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What to Drink with That: Turkey EAT’s online drinks editor, Treve Ring, asked local wine experts how they would approach pairing the traditional Christmas turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Then once the creative wine juices were flowing, things got creative in the kitchen – with the leftovers. OUR EXPERTS Pamela Sanderson (PS) Sommelier and Regional Manager for Cascadia Liquor Pamela has extensive experience in hotels, restaurants, wineries and liquor retail. She runs the boutique Cascadia Liquor chain and teaches for the International Sommelier Guild. Tom Doughty (TD) Owner, Sommelier of Refuel and Campagnolo As well as running two of Vancouver’s top restaurants, Tom produces wines with his ultra-small-lot Montagu Cellars in Naramata Bench. He has been Vancouver Magazine’s Sommelier of the Year and has trained in French cuisine at Dubrulle Culinary Institute. Janice Goard (JG) Food and Beverage Manager, Hotel Grand Pacific Janice completed the International Sommelier’s Guild Diploma while at HGP before opening the showcase wine cellar at Bear Mountain Resort. She has since returned to HGP, overseeing the daily F&B operations in downtown Victoria’s only five-star hotel.
CLASSIC DISH Christmas Turkey with all the trimmings Roasted turkey with sage stuffing and mushroom gravy, bourbon sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts with chestnuts, mashed turnip, cranberry sauce. PS: Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir naturally has good acidity that works well with all kinds of food, plus the tannins are soft enough to work with white meat like turkey. This grape has an earthiness that complements the earthy flavours of the mushrooms and root vegetables and a tart fruitiness that complements the cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes. My specific choice? A pinot noir from Vancouver Island because I think this is a grape variety that works well with this menu and a grape variety that reflects our region. TD: Pinot Noir is quite versatile and changes its profile throughout the world, but Oregon (Willamette Valley or Dundee Hills) Pinot exhibits a wonderful black cherry and cranberry flavour profile with usually enough extraction to stand up to those sprouts and sweet potatoes. Mushrooms, chestnuts and Pinot Noir are a heavenly match. All exhibit a certain earthiness, which comes together to be very satisfying on the palate. The fact that pinot noir can produce a lighter wine with less overall tannins than Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon also make it a great pairing for the turkey as it won’t overpower the delicate flavours of the bird. JG: Gamay, especially a cru Beaujolais, with turkey is a beautiful thing. Gamay is gentle with tannins, has clean acidity (to cut the heaviness) and is a natural with turkey. Gamay also shows cranberry and spice and often a little black pepper, which will join the dinner festivities. BC Gamay has a pretty, sometimes smoky nose with loads of juicy red berries and herbal notes that work well with your accompanying vegetables.
1715 Government Street 250.475.6260 www.lecole.ca eat@lecole.ca
Dinner 5:30 - 11 pm Tuesday to Saturday
THE LEFTOVERS Turkey Tacos Shredded turkey, garlic, tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, salsa, sour cream, cheddar. PS: I would pair a well-made, dry sparkling wine. It doesn’t need to be expensive but should have a crisp, refreshing, acidic character that would stand up to the acidity from the tomatoes. Locally, look for Chardonnay-based bubble from the Okanagan and Vancouver Island. Further afield, Cava from Spain or Prosecco from Italy would also work well. Oriental Turkey Stir-fry Cubed turkey, shitake mushrooms, rice, broccoli, cashews, ginger, tamari sauce, green onions. JG: Any excuse to drink Riesling is a good one, and with this dish, a Riesling with a bit of sweetness is the perfect partner. Riesling has that beautiful acidity that cleans your palate, and with its tendency towards lower alcohol, it handles spice like a dream. Remember, alcohol and spice don’t get along. Look to Germany’s Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region for some beautiful options, or closer to home there are increasingly great examples to be found in Washington State’s Columbia Valley. Turkey and Pancetta Spiedini Cooked turkey, pancetta, red pepper, spaghettini, Parmesan, pine nuts, tomato, olive oil, cayenne. TD: It’s pasta so why not drink an Italian wine? In particular, Northern Italy’s Piedmont comes to mind, home to great food-friendly reds Barolo, Barbera and Barbaresco. For this particular pasta, I recommend a young Barbaresco. It has the great natural acidity to cut through the richness of the pine nuts, olive oil and cheese but also the structure and tannin of the Nebbiolo grape to stand up to the pancetta and red pepper. Traditionally, these old world wines are not too high in alcohol either so they work well with a little spice (cayenne). Plus, you don’t have to feel guilty about opening a second bottle!
DRESSED UP & READY TO GO!
For dinner out, a family gathering, home parties or kicking back at the cabin, Tinhorn Creek has the wines for the occasion. Our vineyards are located on two unique and diverse south Okanagan sites: the Golden Mile and the Black Sage bench. Our ability to blend the grapes from these vineyards and capture the best characteristics of each site sets us apart. Visit our spectacular estate winery in Oliver, BC and experience for yourself. NATURALLY SOUTH OKANAGAN www.tinhorn.com
www.eatmagazine.ca NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2010
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