Between the Vines

Is it a stretch to think my weekend up at Whistler's Cornucopia will contribute to world peace?

Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

This year's charity recipient at Cornucopia is Playground Builders, whose tag line reads exactly what it does: "Creating play, building hope."

Playground Builders goes to war-torn regions worldwide and creates safe play spaces so kids can just be kids. When a community's children can safely play, it begins to feel empowered and this empowerment quite naturally leads to a stronger foundation and new, peaceful, possibilities. Let's face it—when our kids are happy, we're happy. It's no different for people in unstable and poverty-stricken areas of the world. And because local labour and supplies are used, an injection to the local economy helps to further bolster the empowerment.

 

To date, 45 playgrounds have been built in Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza, and the West Bank. And because of its efforts, Playground Builders has been nominated for the YMCA International Peacemaker Award.  

 

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved. 

Cooler weather calls for hearty wine

This piece was originally published in the October 29, 2009 issue of My City, a monthly magazine distributed with the Abbotsford News.

As the days get shorter, cooler, and damper, I tend to pull out and serve my heartier wines with what are, just naturally, more substantial dinners. In my cellar, the heartier wines are typically red. And in the kitchen, the more-substantial dinners translate into almost anything that is roasted, stewed, or braised.

Take this weekend, for example. Pouring rain and falling temperatures meant a roasted rack of pork for our Sunday dinner and a Malbec from Argentina to sip. Read more...

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.  

Tina Bacon from The Pink Spatula makes goodies that turn even the simplest cup of tea into a special event

Tina Bacon from The Pink Spatula, a recent (very recent) grad of the Fraser Valley Self Employment Program, is the maker of quite possibly the most divine miniature sweets you've ever tasted.

When you choose her little lemon yummies, serve some Moscato d'Asti along side them for a perfect afternoon delight. And, if you're in the mood to learn to make these morsels yourself, you can find Tina the pastry chef giving lessons at Langley's Well Seasoned.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved. 

Friday night dinner at The Keg in Abbotsford

We had an early, impromptu dinner at The Keg in Abbotsford tonight. To start, Rick had a rum & coke and I sipped a single-serving cava as we shared tempura snap peas and asparagus.

For dinner, I had the Prosciutto-wrapped shrimp with prime rib and Rick had a steak with bacon-horseradish cream sauce. Mine was fabulous and Rick proclaimed his as "great."

The wine was a 2008 Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec (13.8% ABV) from Argentina, "made from organically grown grapes."

I found vanilla, smoke, dark red fruits, and blackberries on the nose, with rose petals, spice, coffee, and ripe black fruits on the palate. The tannins were soft and the finish was longer than I had expected. This wine, not quite as sophisticated as its sister, the 2006 Reserva, is good and rings in at $33.95 at the restaurant and $15.99 at B.C. government liquor stores.

And our server, Joanna Lumley, was out of this world.

If only all servers could be as professional, warm, and appropriately attentive as this lovely young lady. You'd better hang on to her, Mr. Keg Steakhouse.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved. 

Wine on the Mountain: wine & food pairing fundraiser for Adoptive Families Association of B.C.

The top of Grouse Mountain is home to the fourth annual Wine on the Mountain fundraiser supporting the Adoptive Families Association of B.C.

Blind tastings, curious pairings, chocolate cellar, and more November 7. Tickets are limited. To get yours, call 604-320-7330, ext. 122 or drop a note to events@bcadoption.com.

 Salut!

Taste wines from 12 different countries at Rainbow Wine Festival

Sip, sample, and savour wines from around the world and pair them with delectables from Chef Bill Schildpatt on Saturday, November 7 at Chilliwack's Best Western Rainbow Country Inn. Part proceeds go to support the Chilliwack Fraser Rotary Club and the Salvation Army Chilliwack Food Bank

Call Deanna Wardell at (604) 795-3828 to buy your tickets.

Salut!

My first attempt at a video wine tasting...

Well, here it is, my first attempt at a video wine tasting. I was nervous. Wasn't loud enough. Should have given more detail. And forgot to have the label facing you, so I took a still photo of it.

But all that's okay because at least I tried. And my next one will be much better.

The wine I tasted was the 2008 La Stella Leggiero, an unoaked Chardonnay.

I'd love your feedback.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

What wine will you serve with Thanksgiving dinner?

