LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2016

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IT’S A VERY SPECIAL OCCASION — a dinner party for four and an evening when you’ve decided to go all out and offer your guests the best of everything. The main course must be nothing less than superb—and it will be, thanks to these recipes from Lucy Waverman, each one calling for a premium cut of meat or fish prepared simply but with a flavour-twist that elevates it to the extraordinary.     What to serve with such delicious food? Something equally luxurious. For each dish, we’ve selected two magnificent wines inter­ nationally renowned for their quality. Choose either option; both are perfectly matched to their recipe. Extravagant? Undeniably. But if you’re going to push the boat out, you need to launch it with the best bottle you can find. After all, this is a very special occasion. pairings

RECIPES BY LUCY WAVERMAN PAIRINGS BY JAMES CHATTO PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCE NOGUCHI

For special holiday dinners, pull out your best wines and match them to these luxurious dishes. Each main is surprisingly easy to make as well as having a je ne sais quoi that elevates it from nice to extraordinary. Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune du Château Premier Cru LCBO 325142, $37.25 Everyone should taste a good Pre- mier Cru Burgundy at some time, if only to establish parameters and understand what all the fuss is about. The surprise may be that it’s so deliciously approachable. Me- dium-bodied and soft, this blend from 17 premier cru vineyards starts with a flurry of ripe cherry and pomegranate then slowly re- veals more subtle oaky vanilla notes. You don’t notice the acidity but it’s there, balancing the fatty juices of the veal, while the mush- rooms in the dish bring out a new earthiness in the wine.

La Crema Russian River Pinot Noir 2014 VINTAGES 906404, $45.95 Ontario-born and raised, wine­ maker Elizabeth Grant‑Douglas loves the Pinot Noir grown in the cool, foggy vineyards of Sonoma’s Russian River valley. Precise regionality is LaCrema’s forte and this Pinot has the juicy energy and aromatic longevity I associate with the Russian River. Smooth, disciplined and sophisticated, its velvety tan- nins and oaky spice are deeply integrated; it’s a more muscular wine than the Burgundy, with a touch more weight and extract. A heavenly match with the veal.

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