling figured heavily on the menus, along with chardonnay. And the pairings with the white wines were quite bold with two of them matched to meat dishes.
I was joined on the judging panel by two prominent local wine experts. Rod Phillips is the wine columnist for the Ottawa Citizen, the author of several wine books, and judges several competitions. Janet Dorozynski is Wine Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and standing judge for the Canadian Wine Awards. Both teamed up to create the Ottawa Wine Challenge, a competition for wines poured at the Ottawa Wine and Food Festival which ended the day before our GMP event. So thanks to Rod and Janet for staying the course!
The judging for Best of Show Award was not as easy as in other cities, with no unanimous choices. But with Painted Rock 2010 Chardonnay from British Columbia receiving two first-place votes, it was the winner. Things became even closer thereafter, with Hidden Bench 2009 Chardonnay taking second-spot, and Château des Charmes 2007 Old Vines Riesling in third. Hidden Bench Chardonnay was also paired with gold medal winning chef Marc Lepine of L’Atelier.
The other Chef Paired wines included: Trius 2010 Cabernet Franc, Angels Gate 2010 Gewurztraminer, Cave Spring 2009 Estate Chenin Blanc, Ravine 2010 Sand and Gravel Chardonnay, Norman Hardie 2009 Niagara Chardonnay, Huff Estates 2007 Merlot-Cabernet (drinking beautifully) and Lailey 2010 Pinot Noir.
The Celebration wines were an exact duplication of those poured in Toronto, so many thanks again to Tawse, Malivoire, Trius and Black Hills for their exceptional generosity in supplying two cities. In the VIP Reception guests enjoyed the slender, refreshing L’Acadie Vineyards 2008 Brut Prestige sparkler.
St. John’s 2011 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.
****
And that was a wrap – nine cities, almost 100 wines and beers later. It was a fascinating tapestry of Canadian wining and dining, with the final chapter to be written at the Canadian Culinary Championship in Kelowna, February 10 to 12, 2012. Time to start guessing what I am going to choose as the Mystery Wine for the first leg of the competition!
The Donating Wineries (* number of donations/cities)
Angel’s Gate Winery, Niagara Peninsula*
Bartier Scholefield, Okanagan Valley*
Black Hills Winery, Okanagan Valley*******
Blomidon Estate, Nova Scotia*
Burrowing Owl (Calliope), Okanagan Valley**
Cave Spring Cellars, Niagara Peninsula*
Château des Charmes, Niagara Peninsula**
Closson Chase Vineyards, Prince Edward County**
Dirty Laundry, Okanagan Valley*
Ex Nihilo Winery, Okanagan Valley*
Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery, Okanagan Valley*
Grange of Prince Edward, Prince Edward County*
Gray Monk, Okanagan Valley**
Haywire Winery, Okanagan Valley***
Henry of Pelham, Niagara Peninsula***
Hidden Bench, Niagara Peninsula**
Hillebrand/Trius, Niagara Peninsula *****
Huff Estate, Prince Edward County*
Inniskillin Okanagan, Okanagan Valley*
JoieFarm, Okanagan Valley*
Kettle Valley, Okanagan Valley*
Lailey Vineyard, Niagara Peninsula*
L’Acadie Vineyards, Nova Scotia*****
Lake Breeze Winery, Okanagan Valley*
La Stella Winery, Okanagan Valley**
Le Domaine Les Bromes, Quebec*
Laughing Stock Vineyards, Okanagan Valley*****
Le Clos Jordanne, Niagara Peninsula *
Le Vieux Pin Winery, Okanagan Valley*****
Little Straw Vineyards, Okanagan Valley*
Malivoire Wine Company, Niagara Peninsula***
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley**
Niagara College Teaching Winery, Niagara Peninsula*
Nichol Vineyard, Okanagan Valley**
Nk’Mip Cellars, Okanagan Valley*
Norman Hardie Winery, Prince Edward County**
Organized Crime, Niagara Peninsula *
Orofino Vineyards, Similkameen Valley*
Painted Rock Winery, Okanagan Valley*
Pelee Island Winery, Pelee Island*
Peller Estates, Niagara Peninsula *
Peller Estates, Okanagan Valley**
Peninsula Ridge Winery, Niagara Peninsula ***
Poplar Grove, Okanagan Valley*
Ravine Vineyard, Niagara Peninsula*
Road 13 Winery, Okanagan Valley**
See Ya Later Ranch, Okanagan Valley*
Stratus Vineyards, Niagara Peninsula **
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery, Okanagan Valley*
Tantalus Vineyards, Okanagan Valley**
Tawse Winery, Niagara Peninsula ***
Township 7 Winery, Okanagan Valley*
The Donating Breweries
Beau’s Brewery, Ottawa
Cannery Brewing, Vancouver
Creemore Springs, Creemore (ON)
Half Pints Bull Dog, Winnipeg
McAuslan Brewery, Montreal
Mill Street Brewery, Toronto
Molsons M, Canada
Quidi Vidi, St. John’s
Picaroon’s, Winnipeg
Russell’s, Winnipeg
Siboire, Montreal
The Donating Distillers
Pemberton Distillery, British Columbia
Victoria Gin, British Columbia
Iceberg Vodka, Newfoundland
Alberta Premium, Alberta
Kombucha Symbiose, Montreal
Many thanks again!
David Lawrason
National Wine Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
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 2011 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
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