LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2021

we grow grapes, it makes sense to preserve it. There were vineyards on this property going back 150 years, but there were also dairy cows, sheep, and grain.” Not surprisingly, wine is often the centrepiece at Speck family get-togethers. “Gatherings always break into a massive wine tasting,” says Daniel. “I think wine would be a central part of our gatherings even if we weren’t in the wine business–we love it. For example, Paul will bring in a bottle of wine, and then Matt will say, “Oh, I’ve got something interesting to pair with that.” All of a sudden there are five bottles of wine, cheese and food on the table and it’s a full-on pairing session.” If I have a special bottle of wine, I tend to build a meal around that. Normally, you’d pair the wine with the food, but if you have a cool, special wine, you build around that.” The Specks generally favour the classics for holiday dinners, possibly excepting a seafood boil one year that met with mixed reception. “We tend to go with local turkey for Thanksgiving”, says Paul. “In Niagara, we’re blessed with incredible local fruits, vegetables, wines, cheeses and other ingredients from farmers. It’s interesting to take traditional foods and put a unique spin on them – work off the agenda, so to speak.” The wines paired with the Savour Ontario Harvest Menu are the perfect example of pushing the boundaries of familiar foods and flavours. “The Baco is a medium body wine and kind of works with turkey in much the same way as a cranberry sauce.” says Daniel, and Paul agrees. “Normally, most people would pair Pinot Noir or Chardonnay with turkey off the top. But the wines we’ve chosen typify our dinners in that they’re slightly different. Rosé is awesome because you can drink it on its own or even with a salad. Pinot Grigio is one of those wines that’s very approachable, quaffable and crowd pleasing. It goes with pretty much any food. Baco Noir is distinctive and something we’re quite well known for. It’s what you would consider a heritage brand or grape variety. It was developed in France, but it’s become famous in Niagara through Henry of Pelham. It’s very distinctive, but it can act in a traditional way.” Like most agricultural families, the Specks take a long view of their business, looking beyond to generations to come. “The character of our wines comes from our family farm and the original extended family farmwe’re piecing back together,” says Matt. We now have 300 contiguous acres of the original farmland. We want to maintain that flavour profile and the quality of our wines and the soil is integral to that.” “Niagara is and always will be a small region in the global wine business.” Paul allows. “Here we are 30+ years later in a highly competitive business and we’re still family owned by three brothers. Our wines are sold across Canada and in 21 countries around the world. In our small way, I’m proud of the fact that we’re spreading the Canadian culture through wine and food around the world, and that we’re doing it independently. Canada does have a food culture worth celebrating, and wine and cheese are a part of that.” Daniel agrees. “We’ve been doing this a long time now, and we’re part of that new generation of wineries in Ontario. Wine has been made here for 200 years, but we’ve played a significant part in defining the wine flavour of the Niagara region and have elevated a specific grape variety with our emblematic Baco Noir. Not every winery can “own” a grape variety.” “And, as I look at the agricultural side of what we do, you can drive by our vines and see blocks that are 30 or 50 years old.” adds Matt. “As the vines mature, as makers of wine, we appreciate their maturity as they age into more defined flavours. The local wine community is also evolving, gaining confidence and maturing, and we’re proud to be part of that agricultural and food community. Paul agrees, “Wine is a kind of a condiment, in a sense.”

FromOntario Farm Families to Yours: Savour Ontario HarvestMenu

This wonderful fall Harvest menu was inspired by favourite family dishes and Ontario flavours enjoyed by the den Haan and Speck families. The creamy cauliflower soup is a variation on Bonnie den Haan’s legendary recipe shared with families and friends over many tables over the years.

The turkey, stuffing and gravy were reimagined recipes from a vintage magazine the Speck brothers’ grandmother passed to their mother nearly 70 years ago. The three brothers still use the copies their mother

gave them today, the original having nearly fallen apart from love and use.

Scan the QR code to access the free Savour Ontario Harvest menu recipes or visit savourontario.ca/harvest.