Oh, Canada, My Home and Native Oh enough of this bring me the damn wine!!!

Our most recent "theme night" was an interesting one; maybe the most difficult one? OK the wine was easy, but the food? What exactly is "Canadian" food? Just how much poutine and maple syrup can you serve at dinner?

Our dear friends Travis and Melissa put on quite a show and impressed all despite the challenges. Let's get to it.

Benjamin Bridge 2011 Brut ($45.99)

Top notch bubbly from Ontario. 100% Chardonnay. Light aromas of citrus and yeast. Citrus and green apple dominate the palate. Tasty, and it went very well with the suggested pairing, and how Canadian it was....Ms. Vickie's potato chips!! 88.

Food Part Deux

Spicy Shrimp & Mango

OK so I love me some shrimp, and I hate me some mango. Usually. This was absolutely a fantastic recipe, and the pairing with the shrimp took away the strongest part of the mango flavor and made it quite tasty. This was really well done.

The wine pairing:

Devonian Coast Wineries 2015 Jost Tidal Bay, from Nova Scotia. I previously reviewed it in my Wine Fest blog, here.

Food Part Trois

Potato and Cheese Pierogies with Bacon Bits and Sour Cream

Technically, pierogies are from the Ukraine, but this is a dish that has been adopted by Canada, particularly the Prairie provinces...and the way they were cooked is definitely all Canadian. They were so delicious (and they were even Gluten Free, which is not normal for pierogies!).

The wine pairing:

St. Hubertus 2014 Riesling ($16.95)

Exciting aromas of citrus and stone fruit. Well balanced acidity and a palate featuring a hint of spice, pineapple and citrus. This paired beautifully with the food. 88.

Food Part Four, eh?

Baked Salmon with Herbs & Lemon, served with Asparagus

Another fabulous recipe, I'm going to steal this one and make it myself. The salmon was so beautifully cooked and it was a perfect pairing with the wine below:

Foxtrot Vineyards 2013 The Waltz Pinot Noir ($54.99)

Bright red fruits on the nose, with just a touch of earth and spice. Beautiful red fruits and black fruits on the palate. Tannins still exhibiting some tight qualities, indicating this is going to get better with a little more time, but it's already drinking lovely. 90-92.

No doot aboot it, Food Part Five

Pulled Pork Poutine

OK I've never been a huge fan of poutine. Fries are not my favorite. Gravy on fries? Meh. Cheese curds? Ew. Curds?

I'm reminded of that nursery rhyme by famed 20th Century Poet, Andrew Dice Clay:

Little Miss Muffett sat on her tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
Along came a spider who sat down beside her and said:
"Hey! What's in the bowl, b*tch????"

Ah, the 1990's. The world was different then. It was a simpler time.

OK back to the food, it was freaking amazing. So good I will actually make this for my next non-Canadian-themed party or BBQ. Loved it.

The wine pair:

Laughing Stock 2014 Syrah ($33.99)

This BC winery is making some absolutely special wine. There is just enough Viognier blended in here to bring out some feminine qualities, aromas and flavors of violets. And the Viognier tempers the spice just enough. You'll get black pepper on the finish, but not overwhelmingly so. Delicious. 92.





So yeah, now, it's dessert time, right?

Nanaimo Bars

I should call these the "world's greatest Nanaimo bars" and they are from a secret family recipe. Did I say SECRET? But I, with my infinite wisdom and my unparalleled charisma, have managed to discover the recipe.

Nanaimo Bars Recipe

The wine:

Black Widow 2013 Vintage One Fortified ($23.00)

So good, and I reviewed this one during our last Okanagan trip, here. 


So that's it, tons of good Canadian wine, tons of great food, and tons of great company. Our "theme nights" have become a rousing success.

Remember at the start of this blog post when I suggested Canada night might be the most difficult one to cook?

I might have been wrong, and I know that because I've been trying to find some decent recipes for our next theme night, which is...

SOUTH AFRICA.

Oh boy. This one is gonna be a challenge.

That comes up in about two weeks; before that, I'll have some more random updates and let me tell you, there is some good wine, one in particular that will get added to my list of the very best wines I've had.