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Local Wine Brandenburg No.3 - Venturi Schulze (GOLD) Célébration Brut - Starling Lane Winery (SILVER) Damasco - Zanatta Winery (BRONZE) HONOURABLE MENTIONS • Cowichan Blackberry - Cherry Point Vineyards • Pinot Noir - Averill Creek Vineyard • Pinot Noir - Alderlea Vineyards • Ortega - Blue Grouse Vineyards
You’re heading out of the country (or to another province) and want to take a local wine to impress your hosts. What do you bring?
Venturi Schulze Courageous, confident, eccentric, uncompromising, distinctive. That sums up the owners, and the wines. Giordano, Marilyn and their daughter Michelle are hands on to the nth degree. Industry stalwarts, they’ve been farming and making 100% estate grown wine on their Cobble Hill site since 1987, sans pesticides. Their whimsically named wines (The Bad Boys, Terracotta, Brandenburg No. 3) are as memorable to the ear as they are to the palate. www.venturischulze.com Starling Lane Good things happen in threes. Three couples - Ken and Sue Houston, John and Jackie Wrinch, and Jerry and Sherry Mussio - each established their vineyards on the Saanich Peninsula in the early 1990s. By 2004 they banded together, establishing Starling Lane Winery. Their deep, rich and flavourful Marechal Foch will make any Foch fearer into a fan. www.starlinglanewinery.com Zanatta Vignetti Zanatta proves that there’s a bubble out there for everyone. With sparkling wines in numerous styles, flavours and personalities you can find one to suit. Loretta Zanatta and Jim Moody’s flagship bubble, Glenora Fantasia, is made from the rare and obscure Cayuga grape. Picnics at their picturesque Cowichan Valley Winery restaurant, Vinoteca, feature bountiful local farm fare. Pioneers in the Vancouver Island wine industry. www.zanatta.ca
let’s give credit | people | groups | food heroes | trends Food/Drink Experience of the Year
Group, Association, Business or Gang
Feast of Fields (GOLD) The Great Canadian Beer Festival (SILVER)
EAT Magazine [shucks. thx- editor.] (GOLD) Island Chefs Collaborative
Defending Our Backyard
(SILVER)
(BRONZE)
Lifecycle Project Society (BRONZE)
So many events, festivals, classes and seminars on food and drink— which one really did it for you?
HONOURABLE MENTIONS • Heidi Fink cooking classes •The London Chef cooking classes • Fernwood Bites • Victoria Tea Festival
Who raised your awareness and gave you a deeper appreciation of food issues in your community?
HONOURABLE MENTIONS • Victoria Downtown Public Market Society • Farm Folk City Folk • CAMRA • Food Roots • Slow Food
Top Trend of 2010
Worst Trend of 2010
Eating local food (GOLD) Cocktails (SILVER)
Pork belly, pulled pork (GOLD) Cupcakes (SILVER)
Small plates/half portions
Sliders (BRONZE)
(BRONZE) What was your favourite local food trend?
HONOURABLE MENTIONS • Food carts • Charcuterie • Downtown farmers markets • Traditional, simple food • Eating less meat, more vegetables • local, free-range meat • Vancouver Island salt • Sustainable fish • Chocolate-covered bacon
What was your least favourite local food trend this year? (feel free to rant)
HONOURABLE MENTIONS • Foam on food • Small portions • HST • No reservations policies • Cilantro • Lame food words - gastro, deconstruct • Being asked “Are ya still workin’ in it?” at restaurants • Nutraceuticals/Bio Yogurt/ Engineered Foods • Chocolate-covered bacon
Award winning wine selection paired with globally inspired menu offerings from Canada’s only Iron Chef Champion, Rob Feenie www.cactusclubcafe.com
2010 winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence Road 13 Rockpile available at all Cactus Club Restaurants.
2010
www.eatmagazine.ca MARCH | APRIL 2011
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