LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2025

what to serve Even the sweetest, ripest tomato has plenty of tangy acidity, and so should the matching wine if it’s going to survive the encounter. Herbaceous Ontario dry Sauvignon Blanc and dry but fruity Ontario Riesling are both great white options. For red, try a zippy, lighter Italian Barbera or Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

SPOTLIGHT ON TOMATOES There’s a tomato for every role. Cast each kind where it’ll shine.

Paste Tomatoes Paste tomatoes like Roma and San Marzano are cultivated for sauce-making and canning. They have dense flesh with low moisture, making them ideal for ragù.

Slicing Tomatoes Slicing, or salad tomatoes, are just that—perfect for eating raw. Juicier and more thin-skinned than paste tomatoes, they shine in BLTs, salads and bruschetta.

Cherry Tomatoes Cherry tomatoes’ near-perfect balance of thin skins and concentrated flavour aces in quick sautéed pasta

SMOKY CHEDDAR & TOMATO CORNBREAD

BUTTERY STUFFED TOMATOES

OVERNIGHT TOMATO & BEAN SALAD

LOCAL TOMATO SUNDAY GRAVY

sauce, summery salads, or as a convenient on-the-go snack.

WITH

WITH

WITH

WITH

Bersano Costalunga Barbera D’Asti DOCG LCBO 348680, $16.95 There’s a lot going on with our smoky cheddar cornbread! A bold but lighter Italian red has the food-friendly acidity and vibrant berry flavours needed here.

Jackson-Triggs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc VQA

Cecchi Storia Di Famiglia

Inniskillin Reserve Cabernet Franc VQA LCBO 17290, $19.95 Creamy, spicy stuffed tomatoes with ground beef involved? Try a well-rounded, intensely flavourful Ontario Cab’ Franc— one of this province’s star varieties.

Chianti Classico LCBO 31752, $18.90 Our tomato gravy recipe includes Chianti, making it the obvious accompaniment. Chianti’s Sangiovese

LCBO 58438, $14.95 Fresh and tangy

marinated tomatoes perk up the richness of the beans and their nutty dressing. Look for a bone-dry Sauvignon Blanc with a grassy, citrussy personality.

Heirloom Tomatoes Heirlooms can belong to any one of the above categories. Use the juiciest for eating raw, and pick just one colour of heirloom to make gazpacho or sauce.

grapes have their own deep, palate refreshing tang.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STACEY BRANDFORD; PROP STYLING BY SHELLY SHNIER

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———————— SUMMER 2025