Red Bordeaux in September!

OUR NEXT EVENT
September Wine Tasting
Theme: 2003 Bordeaux (Left Bank)
Date: Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011
Time: 6 PM
Where: Faculty Club, 41 Willcocks St., Toronto
Cost: Members $74; Non-Members: $94
Register /Buy Tickets

TVC presents Red Bordeaux from the Left Bank on September 20th. The 2003 vintage was exceptional and we have wines from such esteemed châteaux as Leoville-Barton and its sister, Langoa-Barton; Duhart-Milon (formerly Duhart-Milon- Rothschild) part of the Domaines Baron de Rothschild (Lafite); Lafon-Rochet owned by the Tesseron family which also owns Château Pontet-Canet; Malescot St. Exupéry which dates back to 1697 and was acquired in 1827 by Count Jean Batiste St-Exupéry, great-great grandfather of the aviator and writer Antoine de St. Exupéry; Grand Puy Lacoste, Branaire Ducru and Pavillon Rouge, the second wine from Chateau Margaux.

Please note that all ticket sales are final, whether paid by credit card or cheque. We can only issue a refund if we are ‘oversold’. A guest speaker and light appetizers will be served with our wines to round out the evening’s enjoyment.

Bin End Wine Dinner at Cava Restaurant

On June 21, 2011, TVC presented a unique opportunity to enjoy some rare fine wines with an extensive variety of delicious tapas (see menu below) at Cava Restaurant. Cava, a Spanish tapas restaurant in downtown Toronto, was voted Best New Restaurant by Toronto Life magazine in 2007 and most would agree that it has only got better with time. Head chef and co-owner, Chris McDonald, with his years of experience brings a unique twist to Cava's Spanish tapas menu. Chris is one of Canada's most respected chefs, having worked in Italy, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Some of his past endeavours in Toronto include chef/executive chef at Avalon, Zocalo, Centro, Jump, Stadtländer amongst others.

Since opening in 2006, Cava has continued to generate positive buzz, with Joanne Kates recently including the restaurant as #3 on her Second Annual 100 Best Toronto Restaurants list – up from #6 in 2010. Kates enthuses about the restaurant, stating "Cava is the closest Toronto gets to a tapas bar in Barcelona." Here are a few more rave reviews of Cava:

"Cava is a wine and tapas bar featuring more than two dozen small plates, whose eclectic
flavours reflect the culinary breadth of renowned Chef Chris McDonald's current interests,
ranging from Spanish, Italian and French with occasional Mexican flourishes." – Dine.TO

"This jewel of a dining room is hidden in an alleyway, so the trick is finding it. But the effort is
worth it since Cava offers exquisite tapas like plates and sparkling wines at prices that won't
break your budget." – Frommer's

The event was limited to 56 people and sold out.

CAVA MENU

Chipotle-Caramel Popcorn
***
Papas Fritas
***
"Supergilda"
***
Pincho of Gamay-Poached Foie with Pomegranate and Onion
***
Cava Charcuteria
***
Bruschetta of Edamame, Green Onion, Black Olives, and Sicilian Tomato
***
Watercress and Roasted Beet Salad, Valdeon Blue, and Marcona Almonds
***
Smoked Kingfish Ceviche, Frisée Salad, and Tortilla
***
Fried Japanese Eggplant, Queso Fresco, Honey, and Tomatillo Sauce
***
Grilled Squid, Fingerling Potatoes, Hazelnut Romesco, and Green Onion
***
Line-Caught Albacore Tuna, Jamon Serrano, and Oyster Mushrooms
***
Asparagus a la Plancha, Lemon-Pepper Aioli
***
Venison Anticucho, Warm Red Cabbage Salad
***
Wild Mushroom and Sweet Corn Tamal, Pasilla Chile-Wild Plum Sauce
***
Roasted Quail, Pozole Rojo
***
Cauliflower and Kabocha Squash Tagine, Medjool Dates, Spanish Saffron
***
Grilled Flank Steak, White Vegetable Purée, and Chimichurri
***
Swiss Chard, Pine Nuts, and Currants
***
Churros Con Chocolate

(Final menu subject to change.)

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THE WINES

Cava (reception wine)
***
Albarino
***
Various bin-end, fine reds from TVC's cellar:
E.g., 2004 Bodegas Castano, Casa Cisca (Spain), 2006 Clos De La Siete (Argentina), 2004 Nicolas
Catena, Alta Cabernet (Argentina), 2004 Poesia - Bodega Poesia (Argentina), 2004 Cesca Vicent -
Abat Domenech (Spain) and more!

Tapas event is SOLD OUT!

As of today, June 8, our Tapas and Fine Wine event at Cava Restaurant is SOLD OUT.  There may  be some cancellations between now and June 16 (the deadline for accepting cancellations) so if you want to be put on our waiting list, please contact Chris, our Events Director, by email or by telephone at 416-209-1442.

Tapas and Fine Wines

As of today, only 3 tickets remain for our June 21st Tapas and Fine Wines event at Cava Restaurant.