Thanksgiving dinner in Canada brings on a traditional comfort-food bonanza. Roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, savoury stuffing, various vegetables, tangy cranberry sauce and lots of rich gravy all find a place on our dining table.

My usual advice to folks, when they ask what wine to pair with food, is to match or contrast the flavour, weight, and texture of the focus food with the flavour, weight and texture of the wine.

Traditional matches include a big, bold, heavy California cabernet sauvignon paired with a slab of beef, grilled rare, and a New Zealand sauvignon blanc paired with a summer salad dressed with a citrus vinaigrette. These wines match their partner focus foods. For contrast, foie gras with sauternes or gorgonzola cheese with ice wine are classic. The sweetness and acidity of the wines contrast the saltiness and richness of the focus foods.

But it’s tough with a turkey dinner because it has so many variables, so many flavours, textures, and weights that can be deemed the focus.

Thanksgiving dinner wine in our house is typically pinot noir, with Riesling served to those who don’t drink red. Neither wine is heavy or overly complicated (please don't confuse that with simple and boring) so they won't overpower or clash with the meal; conversely, they have enough presence so they aren’t beat up by the food.  Their acidity and fruitiness make them the well-rounded wines at a dinner ta 
ble.

They do it all—from cutting through the fatty richness of the gravy and standing up to the sweet-tart cranberries, to cleansing and preparing your palate for your next bite.

This year, however, I'll be going "pink" and offering up Segura Viudas Brut Rosé ($15.99/12% ABV), a sparkling Spanish wine made from trepat, garnacha, and monastrell grapes, and Le Vieux Pin Vaïla ($25.00/13.8% ABV), a pinot noir rosé from B.C.'s own Okanagan Valley.

All the wines I've mentioned have a really good acidity level, which makes them perfect for turkey dinner. If you haven't already, please read my piece called "Big Tang Theory" in Palate Press where I talk about acidity in wine and why it's a (really) good thing.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

Friday night's dinner at restaurant 62

Rick and I went to dinner at restaurant 62 on Friday night. It wasn't really planned; in fact, we had made our way to a local pub for a just a quick bite. But when we saw the line-up outside the door—due in large part, we're sure, to the first Abbotsford Heat hockey game—we decided to head over and try out Chef Jeff Massey's new fall menu. And it's a beauty, full of local and organic Fraser Valley fare.

We both decided on the prix fixe menu and chose a bottle of Bordeaux, the 2006 Château Puygueraud. Following is a pictorial summary, spiced up with a word or two.

To start: a couple of Bloody Caesars, with freshly grated horse radish and garnishes of lemon, pickled beans, onions, and olives.

Next up: I had the lobster bisque with cinnamon and vanilla (no picture) and Rick had the roasted pork and walnut salad with grilled peach and feta.

Our mains: my slow-braised beef short ribs over mashed potatoes & vegetables and Rick's chicken pot au feu with carrots, herbs and parsnips were both delicious.

The wine: To accompany our mains, we selected the 2006 Château Puygueraud. This wine is from Cotes de Francs, which is reported to be the smallest appellation within Bordeaux, just to the east of Saint Emilion. It is primarily Merlot, with 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec. As it opened up, I found aromas of black fruits and berries, tomato plants, wood, and chocolate. On the palate, I found more black fruit, some dark red fruit (especially dark, ripe cherries), coffee, cocao, and spice. It was well balanced, if young, and it partnered well with our rich autumn dinners.

For dessert: wild flower & honey crème brûlée served with biscotti and a Moscato d'Asti.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.

Charities benefit as Vancouver restaurants pour the wines of Chile

Fourteen of the top Vancouver restaurants will be pouring Chilean wines billed as "au courant" on Monday night, September 28.

Your ticket price includes a reception at Vancouver's Sutton Place Hotel, where you can taste wines from the 30 visiting wineries, followed by a winemakers' dinner at one of the 14 participating restaurants. Transportation to your chosen restaurant (two have already sold out) from Sutton Place is included in the ticket price.

And, as "tweeted" by the Wines of Chile, Western Canada (@WoC_CanadaWest), if you are a buyer or journalist on assignment, you can enter to win a trip to Chile.

Of course, the real winners in all this are Grapes for Humanity and the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation, the Wines of Chile's partner charities.

Salut!

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.