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Come
to the MasqueRave
A
Cornucopia of Events
©
Michael Vaughan 2006
National Post
Weekly Wine & Spirits Columnist
Saturday,
November 18, 2006
LIVE
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Who says that wine tasting events are a bore? Last weekend, I attended Canada's most exciting annual wine bash at BC's Whistler resort. It's much more than your average walk-around tastings and sit-down seminars. Indeed, Cornucopia, which is now in it 10th year, leaves our own Bloor-Yorkville springtime wine festival (aka Santé) in the dust.
In Toronto, Santé dinners tend to be interminably long; littered with commercial, over-the-counter, wines. By contrast, there is authentic zestiness to Cornucopia - a pride to show something different, something you can't readily buy!
At
last Friday night's 25th anniversary dinner at Araxi
restaurant, which has been designated as Whistler's top restaurant, I
experienced a cornucopia of terrific, previously untasted wines
accompanied by executive chef James Walt's
amazingly fresh seafood dishes. There was nary a dull moment in
eight-course multiple wine "Big Guns" dinner. I discovered
delights like Livon
2000 Braide Alte, an amazing
white blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Picolit and Muscato Gialto
from Italy's northeastern Fruili region. The highlight was Chateau
Beaucastel 1981 Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which came
directly from the estate. For dessert, there was Chateau
des Charmes 2002 Paul Bosc Estate Riesling Icewine
($60 at winery only). Serving a stunning Ontario icewine at a BC event was
both brave and widely appreciated.
At
10:30 pm, we adjourned to make our way to the Bearfoot
Bistro, legendary, always sold-out, MasqueRave
party entitled Moulin Rouge. And what a bash it was. At $250
a pop, all 1,000 tickets had sold out months before. Starting at 8 pm, I
was too late for the culinary samplings of Vancouver's top restaurants,
such as Lumiere, Tojo's and Vij's. I did spy my friend Vikram
Vij surrounded by a bevy of inquisitive party goers trying to
snare the special "secret" ingredients for his amazing dishes.
Tip: you can find details in his new cookbook Vij's:
Elegant & Inspired Indian Food Indian Cuisine, which is
$26.40 at Chapters/Indigo vs. $40 list (to see click
here).
Between
wall-to-wall participants, many of them fashionably attired, there were
more than three-dozen, beautifully painted nudes, serving food and drinks.
At one station, sushi could be tastefully nibbled from a stunning body
painted pure white. Whether it was glasses of Okanagan Osoyoos
Larose or wonderful flutes of Pommery
Brut Royale, it was all too amazing. Even better for
Champagne lovers, this bubbly has been recently delisted by the LCBO
(#346106) and a few cases are still available at a bargain $35.95 vs. its
regular price of $52.95 (to see where click
here).
Mounted
on the bar was a life-sized, clear-ice torso, which is the world's first
Champagne luge run. Champagne is poured in the top and flows though a
twisty clear tube running the course of the body and emerging at the
torso's lower extremity. Case after case of Pommery rocketing down the
course to applause of waiting ecstatic fans. What a way to enjoy bubbly -
hopefully, this method will be featured as a new competitive sport at the
1010 Olympics.
For
dessert, there were strawberries on melted chocolate. The presentation was
a bit unusual, as strawberries were served on a nude chocolate-covered
body. As one enthusiastic taster confessed, it took three samplings before
discovering which brand of chocolate was being used. Unlike frat parties,
the attendees were surprisingly well-behaved and the live music blared on
until 4 am without incident. Thankfully, I just had to cross the road to
get back to the just opened Adara Hotel,
where an incredibly comfortable bed lay waiting in my third floor loft (to
see click
here).
You
may you think that the Bearfoot Bistro's MasqueRave is over the top, but
after the smoke has cleared, owner André
Saint-Jacques donates a significant chunk of cash to three
local charities. Excluding the booze, it costs over $175,000 to organize
this one party alone.
What really amazed me, however, was the transformation of Bearfoot Bistro the following night to a spectacular Hommage à Jacques Perrin dinner. This $400 event was also sold-out, but this time to less than 100 lucky participants. We kicked off with unlimited flutes of decadent 1995 Pommery Louise an outstanding top cuvee that has been absent from the LCBO for much too long - I last recommended the stunning 1988 to National Post readers in my "Champagne Bondage" article of December 24, 1999 (to see click here).
Always
forging ahead with something new, André
Saint-Jacques successfully broke another Champagne sabering
record, where the neck of the Champagne bottle is sheared clean with a
saber exactly in the space between the liquid and the cork. This year it
was the simultaneous sabering wherein his team of servers liberated many
bottles all at the same moment. Last year, André personally and
unassisted sabered 21 bottles in under-60 seconds, which is now officially
listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Better yet, not a drop of Dom
Perignon was wasted - well let's say just few in the
spray.
The
Barefoot Bistro wine-pairing menu was one of the finest I have ever
experienced. At the only 27, BC-born Melissa
Craig is one of the most talented executive chefs I have had
the pleasure to meet and has made Barefoot a top North America dining
destination. Highlights included Kobe beef three ways: a divine Kobe
scampi tartar, braised Kobi shortrib with a Jerusalem artichoke purée,
and Kobi tenderloin with seared foie gras and white Alba truffle.
