Cruising Café California

Posted November 25th, 2009 03:11 by Tom Firth

Before you think that all wine professionals do is just cruise around the globe drinking fine wine and eating sumptuous meals you should know that this is only a small part of what really happens. I spent most of the last 2 months going to wine shows and tasting events across Canada. A lot of time spent in airports and a lot of time working in hotel rooms. Wine Access has been at a number of excellent consumer shows this fall starting with the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival in Calgary and just recently ending with the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in Toronto.

Our festivals have been;
Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival Calgary
The Banff Springs Hotel's International Festival of Wine & Food
Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival Edmonton
Ottawa Wine and Food Show
Whistler's Cornucopia
Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in Toronto and
Calgary Co-op's Grape Escape

Naturally, there were quite a few opportunities to taste some good wine and some tasty treats, but all too often these sorts of shows are just too busy to get down to tasting a lot of wine or even have time for a relaxing meal.

Imagine my delight when I was invited to sit in on something a little different at Gourmet which was hosted by California Wines. Something they started in Ontario this year is what they are calling "Café California" in which they are offering a sit down tasting (for about $30) of a few Californian wines paired with some similarly themed foods prepared before our eyes. In Toronto, they had a food menu being prepared by the chefs from Far Niente which is an excellent restaurant with a California slant both in the menu and wine list.

The three course line up from Far Niente was paired with a rotating list of wines that were also available at the show for tasting. When I sat in, the wines were from Wente Vineyards which produces an excellent line-up of wines. The tasting/seminar was hosted by their Ontario agent, Churchill Cellars with the food discussion coming from the Far Niente Executive Chef, Gordon Mackie.

The menu was Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops with House Smoked Bacon, buttered Yukon potato mousse and apple caramel sauce paired with the Wente Morning Fog 2008 Chardonnay. First off, this pairing was absolutely perfect the chardonnay creaminess accenting the seafood, while the acidity cut through some of the richness of the dish. We were advised to keep some of each wine in order to try them with the next few courses.

This was followed by Crispy Confit Duck Leg with Beluga Lentil, Roasted Sunchoke blonde frisee and a cherry and walnut compote matched up with Wente Southern Hills 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wasn't my favourite pairing as I found that the cabernet was just a bit too round and fruity to stand up to this incredibly delicious course. The Zinfandel however had just enough spicy flavours to really shine with the duck.

Lastly, this delicious lineup featured Roasted Beef Tenderloin Braised Short Ribs with Leek Risotto sautéed mushroom and Parmesan cheese, complimented by the Wente Beyer Ranch 2007 Zinfandel. Again, this was just such a treat for the palate, so much flavour and the leek risotto just unbelievable. This was a fantastic pairing with the chardonnay but the course really begged for red, and the zinfandel was just a perfect compliment to the beef.

This was something a little different to see or do at a consumer wine and food show, but what a great idea, a chance to try some wine, have some tasty food and learn a little bit more about both the restaurant and the wines. If you get the chance to try this next year, I would have no qualms about recommending this experience.

No Time for Bad Wine's blog

cafe california far niente food Gourmet pairing Toronto wente wine Wine Access