Archive for the ‘Events’ Category
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
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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
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Parsley pappardelle with wild mushrooms
Côte de Brouilly 2014, Laurence et Rémi Dufaitre
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Braised lamb shoulder, roasted rosemary potatoes and cassis
Vin de France 2014, Matassa Rouge, Domaine de la Matassa
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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
Le sacre du printemps… à la grècque
Our friends at oenopole and SAT’s Foodlab are again joining forces to celebrate the arrival of spring and of winemakers from five of Greece’s top domaines: Argyros, Mercouri, Papagiannakos, Tetramythos and Tselepos. The city’s top terrasse will be open, the grill will be blazing, wines from the featured estates will be available by the glass and bottle at unbeatable prices and the menu is sure to please (loukaniko, lentil soup, lamb burger, whole grilled fish, horta, grilled octopus, sauteed nordic shrimp and roasted potatoes, last I heard). What’s more, the forecast couldn’t be better: sunny with a high of 25°C.
PRINTEMPS GREC
Thursday, May 7, from 6 p.m. on
SAT Foodlab
1201 St. Laurent Blvd., 3rd Floor
COS and company @ Nora Gray
Among the myriad events taking place this week in the wake of Les Turbulents, one that stands out is the winemaker’s dinner with Giusto Occhipinti from COS to be held at Nora Gray on Thursday, April 16, at 7 p.m.
The six-course meal, including appetizer and dessert, will feature seafood, pasta and braised and grilled meat dishes, all tailored to an impressive series of wines: Champagne Jacques Lassaigne to start, then COS’s Rami, Frappato, Nero di Lupo, Cerasuolo di Vittoria and Maldafrica, with La Stoppa‘s delightful sparkling Malvasia accompanying dessert.
If rumours are true, the all-inclusive price is a more-than-reasonable $125 a head, though you might want to confirm that when making your reservation.
We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming…
…to bring you the following public service announcement.
Normally I’d wait until all the notes from the MWG’s February tasting were up before posting this one. Why the rush? Because Domaine des Huard’s owner-winemaker, Michel Gendrier, is in town and will be pouring this and other wines at the excellent Le Comptoir charcuteries et vins tomorrow evening (Monday, March 9). And if that weren’t inducement enough, he’ll be joined by fellow Loire winemakers Étienne Courtois and Nicolas Grosbois. For details about this Romo love-in, see here.
Cour-Cheverny 2008, François 1er, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine des Huards ($24.45, 12476452)
Huard’s top-of-the-line dry Cour-Cheverny. 100% Romorantin from organically and biodynamically farmed vines averaging 75 years old. Manually harvested. Two-thirds of the grapes are immediately pressed, one-third are macerated on the skins for 15 hours before pressing. Fermented with indigenous yeasts at between 18 and 20°C. Matured on the lees for five months. Cold-stabilized before bottling in the September following the harvest. 13% ABV. Quebec agent: La QV.
Honey, straw, chalk, dried lemon, browning apple, faint white spices and an even fainter whiff of kerosene. Medium-bodied but with a dense, bordering-on-unctuous texture. Ripe-sweet on entry, the fruit is nicely soured by a surging undercurrent of acidity before slow-fading into the long finish, revealing the mineral substrate and leaving behind a very dry, light astringency and a hint of nuttiness and coriander seed. A lovely, layered, elegant wine deserving of a dry goat cheese or a fine piece of fish (you’ll find a couple of recipe ideas after the jump). Available as a private import, the 2007 was a Loire lover’s must-buy at $32. At under $25, this 2008 is a certifiable bargain. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Wine Bar Barbara x Small Secrets
The special events, they keep on coming.
On Sunday, as part of Restaurant Day Montréal Carnaval Culinaire, MWG member Jonah and one of his pals are organizing a pop-up wine bar in Little Italy. A small but enlightened selection of biodynamic, natural and otherwise just crazy good wines, including private imports from Importation Soif, will be available by the glass at unbeatable prices. Nibbles too.
Small Secrets x Bar Barbara
“Drink wine, warm up, chill out, repeat. / Venez boire, mais boire encore lorsque meurt la lumière.”
33 Shamrock Ave.
Montreal
Sunday, February 15, 2015
18:00 to 01:00
