Last weekend, I was invited to partake in a mystery meal…Actually no, let me start from the beginning. About a month ago, I received a save-the-date type email from a contact of mine at By the Glass. That’s it, just a date. When June 26th came around, I was filled with anticipation as to what the evening had in store, as I had heard snippets of gossip from various contacts throughout the week.
I arrived at CUT Urban Grill & Steakhouse at 5:30 sharp, as directed, and was loaded into an Ambassatours coach with several other lucky participants. Though none of us knew exactly where we were headed, some had an inkling, and we proceeded to make predictions on our journey into the Annapolis Valley. We thought, maybe a restaurant, or a vineyard would be our final destination, but what awaited us was a dining experience more pleasurable, more specail and more intimate than I could have guessed. We arrived at a beautiful white farmhouse, and from around the corner emerged chef Craig Flinn of Chives!
When we walked down a path, we found ourselves in the orchard with a lovely white-dressed table under a tent.
Wood ‘n’ Heart Farms leg of lamb, slowly roasted from about 2 pm onwards on a spit in the orchard.
Clearly, I felt the need to get up close and personal with the lamb…although this was as close as I could get since it was so hot! I must admit, my face did sting for a little while after that stunt!
Reception
Rancher Acres Canaan Mountain Ash Chevre, Fox Hill Quark,
J. Willy Krauche Smoked Salmon and Smoked Mackerel
2007 McWilliams Hanwood Riesling (South Eastern Australia)
2008 Hardy’s “The Gamble’ Chardonnay/Pinot Gris (South Australia)
When my dining companions and I sat down to eat, I asked Bill Hardy about The Gamble, his wine that we had the pleasure of drinking earlier. When he told me the story of the wine, I felt incredibly privileged to be sitting next to a man whose great, great grandfather had taken ‘a gamble’, and, with very little knowledge about wines, created one of Australia’s most celebrated wine companies!
Our table – that’s me, bottom right…taking notes!
First Course
Cherrywood Smoked Seafood with a Riesling Beurre Blanc
2006 Henschke Julius Riesling (Eden Valley, Australia)
With a crisp acidity, and rich lemon/lime flavour, this wine was a lovely compliment to the array of shellfish. The balance in the wine pairing was perfect too as riesling was used in the beurre blanc.
Second Course
Line-caught Shrimp Cake with Butter Poached Lobster,
Fresh Peas and Spinach Cream
2004 Houghton Museum Reserve (Swan Valley, Australia)
A lovely wine, buttery and soft with a toasty, honeyed character.
2006 Eileen Hardy Chardonnay (Australia)
Yum. I’d drink this chard any day. Interestingly, we found that this wine paired nicely with the following duck course as well.
Third Course
Duck Breast atop
Asparagus and Rancher Acres Goat Cheese Risotto
2006 Stonier Pinot Noir (Mornington Peninsula, Australia)
This was a lovely pinot – red fruit with a slight savory charachter.
The lamb, finally removed from the spit awaits trimming…
Main Course
Spit-roasted Wood ‘n’ Heart Farms Lamb, Honey , Cider & Lamb Jus Reduction, New Potato Mash, Market Vegetables
2004 Tintara “The McLaren Flat” Shiraz (McLaren Vale, Australia)
2004 Tintara “The Upper Tintara” Shiraz (McLaren Vale, Australia)
It was interesting to try two vintages by the same winery from different areas. The Tintara wines were similar in structure with a similar spicy undertone. Dark fruits lend a plummy character and a bit of sweetness here.
2006 Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River, Australia)
An elegant wine with a predominant taste of cassis and currant.
Dessert
Tangled Garden Strawberry Liqueur Glazed Local Strawberries,
Lemon Brioche Bread Pudding, Fox Hill’s Vanilla Gelato
Nugan Estate KLN Vineyard Botrytis Semillon (Riverina, Australia)
Ah, dessert wine. Though I was sad that the evening was coming to an end, I was thrilled that it wrapped up with this lovely Australian dessert wine. I’ve not tried many dessert/ice wines out of Nova Scotia, so it was great to try something new. This wine was full of smooth apricot, with a slight note of something tropical.
My pal Craig Flinn sat down for a rest and a chat after cooking such an incredible meal.
