When it comes to pairing wine and food there are many factors to consider. There's the weight of wine and the food. For example the flavour match may be complementary but pairing something rich and hearty like a winter stew with a light-bodied wine like a gamay noir can still lead to a less than satisfying experience.
But really it essentially comes down to choosing a wine you like and food you like and echoing and or contrasting the flavours and aspects of booth. One of the final but most impactful flavours in a wine can be the barrel used to age it. Much like a sprinkling of sea salt, a chiffonade of herbs or a dusting of parmesan on a pasta when it's done well these finishing flavours integrate and enhance what's naturally present in the dish. Barrels can do same thing making for a dramatically different final wine even when everything else: the vintage, terroir, grapes and winemaking remain the same. This was the idea behind the fifth annual Six Barrels for Six Chefs held at Huff Estates. Originally the Prince Edward County winery's winemaker Frédéric Picard and chef Bryan Steele were tasting through the different barrels of a vintage together and they thought it might be a good idea if there was an event where great chefs paired a dish to highlight the nuanced differences that a barrel can have on a wine's flavour.
So Huff along with fellow well-regarded Prince Edward County wineries from Closson Chase and Norman Hardie provided sneak previews of yet to be released wines from select barrels while some of Ontario's best chefs created a specially paired dish. With the jazz and rhythm and blues music of Quinte area performer Northern Voodoo in the background old and new friends mingled and ate while winemakers poured alongside chefs at six different food stations throughout the vineyard. That added-up to a fantastic evening of food and wine.
Local chef Michael Potters of Angéline's made a pan-fried yellow perch with a lovage remoulade which was quickly finished by eager guests. It was paired with Huff's 2009 South Bay Chardonnay aged in a first fill barrel from French cooper Dargaud et Jaeglé. The Chardonnay had an intriguing minerality and musky aroma with a subtle hint of citrus. On the palate there was apple, pear, oak spice and caramel flavours. The creamy remoulade enhanced the citrus in the wine while the Chardonnay brought out the creaminess and the natural sweetness in the local perch.
One of the most popular stations was Hiro Yoshida's cherrystone clam with bamboo shoots, asparagus and wakame (sea weed) cooked over a charcoal brazier. A bit salty, sour, sweet and bitter it was the perfect creamy and chewy little bite. It sat on a sandy looking bed studded with edamame that was creamy and had an addictive savoury-sweet flavour balance. It was paired with a dramatically different tasting 2009 Huff South Bay Chardonnay. This time the wine was aged in a third use barrel from Berthomieu—it's amazing the difference a barrel can make. This Chardonnay was much more mineral and citrus driven and that worked well with a dish that was so evocative of the ocean.
Throughout the evening chef Ryan Crawford of Niagara's Stone Road Grille was carefully slicing his lovingly house-cured charcuterie and serving it with his pickled onions and cherry tomatoes. The highlight of which was a soppressata so silky that it nearly melted in your mouth. It was paired with an equally silky sample of Closson Chase's 2010 pinot noir aged in first fill barrels from the local Carriage House Cooperage see our 30 days of local wine story). This pinot noir had all the hallmarks of a Deborah Paskus wine with full ripe flavours and aromas of dark berries, black cherry, preserved strawberry, vanilla and toasty oak spice. The lingering dark berry and cherry finish brought out the porkiness and enhanced the perfumed peppery kick of Crawford's charcuterie.
On of the biggest surprises was Cava chef Chris McDonald's wild boar pozole paired with Hardie's 2010 county pinot noir aged in second fill Mercurey barrels with a medium toast. The traditional Mexican stew isn't something you often think of with wine but maybe you should. The pinot was full of aromas and flavours of sour cherry, wild strawberry and minerality with a hint of cola on the finish. It was that note and the cherry that really matched nicely with the cinnamon, spicy mexican oregano and fruity chili kick I picked-up in the pozole. The wine also matched well with the creaminess of the corn and the depth of the savory wild boar and bacon in the stew.
The best dish of the evening came from Denis Cotter of Café Paradiso in Cork, Ireland. Like all great dishes this one managed to hit all points—harmoniously moving between all five tastes while providing a range of textures to enjoy. The dish anchored on beet-braised beluga lentils provided some creaminess and a slightly tart earthy flavour. The fava shoots brought some crunch and a fresh herbal note. The pan-fried Monforte halloumi was the umami-rich salty element and made a pleasant squeak beneath your teeth. The walnut crumb provided a bit of crunch and an intriguing spicy note. Then the harissa sauce brought a creamy element and just enough of a chili kick to lift all the flavours. The 2010 Norman Hardie county pinot noir aged again in second fill barrels from Mercurey but this time with a Grand Cru toast paired nicely with its flavours and aromas of earthy beets, sour cherries and wild strawberries.
To finish things off chef Bryan Steele of Stratford's the Old Prune provided a classic combination with a just sweet enough rhubarb and pecan streusel topped with a beautiful ice cream that managed to capture the sweet and tart tension of the perfect local strawberry. I couldn't think of a better way to cap one of the top wine and food events of the year.
Huff is already hard at work planning next year's event that will again see proceeds go to Autism Ontario which supports children and families with this disorder. So keep your calendar free about a year from now for a chance to possibly preview the next great vintage along side some great dishes from some of Ontario's best chefs.
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Huff Estates
2274 County Rd.1 Bloomfield (Prince Edward County)
613-393-5802
www.huffestates.com
