Archive for the ‘Events’ Category
Sausage love, 2019 edition
Forget those overpriced Valentine meals prepared by bored chefs and served by jaded waiters in stuffy restaurants. On February 14, sausage lovers, wine lovers and just plain lovers will be heading to Nouveau Palais for a hit of Pork Futures goodness (sausage sandwiches with french fries and “piccante” hot sauce on the side) and glass after delicious glass of wine poured by oenopole.
The Ninth Annual Valentine’s Sausage Party
“For the love of sausage”
Thursday, February 14, 2019
5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (or until they run out)
Nouveau Palais
281 Bernard St. West, Montreal
RSVP: info@nouveaupalais.com or 514 273-1180
See You in Hell, Winter!
SEE YOU IN HELL, WINTER!
First grill-out of the summer
WEINPLATZ + DEUX CAVES + PLAN VIN + AGENCE SANS NOM + PORK FUTURES
This Sunday, May 20, three of our favourite wine agencies are joining forces with one of our favourite food purveyors to hold an event at one of our favourite venues. Specifically, Deux Caves, Plan Vin and Agence sans nom (aka Vadim Fonta) will be pouring two wines each while the Pork Futures guys will be serving grilled sausage sandwiches (buns by Automne) at Alexandraplatz (6731 de l’Esplanade) between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. Among the imbibables will be a Beaujolais from Kéké Descomes, a skin-contact Riesling from Chanterêves, an orange wine and sparkling red from Vadim’s portfolio and a sparkling Riesling made just outside Champagne by Jacques Beaufort’s son. The agencies involved are waiving their fees, so glasses will probably run around $10. What’s more, the forecast is now for clearing skies and mild temperatures.
Grand Cru
Written and directed by MWG member David Eng, Grand Cru is a documentary film whose subject is winemaker Pascal Marchand.
Pascal Marchand, an aspiring poet from Montreal, arrived in the mythical land of Burgundy to work the harvest at age 21. Enchanted by the region, he settled there and embarked on an unlikely path to winemaking stardom. Now over 30 years later, he is renowned as an artist and innovator, finding his inspiration in the ancient techniques of the Cistercian monks who meticulously studied and refined Burgundy’s winemaking in the middle ages. Shot over his most difficult year ever, the catastrophic 2016 season which saw devastating frosts, hailstorms and disease in the vineyards, the film is both a love letter and a cautionary tale, as winemakers like Pascal must face the unpredictable and destructive consequences of climate change.
Grand Cru begins its Montreal theatrical run at Cinéma Beaubien this Friday, April 6, at 12:35 p.m., 5:15 p.m., and 7:15 p.m. David and Katarina Soukup, the film’s producer, will be present for a Q&A session after the 7:15 screening. The run continues through Wednesday, April 11, with screenings every day at 12:35 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 9:25 p.m.
The film will also be shown at Cinéma Le Clap in Quebec City on April 6 (9:45 a.m. and 6 p.m.) as well as on April 21 and May 4 and 21. Further screenings are slated for Newport Beach (April 30 and May 3) and Toronto (May 11), the last with David and Katarina leading another Q&A (see the Grand Cru website for details).
In March, I attended an advance screening at the ITHQ. Besides the pleasure of meeting Pascal and watching the worthwhile film, we were provided with glasses of three wines from the Marchand-Tawse portfolio. You’ll find notes on them and a comment or two from Pascal after the jump.
Sausage love, 2018 edition
Forget those overpriced Valentine meals prepared by bored chefs and served by jaded waiters in stuffy restaurants. On February 14, sausage lovers, wine lovers and just plain lovers will be heading to Nouveau Palais for a hit of Pork Futures goodness (sausage sandwiches with french fries and “piccante” hot sauce on the side) and glass after delicious glass of wine poured by oenopole.
The Eighth Annual Valentine’s Sausage Party
“For the love of sausage”
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
17:30 to 23:30 (or until they run out)
Nouveau Palais
281 Bernard St. West, Montreal
RSVP: info@nouveaupalais.com or 514 273-1180
Eaten Back to Life launch
Mo’ Wine Group stalwart, Weinplatz commander, occasional blogger and débauché hors pair, Jonah Campbell has just published his second collection of essays, Eaten Back to Life.
Though food is the titular topic, drink almost could be. Indeed, the essays “On Natural Wine, Punk Rock and Too-Easy Analogies” and “On Bad Melons, Bullshit, and the Emergent Qualities of Wine” are among the highlights of – and longest pieces in – the book.
The launch is tomorrow, August 17, at Drawn & Quarterly bookstore, between 7 and 9 p.m., with an after-party to be held at Alexandraplatz. Charcuterie from Boucherie Lawrence and wines from oenopole and Ward & associés will be served at the former; the Weinplatz cellar will be raided at the latter.
