Had a wonderful Saturday evening out with some friends enjoying the Guelph Arts Council's
fundraising grand prize, Fete Romantique, which was a delicious 7 course meal by Platters Catering.
Chris and I with 6 of our friends were whisked off in a stretch limo to various surprise destinations for different courses of the evening- along with some wonderful wine pairings prepared by Orest Poluch, product consultant at the LCBO on Scottsdale. He kindly sent me the list of wines and the dinner menu, which I will post here in case you are curious about those as well as the heavenly food that Platters prepared for us. Thank you to Chris's mom Marg who gifted us her winning prize and much thanks to the Guelph Arts Council for putting on such a delightful evening for us.
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| Tanya and Susan making plans to carry on |
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| Jay and Seth at Riverslea |
There will be some better photos I will post soon, Dean Palmer was our evening photographer.
quite extensive and might make you very hungry... or thirsty.
Fete 2012
#1
13TH STREET CUVÉE
SPARKLING BRUT ROSÉ
VQA
To go with the appetizers (First course, and extra with Second course.)
First course
Brie En Croute
Prosciutto Wrapped Black Mission Fig Stufed with double cream brie,
Grilled and Naped with a Honey Pepper Glaze
Smoked In House Smoked Quebec Muscovy Duck, Complimented with a Red Currant, Chive & Summer Melon Salsa
Turtle Toast A Seasoned Herb Crostini Topped with a Savoury Olive Salsa and Shaved Asiago
Seared Beef
Spice Rubbed Alberta Tripple A Beef, Complimented with a Goats Milk Feta & Garlic Aioli in an Herbed Phyllo Shell
Second course
Seared Scallops & Heirloom Tomato Frizzay Salad
A Lightly Dressed Frizzay Salad With Chopped Heirloom Tomatoes and Rendered Doubble Smoked Bacon
WINE INFO-
Made from pinot noir, chardonnay and a little syrah, this is made in the 'traditional method'. It has a lovely pink hue ... and it shows vibrant but serious fruit flavours and bright and approachable acidity. It's exceptionally well made and simply very drinkable, either on its own or with food.
This wine was not exposed to oak and did not undergo malolactic fermentation. The fine salmon pink hue suggests a delicate wine, but it is full of surprises.
The nose hints at aromas of red berry, mineral, pink biscuit and subdued notes of caramel which will develop with further bottle age during which the reaction Maillard takes place.
The mousse is extremely creamy and fine, like a mouthful of whipping cream, but the wine is dry and quite bracing with a long, fine finish of fruit skin, stone fruit and light toast.
Sparkling wines such as this, with their hint of sugar, bright acidity and, of course carbon dioxide have all the necessary tools to age well for years.
Although delicious and perfectly appropriate to drink this wine immediately, if you happen to forget a six pack or two in the cellar, don’t fret as this wine will age gracefully for 3 or more years as long as the cellar is a steady cool and the bottles are not exposed to direct light of any kind.
#2
HINTERBROOK ESTATE WINERY
2010 RIESLING
(To go with the Third course and Fourth course)
Third course
Gnocchi with Caramalized Sweet Potatoes and
Sauteed Mushrooms Tossed with a Light Tomato and Chive Salsa.
Fourth course
Walnut Crusted Quail
Seared and Crusted with Toasted Walnuts and Stilton Blue Cheese
Naped with a Maple Cream Glaze Sitting ona Bed of Organic Greens
WINE INFO- Nestled among the farms and vineyards of Niagara-on-the-Lake's Lakeshore Region stands Hinterbrook Estate Winery, Niagara's newest premium winery. Our mantra has always been one of developing the best quality of wines while being sustainable. The environment is our legacy and we at Hinterbrook are doing our best to ensure that we are responsible stewards.
