Food and Wine Pairing in Vancouver
BC Boasts Fine Red and White Wine Tasting from the Okanagan Valley
The delicate balance of pairing food and wine for a large group of diners is a precise art. Executive Chef Gennara Iorio of La Terrazza Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, and Stephanie Leinemann of Peller Estates in the Okanagan Valley and Niagara Peninsula, did just that. The combination of succulent Italian dishes and ice, red and white wine produced a delicious evening for a room of discerning palates.
Food and Wine Pairing
The meal began with a reception in the lounge of La Terrazza Restaurant, including scallop and fennel salad with steel head caviar on a chip and an Ice Cuvée Classic wine. The first course was a flavoursome Dungeness crab cake paired with the Private Reserve Pinot Gris 2006. Moving onto one of the most popular plates of the evening, the baked sablefish was perfection with the Andrew Peller Signature Series Chardonnay Sur Lie 2006.
Next up was the outstanding lobster, tiger prawn and mascarpone cheese-filled ravioli matching the Private Reserve Pinot Noir 2006. Finally, the tender grilled smoked beef tenderloin had two exquisite pairings, the Private Reserve Cabernet Franc 2005 and the Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. Taking the grand finale spot was the fantastic Tarte Tatin, mouth watering maple syrup poached apples topped with Jack Daniel’s gelato and balancing the Private Reserve Riesling Icewine 2006.
Peller Estates
Started in 1959, after Andrew Peller arrived in the Okanagan Valley from Hungary and filled a huge niche in the dry climate. There weren’t many grape growers then and he found the perfect location on the banks of the Simikameen River, between Oliver and Keremeos.
Since then, Peller Estates has been managed by the next two generations. It is now an award-winning winery, garnering the coveted “Best Canadian Winery of the Year” for 2006 by London’s International Wine & Spirit Competition Awards. Stephanie Leineman has taken the lead as Winemaker and has stated her goal as focusing “on working with new tools and techniques to create wines that will help map B.C. as one of the top wine-producing regions in the world.”
Enthusiasts can host their own Peller Estates-inspired dinner party by visiting their website’s Plan a Dinner Party section.
La Terrazza Restaurant
1088 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 6J5
Phone and Reservations: (604) 899-4449
True to it Italian roots, La Terrazza Restaurant offers heavenly cuisine in a stunning space. Located in Yaletown, the restaurant prides itself on using local ingredients in its classic Italian dishes. The diverse fish list, ingredients from Chef Iorio’s family farm in Trail, BC, and unique imports such as Buffalo Mozzarella and olive oil from Italy make the menu a varied treat of modern and traditional fare.
The atmosphere is made up of a romantic dining room, two private rooms, a lounge and bar with warm fireplace, and an “Under the Tuscan Sun” patio bordered by a garden. Most recently, La Terrazza Restaurant has been honoured by Vancouver View magazine’s readers for “Best Italian” dining in 2007. Dining here is a definite when staying in Vancouver.
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