TVC presents a unique opportunity to enjoy some rare fine wines with an extensive variety of delicious tapas (click to see our menu) at Cava Restaurant. Cava, a Spanish tapas restaurant in downtown Toronto, was voted Best New Restaurant by Toronto Life magazine in 2007 and most would agree that it has only got better with time. Head chef and co-owner, Chris McDonald, with his years of experience brings a unique twist to Cava's Spanish tapas menu. Chris is one of Canada's most respected chefs, having worked in Italy, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Some of his past endeavours in Toronto include chef/executive chef at Avalon, Zocalo, Centro, Jump, Stadtländer amongst others. To read about a recent interview with Chris Macdonald, check out this link.

Date:  June 21, 2011
Time: 6:30 PM

Price: Members: $108 Guests:   $125 (inclusive of taxes & gratuity)
Register/Buy tickets
Venue: Cava Restaurant, 1560 Yonge St., Toronto M4T 2S9
Map
Deadlines:Mailed  Reservations - Fri. June 14, 2011
               Online Payments - 5pm Sun. June 19, 2011

2004 White Burgandy Results

On May 17, we were privileged to taste some excellent example of 2004 White Burgundies, including some excellent examples of Meursaults and Chablis's. 

We were privileged to welcome Sébastien Jacquey as the guest speaker for the evening.  Sébastien comes from the Nevers region of Burgundy. His extensive educational and practical experiences have led him throughout France to many of the most prestigious schools and châteaux including training at Baron Philippe de Rothschild in Pauillac. Sébastien is a Master of Earth and Environment, specializing in Vine Management and Terroir; and an Engineer of Oenology and Viticulture.

Sébastien first spoke to the group about the quality of the 2004 vintage in Burgundy.  Sadly, the 2004 was not one best vintages for the region and started out almost as poorly as the drought filled 2003 season.  Heavy rain in August brought some disease and infection to the vines of the region, but luckily, September was "blessed by the gods" and dried out many of the vineyards.

He also talked about how two very different style would be present in the wines we tasted that night.   Some of the wines, like the Jean Boillot, are very "old school", where as wines like the Domaine LeFlaive and the St. Aubin, were much more of a new generation style.  They use much less oak and try to focus more on letting the terroir come through.

This turned out to be one of more challenging tastings we put on, as the group struggled to come up with a consensus for everything but their top and bottom ranked wines.  The two top wines of the night were the Jean Boillot (Sébastien top pick and the groups 4th) and Marc Colin, St Aubin (The groups top pick and Sébastien's 5th)

When speaking about the Jean Boillot, Sébastien described it as having an intense/complex nose that was full of ripe stone fruit scents.  It was very creamy and fat with flavours of mushroom and limestone minerality.  It showed a fantastic balance between the fruit and minerality with a long, smooth and tight finish.  However he did say that it wasn't a typical Burgundy, and that it tasted almost new world.

The St. Aubin, according to Sébastien, had lots of ripe stone fruit and ripe flower flavours and also some intense citrus notes.  It had good structure with a medium long finish.  He did say that when tasting, that he was searching for a minerality that seemed to be lacking.

Name of Wine (in order poured)	Group Ranking	Guest Ranking
A. Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Les Clos	6	7
B. Marc Colin, St Aubin, En Remilly, 1er Cru	1	5
C. Theirry et Pascal Matrot, Meursault, Charmes, 1er Cru	7	8
D. Michel Coutoux, Meursault, Charmes, 1er Cru	3	6
E. Latour-Giraud, Meursault, Charmes, 1er Cru	2	3
F. Henri Boillot, Meursault, Charmes, 1er Cru	5	4
G. Domaine LeFlaive, Puligny-Montrachet, Clavoillon, 1er Cru	8	2
H. Jean Boillot, Puligny-Montrachet, Perrieres, 1er Cru	4	1

Reminder - White Burgundies on May 17

 

Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chablis and St. Aubin

 Just a few days left to register for our fabulous white Burgundy tasting on May 17! We'll be drinking wines from Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chablis and St. Aubin communes and from some of the greatest producers in the region. Price includes appetizers and a reception wine.

Register/Buy Tickets

TED TURNER MEMORIAL

1932 - 2010

In Memoriam

Edward Giles Turner

A memorial service in honour of TVC’s founder and long-time president, Ted Turner's life will be held at St. Mark's Anglican Church, 41 Byron Street Niagara-on-the-Lake ON, L0S 1J0 on Saturday, May 14 at 11:00 AM.  Reception to follow at Addison Hall (located on the grounds of St. Mark's Church).

"May he drink with the gods and dance with the angels. May he shine through the universe like he shone through life. His spirit burns bright with magnificent colours.  He lived. He loved. He made a difference."  Thank-you Ted.

From Toronto and destinations E/W via QEW:

Follow the QEW towards Niagara.  After crossing the Garden City Skyway at St. Catharines - exit the QEW at exit 38B, follow the Niagara-on-the-Lake signage onto Highway 55. Take Hw 55 12km (7mi) northeast until it ends at Queen Street. Turn R onto Queen St. (main street of NOTL).  Turn L just after the clock tower & proceed to the first Right (St. Mark's will be on your right).