Hard Work!

Ok well not really, but yesterday was the big old IVSA tasting, and well its the biggest in the city with way to many wines to really taste, plus beer and hard liquor, which I try to avoid.  Now with the IVSA I never take notes anymore because its so big and not worth it...Until well I wanted to tell someone about a wine I tried from Hawkes Bay, a Chardonnay well Since I did not write any notes down, I have no idea what the wine is.

So in a sense I did not to my job properly, but the real hard work came with the massive tasting, plus the fact that after that was the WSET class, and man trying to concentrate on those 6wines after your palate has been distroyed by wines, is really hard work.

So in Conclusion I need to drink more, er taste more.


Oh btw Had a 2007 Sancerre that smelled and tasted of Dill Pickle Chips a Fantastic Hungaria Sparkler for 12.99 Canadian [aprox 5$USD], some Over Oaked Chardonnays from Napa. Really lovely entry level Italian Stuff.  A to finish the tasting off Forty Creek Canadian "Bourbon"/"Rye" more Bourbon-esque but really good

Have a good night~

October 18/2009 Dinner

Dinner Party tonight 4 Courses 6 people.

Images to Follow Later I hope

Amuse

Ahi Tuna Rolls

2008 Chateau de Chasseloir, Sur Lie, Muscadet Sevre et Maine

Sable

Braised Puy Lentils, Sauteed Cabbage

2008 Laporte, Les Duchesses, Pouilly-Fume

Squash

Carnival Squash Soup, Cinnamon Apple, Paprika Oil

2006 Vincent Girardin, Vieilles Vignes, Puligny-Montrachet

Beef

55F Grass Fed 'Empire Valley' Rib Eye Steak, Creamy Leek and Thyme Polenta, Red Wine Butter Sauce

2004 Domaine de Beaurenard, "Boisrenard", Chateauneuf Du Pape

Pear

Sous-Vide Pear, Almond Cake, Vanilla Bavarois

Ceylon and Assam Blended Loose Leaf Tea

BC [Okanagan Namely] VQA Trade Tasting.

Twice a year the VQA [Vinters Quality Assurance] sponsors these events to try the new releases, Fall being more reds, spring being more whites. I must say that the quality of wine is really progressing a lot more being "drinkable" meaning I would pay money for them. Some that Jancis Robsinson Raved about I didn't find to be that "awesome" they were good But I found them to be too one dimensional.

Tasted A lot but these are the ones that stood out. Also helped out the old friends from the Restaurant.

Random Pictures, including after events har har.....to much to drink


Some Standout Wines and Wineries

8th Generation [German Wine Maker / Grower]
Pinot Gris 2008 [Really Nice Acidity Thumbs up for me]
Rose 2008 [Fantastic Sold Out and 2009 has a waiting list from my understanding]
Merlot [Don't know Vintage But really nice]

CedarCreek Winery
In Generally All Wines Doing pretty well
2007 Merlot [Big Wine, Big Tannins, Good purity of fruit]
Plantium Chard 2007 [Oaked for sure in French Oaked I generally Don't like Chard or Oaked Whites heh]

Chandra Estate Winery
Chardonnay "Yue" 2006 [A Chardonnay I liked, Hint of Oak very nice Good value too]

Clos Du Soleil Winery
Never heard of this Winery, Had a good looking blond pouring so OF Course I had to try the wine.
Red 2007 [Man what a fantastic wine it actually made me stop and think about it, did some research after the event seen its good some good reviews from local wine critics defintly a buy]

Garry Oaks
Really Impressed with there Wines
Pinot Noir [Red Fruit, Spice good purity of fruit tho Cranberry, Strawberry ,Rhubarb]
Pinot Gris [Love it good Acidity]

Mission Hill
Compendium 2006 [Drinking Nicely, smooth touch of fruit, dark chocolate]
Quatrain 2006 [A merlot Syrah blend, Syrah very syrupy coming through smooth creamy, fruit]
Oculus 2006 [BIG MASSIVE WINE, almost not drinkable, no point in opening this anytime soon the Tannins are just massive good fruit coming through tho]

Poplar Grove Winery
The 2005 Merlot and Legacy showing very nice currently [Just opened a 2004 Merlot which was Fantastic, you can ask Kim and Vibemore about it!]

Quails Gate Estate Winery
Heard Lots of good things about there Pinot Noir, they were pouring both of theres
Definitely a new World style play
Pinot Noir 2007 [Raspberry Coulis very nice]
Pinot Noir 2007 Reserve [Same profile as regular but a lot smoother]

Road 13
Viognier Rousanne Marsanne 2008 [Really Impressive]
Jackpot Syrah 2007 [Jancis Robinson Liked this wine, has those Rhone Qualities minerality fruit]

Summerhill Pyramid Organic Winery
Both Bubblies I love Blanc de Blanc really good
Cipes Brut NV
Organic Cipes Gabriel Blanc de Blanc NV

Not to Shabby all in all

Tourist In Your Own Town

Dear Diary;
Last week the new "Canada Line" opened up which is our skytrain system that runs now from YVR to Downtown. Big news here in Vancouver, we were [dad and I] planning on going on it last week when it was free but that turned into a ..... well lets just say paying for it when its running normally and without all the media photo ops is a way better way to go.