(And, yep, that Schueller 2007 Alsace Riesling Grand Cru Pfersigberg was something else.)
Unzippity doo dah
RASPIPAV, the more exciting of Quebec’s two wine agency associations and the force behind the popular Salon des vins d’importation privée, has announced the dates for the 2017 edition of Printemps dézippé, its spring wine expo: Wednesday, April 19, at the Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal and Thursday, April 20, at the Espaces Dalhousie in Quebec City.
The schedule appears to be the same for both events: wine trade and media types only from noon to 5 p.m. ($6 admission for unlimited tasting; preregistration required) and the general public from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. ($20 admission at the door, which gets you a glass and ten coupons exchangeable for pours; additional coupons can be purchased on site). The expo has a great track record, so this is virtually guaranteed to be fun.
Sausage love, 2017 edition
Forget those overpriced Valentine meals prepared by bored chefs and served by jaded waiters in stuffy restaurants. On February 14, sausage lovers, wine lovers and just plain lovers will be heading to Nouveau Palais for a hit of Pork Futures goodness (mild sausage sandwiches with french fries and “piccante” hot sauce on the side) and glass after delicious glass of Dolcetto poured by oenopole.
The Seventh Annual Valentine’s Sausage Party
“Because nothing says love like sausage”
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
17:30 to 23:30 (or until they run out)
Nouveau Palais
281 Bernard St. West, Montreal
RSVP: info@nouveaupalais.com or 514 273-1180
#iheartdolcetto
Sausage love, 2016 edition
Forget those overpriced Valentine meals prepared by bored chefs and served by jaded waiters in stuffy restaurants. On February 14, sausage lovers, wine lovers and just plain lovers will be heading to Nouveau Palais for a hit of Pork Futures goodness (Italian sausage and slaw sandwiches with french fries and “La Bomba” hot sauce on the side) and glass after drinkable glass of Dolcetto from four outstanding producers (San Fereolo, Chionetti, Alessandria and Principiano), all poured by oenopole.
The Sixth Annual Valentine’s Sausage Party
“Because nothing says love like sausage”
Sunday, February 14, 2016
17:30 to 23:30 (or until they run out)
Nouveau Palais
281 Bernard St. West, Montreal
#iheartdolcetto
WMD @ NG
Events around the Salon des vins d’importation privée are thick on the ground this year. From both a food and wine standpoint, one of the most interesting will be a winemakers’ dinner – six courses with wine pairings – held at Nora Gray at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and featuring four stars from oenopole‘s stellar portfolio: Matassa‘s Tom Lubbe (Roussillon), Domaine du Possible‘s Loic Roure (Roussillon), Domaine de la Cadette‘s Valentin Montanet (Burgundy) and Remi Dufaitre (Beaujolais). Here – maybe en exclusivité – is the menu:
Foccacia toast, house-made mascarpone, marinated capelins and Provençal olives
Vin de France 2014, Petillant Naturel Rosé, Herbe Tendre, Domaine du Possible
•
Razor clam and mussel salad
Bourgogne-Vézelay Blanc 2013, La Châtelaine, Domaine de la Cadette
•
Braised pork belly, charred Brussels sprouts, spicy honey
Côtes du Roussillon Blanc 2014, Cours Toujours, Domaine du Possible
•
Parsley pappardelle with wild mushrooms
Côte de Brouilly 2014, Laurence et Rémi Dufaitre
•
Braised lamb shoulder, roasted rosemary potatoes and cassis
Vin de France 2014, Matassa Rouge, Domaine de la Matassa
•
Lemon-spruce tip sorbet and hazelnut biscotti
Marc d’Alsace, Riesling, Domaine Gérard Schueller et fils
Price is $125 per person before taxes and tip. To reserve, call 514 419-6672.
Small Secrets x Bar Barbara II
The resounding success of the first Small Secrets x Bar Barbara event has spawned a second. This Saturday, MWG member Jonah, co-conspirator Jordan and guest chef Dan are organizing another pop-up wine bar in Little Italy. This time around, the small but enlightened selection of biodynamic, natural and otherwise just crazy good wines will include bottles from Olivier Lemasson, Guy Breton, Rietsch, COS, Ooka, Ca de Noci and Baud. As before, the wines will be available by bottle or the glass at wallet-friendly prices. Nibbles will include Pork Futures‘ excellent duck prosciutto. And in contrast to February, the back terrasse will be open for business.
Small Secrets x Bar Barbara
33 Shamrock Ave.
Montreal
Saturday, May 16, 2015
17:00 to midnight
Brett happens 