Specific recommendations for wine pairings to go with food courses have evolved over the years. The more rigid older solutions such as white wine with fish and red wine with meat no longer strictly apply. Moreover, the older traditional wine choices that worked well are now rather expensive. In addition there currently are so many more newer excellent reasonably priced wines to consider. Everyone is looking for a new magical value pairing.
Our IWFS Founder Andre L. Simon recognized wide choices in his booklet called Partners – A Guide to the Game of Wine & Food Match-Making:
“Which wine is the right partner for each food? It is just a matter of taste, always, and also a matter of luck, often. The place, the company, the weather, the mood of the moment all have something to do in the happy of unhappy match-making of wine and food. No book can tell us. Yet, because of the insistence of so many people asking to be given some guidance in the game of the partnering of wine and food, this little book has been prepared with the greatest diffidence.”
On March 25 a most interesting dinner entitled Sommelier Showdown was cleverly organized by Sarah McCauley Corporate Wine Director for Five Sails restaurant in Vancouver. It was a competition final event for testing the skill of top local Sommeliers to match wine with food but as voted on blind by all 50+ diners in attendance. The food was sublime with talented Chef Alex Kim (fresh off his glorious first place finish at 2025 The Canadian Culinary Championships in Ottawa) and his brigade producing four outstanding food courses. Sarah brilliantly orchestrated the serving before each course of two wines blind as chosen by the finalists Nick Berlioz (NB) of Wentworth Hospitality and Sean Nelson (SN) of Somm Wine Club. The hospitality for the evening was wonderful as Alexandre Blais Director of operations stated:
“People may forget what you’ve said or what they ate, but they will never forget how you made them feel. No one who ever changed the game did so by being reasonable. At Five Sails, we trained our team to be unreasonably good listeners and dream makers. The food, the wine, the restaurant, it’s all black and white… hospitality is the colour you add to the paint.”
Lots of fun and so educational. Well done!
Here are the food courses and insightful choices made by the Sommeliers:
The aperitif was 2019 TINHORN CREEK BLANC DE BLANC 100% Chardonnay from the Okanagan Valley BC showing fine small bubbles, crispy entry with good acidity.
1. Hokkaido SCALLOP crudo lemon Arbequina emulsion, Castelvetrano olives, chervil & fennel salad.
2022 ETNA BIANCO PLANETA SICILY (NB): 100% Carricante organic grapes from 10 hectares single vineyard volcanic soils on north side of Mt. Etna at 700 metres harvested late September 29 to October 8 fermented 80% Stainless and 20 Nevers & Allier large oak casks at 14 abv.
2022 POGGIO ALLE GAZZE DELL’ORNELLAIA TOSCANA IGT BIANCO ITALY (SN): 53% Sauvignon Blanc, 37 Vermentino, 6 Viognier, 2 Verdicchio, 23 Semillon 13 abv fermented in 50% barriques (25% new) and 50 Stainless/Concrete (half each) with regular battonage during 6 months on the lees with no malolactic.
Two excellent choices. The scallop course had subtle flavours with chervil & fennel plus Sicilian special olives. Your scribe slightly appreciated the quieter neutral minerally pairing guess of “Grillo from Sicily” than the bigger rounder richer full complex flavours of perhaps an “oaked Loire Fume Blanc style”. Group vote very close with NB narrow winner.
2. PORK RILLETTES Speck crisps, chive mustard vinaigrette vol au vent.
MV ROEDERER ESTATE SPARKLING BRUT ROSE ANDERSON VALLEY CALIFORNIA (SN): Multi-Vintage blend of 56% Pinot Noir & 44% Chardonnay plus 15% oak-aged reserve wines with 8g/l dosage.
2021 MARAIA BARBERA DEL MONFERRATO MARCHESI DI BAROLO ITALY (NB): Means “little rascals” from the Province of Asti Barbera grapes at 14 .5 abv.
Another close vote but SN prevailed with lovely elegant Rose bubbles pairing beautifully with the exquisite looking white pork & crispy Speck dish. The red has acidity too but the big red fruits and alcohol make quite a forceful statement. Nice contrasts.