Took an extended lunch break to downtown, went by the new Vancouver Convention Centre which is massive and really nice to look at [Had a wine tasting on the 3rd Floor that faces the mountains with glass windows really nice].

Headed on over to Miku Restaurant for some Lunch time sushi and a bottle of wine, found a Chenin by Chateau du Varennes Savennieres 2005, it was really a perfect sushi wine, not overly complex but had a touch of minerality and lemon zestyness and great acidity. A wine that goes perfect with raw fish, seasoned with a little soy and wasabi. The food was really good, Abrui style sushi which from my understanding the fish on the top was lightly torched with a charcoal "brick" and it added a nice smokiness but also on the fatty fish it just warmed up this good fatty oil. The Dessert was fantastic too made in house two pastry chefs from what the menu said not to shabby.

All in All a Fantastic Lunch heck even dinner be good [prices are not crazy compared to other top end sushi places], in a nice business area of down so the night crowd might be a bit more .........You know business men and high class hookers? haha its in that area.

Then we head back down the new Line and out to the Airport, Airport really quiet for a Summer, must be the recession I know the restaurants in general are down 25% Im guessing

New Zealand Wine Tasting Part 1 - White....err Sauv Blanc

Part 1 White Wine! Oh who am I kidding its like 99% Sauvignon Blanc and a bunch of them smell and taste like Green Peppers or for the New Zealanders, Capsicums. I think this picking of Sauv Blanc at low brix 21-22 is too much under ripe green pepperness coming through, I like grassiness! not Green pepper damnit

Sauvignon Blanc (The first Bunch were tasted a Room Temp)

Esk Black Label Hawke's bay 2008
I like the Grassy, round, imo could use a touch more acidity. Tho I think if slightly chilled it wouldn't matter

Alexia Wairarapa 08
Aroma of Good tropical Fruit, Taste good fruit apples

Pegasus Bay Sauvignon/Semillon Waipara 08
Aroma was a little dirty, not poppy just dirty

Mt. Difficulty Central Otago 08
Aroma of Green Peppers straight up, taste of Veggies sprinkled with Lemon Juice mmmm tasty =P

Stoneleigh Rapaura Series 08
Oily Nose, Light Taste

Wither Hill Rarangi Single Vineyard 08
A: Green fruit, hint of veggie not over powering in the GP aspect. Taste of Papaya greeness of veggies

Konrad 08
Boring~ yawn

O:TU Single Vineyard 08
A interesting wine, it had the smell of ripe veggies not green peppers something riper. and the taste was of a veggie Dip like veggies with ranch dip or something

Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Hawke's Bay 08
A: Good amount of Mango, Passionfruit, and Griddle Brick (I suppose some people call this minerality) T: Creamy, white peach

Matahiwi Estate Holly 07
all my notes say is "Nice" So I guess I liked it


Auntsfield Estate ( I think I liked everyone of their wines)
Long Cow Sauvignon Blanc 08 - A very good Sauv Blanc not offensive at all I like it
Orchard Hill Chardonnay 08 UnOaked - First of all I don't like Chardonnay Grapes, and not a fan of Oak in white wines. This Chard really good almost reminds me off a Chablis or some Burg wine really good

Kim Crawford SP Waipara Riesling 2005 - A: Petrol, good fruit T: Petrol (minimal) very nice served a little to chilled tho

Waitiri Creek [Central Otago]
Pinot Gris 08 - Fantastic Pinot Gris, and the vines are like 5 or 6 years old. I mean this wine was awesome. Okanagan grows alot of Pinot Gris and this beats all the ones I have had hands down. Tho the price is more then 50% more its worth it ($30Canadian/BCLD)

Bloom - Wine Event for BC VQA wines

Bloom is the spring event put on every year by the VQA [Vintners Quality Alliance is Canada's symbol of quality wine] people of British Columbia.

So here are my notes comments or just dropping of names of wines I like with over 40 tables and each table pouring 4 wines. Lets just say I didn't taste everything, and the fact that I didn't like some I am only going to put on the list what I liked or wierd comments

Meyer Family (Naramata) All 100% Chardonnay Wines. Let me firstly say I have been finding that I don't like Chardonnays Unless they are in champagne or for some reason some burgundy's I have had. Maybe its the fact that they get to big and...only way I can put it is "Raisony" over ripe, and the Oak probably doesn't help for me haha.

So the Meyer Wine I have no idea if they are good or not I just don't like Chardonnay, I tried them the lady pouring asked what I thought I said Im sorry I just don't think I like Chardonnays.

8th Generation Vineyard.
Pinot Meunier Rose 2008. Fantastic I think the best Rose here at the event Taste like Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with the right balance of acidity.

Burrowing Owl
2006 Cab. Franc excellent
2007 Pinot Noir. Ok, not overly complex tho

Calona Vineyards
Sovereign Opal, I grape variety Apprently one I have never heard of when I was smelling it as the person pouring was explaining I thought it smelled like a Muscat with its Floral/Sugariness. Tho the taste was Sweet and Watery...Winemaking? or thats what we have never heard of the grape har!