As for the incredible comparative tasting with Thomas
Perrin (Mr. Beaucastel), I tasted two vintages of Chateau
Beaucastel Roussanne Vielles Vignes. Both were
delicious, the 2004 being loaded with juicy, ripe Anjou pear puree
flavours, while the preferred1990 blew me away with its elegant,
melon-lemon-pear flavours. Of three vintages of Chateauneuf-du-Pape,
the 1989 was showing beautifully - obviously time to raid the cellar. As
for the elite Hommage
a Jaques Perrin, which are normally only available
in the Classics Catalogue at $200+ per bottle, my highlight was the
classic 1995 with classy, refined, lingering, ripe plum flavours.
A visit to this region isn't complete without a visit to Jordan Sturdy and his North Arm Farm, which is about ½ hour drive from Whistler, in the pretty Pemberton Valley at about 1,400' vs. 3,000' for Whistler. Jordan, who has just been elected major, grows a wide variety of specialty vegetables and supplies the best restaurants in the region.
Whistler
is about a 2½ hour-hour drive from Vancouver, although on weekends that
can be increased up to 5 hours. The drive time is being reduced by virtue
of the improvements to the highway in preparation of the 2010 Olympics. In
Vancouver, I stayed at the recommended Opus
Hotel (to see click
here), which is located in the heart of trendy Yaletown.
It is also just a few steps to the highly-recommended, award-winning Blue
Water
Café (to see click
here). In addition to a fine raw bar run by Yoshihiro
(Yoshi) Tabo, affable executive chef Frank
Pabst does amazing things with prestine fresh local seafood. Let
me recommend an amazingly delicious, juicy ruby grapfruit flavoured white
from the wine list: Gehringer
Brothers Optimum 2005 Pinot Gris from BC's Okanagan
Valley (an amazing value - only $19.99 at the winery - to see click
here). While I didn't have time to catch a taste of my
favourite dish at Vij's (wine
marinated lamb popsicles), make sure that you queue-up for North
America's best Indian cuisine (to see click
here). Finally, anyone visiting might make a walk (as
long as it isn't raining buckets) to Vancouver Art Gallery and see Emily
Carr: New Perspectives on a Canadian Icon, which continues until
January 7th (to see click
here).
Pick of the Week
Last
Thursday marked the 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau release. Sadly, the LCBO has
managed to make this one of the non-events of the year. With 13,515 cases
in the LCBO kitty (an increase of 21% over 2005), one would think that
somebody would care. The lack of preview tastings made it impossible for
me to provide fans with any inside scoop. Of 8 releases, I have two
choices. The best buy from Veneto Italy is Negrar
2006 Novello del Veneto (899955) at $8.95. It
has a medium deep purple colour with gently juicy, ripe plum nose and
attractive, fresh, medium-light bodied, fairly juicy, ripe plum flavours.
The best Nouveau is Duboeuf
2006 Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau (932780) at
$15.95 with 12.5% alcohol. It has a bright deep purple colour and slightly
spicy, ripe plum nose with firm, dry, quite well structured, harmonious,
ripe plum flavours.
Here are my notes based on a single tasting on Tuesday, November 14th.
France
Recommended
**+ DUBOEUF BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES NOUVEAU 2006
Vintages 932780 • $15.95
Bright deep purple colour. Spicy, slightly ripe plum nose. Firm, dry, quite well structured, harmonious, ripe plum
flavours.
*+/** PISSE-DRU BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU 2006
General List 669259 • $13.95
Fairly deep purple colour. Slightly spicy dried ripe plum nose. Dry, well balanced, medium-light bodied, slightly spicy, tangy, plum and red apple
flavours. Screwcap closure.
*+ MOMMESSIN BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU 2006
General List 897934 • $13.45
Medium deep purple colour. Peppery dried apple nose. Dry, crisp, fresh, slightly tart, medium-light bodied, plummy
flavours. Screwcap closure.
*/*+ JEANJEAN SYRAH PRIMEUR 2006
General List 899948 • $9.95
Light purple colour. Dry, slightly peppery, leesy, dried plum nose. Very dry, crisp, light to medium-light bodied, dried plum and tart red apple flavours with a crisp finish.
*/*+ DUBOEUF GAMAY NOUVEAU 2006
General List 891846 • $8.95
Deep purple colour. Very peppery nose. Firm, dry, crisp, medium-light bodied, peppery, dried plum and red apple
flavours.
Italy
Recommended • Best
Buy
** NEGRAR NOVELLO DEL VENETO 2006
General List 899955 • $8.95
Medium deep purple colour. Slightly spicy, gently juicy, ripe plum nose. Attractive, fresh, medium-light bodied, slightly spicy, fairly juicy, ripe plum
flavours.
*+ MEZZACORONA NOVIO VINO NOVELLO 2006
General List 669275 • $9.95
Fairly deep purple colour. Slightly spicy, cooked red apple nose. Slightly peppery, dry, medium-light bodied, spicy, dried plum and red apple
flavours.
Canada, Ontario
* ANCIENT COAST GAMAY NOUVEAU 2006
General List 669267 • $9.95
Light purple red colour. Pleasant, albeit shy, ripe plum nose. Dry, crisp, light bodied, red apple-plum
flavours.
2001-2002-2003-2004-2005-2006
Tasting Note Database
Our
tasting note database from December 31, 2000 to October 2006, covers every
Vintages release product for the past 69 months. There are more than 13,000 notes in the database data. Just enter the name of the product,
supplier name or CSPC number. Or you can search by type of wine, country
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Contact Michael Vaughan at
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