It takes passion to make a wine that is enjoyed by many and we, at Hinterbrook have tremendous passion. We believe that the environment is a gift and as stewards it is our responsibility to make sure our wine-making is sustainable and not detrimental to our environment. When you taste our wine you will know that this wine was made with passion, heart and responsibility. Our grapes are hand-picked, hand-sorted and gravity fed on one level. This, in combination with our very talented wine-making team of Vines to Vintages, lead by the multiple wine award-winning winemaker, Natalie Spytkowsky, equates to wines that are unsurpassed in quality.
The Riesling grapes are hand harvested and hand sorted in the vineyard and on the crush pad;
gently whole cluster pressed with a long press cycle reducing any phenolics bitterness.
The Riesling juice is cool fermented and fermentation was stopped just a little bit earlier allowing the wine to still have some residual sweetness balancing its natural acidity.
This natural balance adds to the wines complexity, character and structure.
The wine is made by taste and not by science.
This Riesling has lots of peach qualities both on the nose and in the mouth, the finish is limeade with a touch of sweetness. Velvety smooth so it glides right down and you're ready to sip again.
#3
CHARLES & CHARLES
2009 CABERNET SAUVIGNON/SYRAH
(To go with the Fifth course.)
Fifth course
Herb And Mushroom Crusted Beef Tenderloin
AAA Alberta Beef Tenderloin Crusted and Accented with
a Shiraz, Shallot & Red Currant Demi Glaze.
Caramalized Sweet Potato Medalions.
Doubble Baked Sweet Potatoes Accented with a Saffron
Maple Rosemary Rub.
Grilled Capsicum Tower with Reduced Aged Balsamico with the herbed crusted beef,
grilled veggie skewer baguette.
WINE INFO- Individually, Charles Bieler and Charles Smith are synonymous with high quality, value-priced wine; together they are unparalleled.
51% Cabernet and 49% Syrah with rich aromas of mixed berry fruit, smoke and vanilla.
This is bottled joy.
All the fruit is grown in the Wahluke Slope AVA (Columbia Valley) by the Milbrandt family.
The wine is dark, almost black, with a brooding nose of blackberry, cranberry, tobacco and sweet oak.
The fruit carries through on the palette where you also find great texture, soft tannins and a long finish.
The cabernet sauvignon was raised in 1-3 year old French oak barrels and the syrah was fermented and aged in stainless steel.
Dry, medium bodied, soft and straightforward offering more vanilla and mixed berries, with ripe raspberry shining through mid-palate, and closing with a dry finish.
Thoroughly charming from beginning to end.
A good partner for grilled steak with mushroom sauce.
#4
STONEY RIDGE
2009 CRANBERRY ICE
Dessert Wine
(2 bottles @ $29.95)
(To go with the Sixth course.)
SIXTH COURSE
White Chocolate Raspberry Torte Garnished with Fresh berries and coulis.
WINE INFO- Aromas of cranberries, raspberries and ginger leap from the glass and invite a tasting. The wine is medium-bodied with upfront sweetness that evolves into mouth-watering tartness.
#5
FONSECA
2005 LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE
PORT
(1 bottle @ $22.95)
(To go with the Seventh course.)
Seventh COURSE
Imported and Domestic Cheese Platter with Cracker
Assortment of Freshly Brewed Coffee with Tea Selection
WINE INFO- Fonseca LBV is the perfect finish to any meal.
It benefits from being decanted and should be served in a generously proportioned wine glass so that its rich fruity nose can be enjoyed to the full. Excellent with fully flavoured cheeses, especially blue cheeses such as Stilton or Roquefort.
It is also delicious with desserts made with chocolate or berry fruits.
A well-balanced wine, bringing both rich fruit and sweet tannins to go with dense concentration.
There is ripeness from black jam and sweet jelly, followed by a good core of dryness.
A fine, elegant bouquet. Intense dark chocolate and rich luscious black berry and cherry fruit aromas.
Full, ripe, rounded fat fruit mouthful.
Fills the mouth to bursting with juicy black fruit, liquourice and chocolate. A wine with lovely textural quality; velvety, smooth.
The finish is full of flavour and wonderfully intense and long
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