Desert Hills Estate Winery
Gamay Noir. There best wine and probably one of the best Gamays coming out of BC
Gewurztraminer. Taste of Burnt Orange Peel (Good thing)

Gray Monk Odyssey Merlot 2004 Taste of Red fruit lots of acidity, would like to have tried this decanted, might of appelled to me more.

Hester Creek Trebbiano had aromas of Cheese

Jackson Triggs Sunrock Shiraz 2006. This wine the vintage prior won a bunch of awards and I could not find it to try it, so at the tasting they had their next vintage and I was not impressed.

Mission Hill
Reserver Riesling 2007, Surprisingly Good

Mt. Boucherie Estate Gewurztraminer 2007 really good hint of sweetness

Poplar Grove Legacy 2005
I had this at the naramata bench Tasting, and this was showing way better here, mainly because it was decanted for 1.5hrs it was fuller not lean and acidity drnikable yes, and a big boy.

Sumac Ridge Sparkling Pinnacle 2002 [100% Pinot Noir] Earthy, little fruit, tasted like an old world pinot noir except in bubbly form

Tantalus, Now last year I tried to find the old vines 2006 for the wine restaurant winelist and it was sold out and that stuff was amazing.
The Riesling 2008 was good, lots of acidity just nice
Old Vines 2007 not as acidic, alot fuller wine, I perfer the 2008 to it, and the 06 Old vines.


That is all.

Random Kitchen Photo's

Here are some Random Kitchen Photos with New and Old Camera

Fetzer Wine Competition 2009- Great Beginnings

Fetzer Wine Competion 2009

This event is a really good event for two reason, it promotes your restaurant with feeding of a couple hundred? people, and that we get free booze.

It happens during the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival here in Beautiful British Columbia. There are like a 100 events spread over like 3 or so days. With trade tasting and everything.

(*Image - Waiting at the Loading Dock of Fairmont Hotel)

Fetzer sponsors this event with wine pairing being the goal. Ten Restaurants 2 prizes. 1st Place Judge and 1st Place peoples choice. If you win the judging prize it is a write up in Wine Access Magazine, and 1500$ Travel voucher, so it definitely gets you motivated. So what we decided to do at the restaurant was to pair with the 2008 Gewurztraminer a Confit Duck [folded in with Duck Fat, Pomegrante Reduction which had Cinnamon, Cardamon, Fennel, Star Anise, Bay Leaf, Black Pepper and some other stuff] Wrapped with Duck Proscuitto, Goat Gouda Tart, Basil Citron Vinegrette with Baby Greens.

It was a great event, I didn't win but had lots of people love the food.

I have more images but I am waiting on trying to get some from the Hired Photographer, my camera doesn't do low lightning very well I need to buy me a new camera. so hopfully I can get them up in a week or so.

BC Hot Show 2009 Day 2

Team Gold (2nd Overall)
Apprentise Gold (2nd Overall)
Professional We had two enter. Both Gold (2nd and 3rd Overall respectfully)

Blackbox I lost in the semi Finals. I did lose to the Winner tho So really it ain't all that bad hah

All in All Mostly Gold Bling Bling

Thats all I have for tonight way to tired

BC Hot Show 2009 Day 1

So here is Day 1.

Team Competition Run For our Kitchen Happened won't know results until tomorrow

Student Category (High School) - Silver

Black Box

Chef Lost in First Round
Me Won, am in Round 2 (Tomrrow)

Getting Ready for the BC Chefs Ass. Hot Show 2009

So our Kitchen is getting ready for the Hot Show '09. Lots of long hours lots of practicing lots of discussing lots of everything.

We have entering
1 Team for the Team Competition (3 courses 1.5hrs)
2 in the Professional Cat. (30mins Phaesant + Portobella Mushrooms)
1 in the Apprentice Cat. (30 mins Veal Loin)
2 in the Iron Chef Black Box (30min Unknown Feature Ingredient)

I am in the black box, so that will be fun my first time Im already freaking out and its not until Sunday.

Also the Day after the comp or whenever I get to it Ill post the dishes of what they were until then stay tuned~

on VIP Dinners

Every once and a while we get "VIP" dinners at the restaurant. Now when I say VIP I mean VIP (Very Important Person) who are they? well generally they are friends, family members or people in the industry we know (not people we don't know or care about sorry to say). When we have these VIP's come in they get stuff out side of the ordinary, because our restaurant is casual not every table gets Amuse-Bouches', so we send out an Amuse we have ones we always fall back on which you can not like Baja Diver Caught Scallops with [Pea Risotto, Asparagus Risotto, Brandade, Lemon Mash]. And when we really know them or they want a special menu or something just special we take the time to make them something out of the ordinary. We come into work early making stuff that isn't on the menu.

Funny story about making special items not on the menu at work I like to make the dessert plates that go out its what I like. So I made this dessert plate which is awesome on top of white table cloth.