3. FRASER VALLEY DUCK BREAST Orange gel, salt-baked beetroot foie gras. Chef Alex Kim says “FV duck is known for its tender meat and crisp, buttery skin. They are Grade A Pekin ducks raised without antibiotics. The ducks are hatched, raised, and processed on the farm in Chilliwack British Columbia”.
2023 ELK COVE ESTATE PINOT NOIR WILLAMETTE VALLEY OREGON USA (SN): 100% Estate fruit dry farmed low yields from six vineyard sites harvested at 23.5 Brix fermented in small open top steel followed by 10 months in French oil at 13.5 abv.
2020 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE CHATEAU DE BEAUCASTEL FAMILLE PERRIN RHONE FRANCE (NB): Blend 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache and 50 % balance of 10 other grapes including Cinsault, Syrah & Counoise.
Two outstanding choices with lighter stylish perfumed refreshing pinot noir and darker full bigger fruits structured spicy one.
Both popular and dead heat group vote.
4. APPLE DESSERT Sable Breton, Vanilla mousse, creme anglaise apple & passion fruit compote. Sensational.
2018 CHATEAU D’ ARMAJAN DES ORMES SAUTERNES FRANCE (NB): Very textbook blend Sauternes so sweet rich and stylish with honey, ginger, and balancing acidity. Not cloying.
2003 ERMITAGE VIN DE PAILLE M. CHAPOUTIER RHONE FRANCE (SN): Very special unique wine with 20+ years of aging. Made from straw dried Marsanne for nearly two months and then aged in new oak. Intriguing caramel tropical fruits.
Group vote 28:24 in favour of NB.
Over the four courses a virtual tie. Showed that both wines chosen worked well in all four cases with the dishes presented. Taste-off required to determine the winner with notes was a blind 2019 RED MOUNTAIN LES GOSSES VINEYARD SYRAH WASHINGTON STATE USA. Big ripe style had guesses from Malbec in Chile to Barossa Valley in Australia. Both Sommeliers did a stellar job in selection and analysis but Sean Nelson was declared the winner by a whisker.
Outstanding event so well organized by Sarah! Made you think about appropriate wine pairings while enjoying the superb meal. Congrats.
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So much credit should be given to Anthony von Mandl for his amazing foresight and perseverance in establishing the Okanagan Valley as an outstanding fine wine region. It has a been a long 40 year remarkable journey driven by his continued determination and dedication to make it all happen.
He has been surprised and delighted along the way with recognition in 1994 for Mission Hill Family Estate Grand Reserve Chardonnay (only 2980 cases) vintage 1992 winning the Avery Trophy for “Best Chardonnay Worldwide” at the International Wine & Spirits Competition. Wonderful old framed nostalgic photo displayed at our Reception of Anthony, John Simes, and the late John Avery of IWFS. Anthony was further inspired and driven on to develop outstanding Chardonnay (and much improved Merlot) currently from CheckMate Artisanal Winery plus world-class Riesling & Pinot Noir at Martin’s Lane Winery. However, MHFE always had a soft spot for Bordeaux red wine blends and admired the success of Robert Mondavi in the Napa Valley. Together with founding winemaker John Simes they pushed the envelope to produce better and better red blends starting back in 1997. With the 2020 vintage of Oculus they felt they reached an “unparalleled intensity, concentration, and complexity “ and were awarded a 100 points score by John Schreiner (Canada’s most prolific writer of books on wine since 1984). As stated: “This is the story of resilience: a dream realized, a struggle overcome, and a vision fulfilled.” Accordingly, a small celebration dinner was hosted by MHFE in the elegant Royal Suite of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on March 11, 2025 which your scribe was pleased to be invited to and attend. A few comments:
Everything by Anthony von Mandl and his wineries is always done first class. This celebration dinner by MHFE – “House of Oculus” was well organized by Laura Serena (and Morgan Sommerville) of SerenaPR plus Kaylyn Storey, Director, Public Relations, Mark Anthony Group. Our hosts of Chief Winemaker Taylor Whelan & Director, Viticulture Rob Achurch started with an educational 2022 Terroir Collection tasting of the three main components of Oculus (plus Petit Verdot): rich fruit Merlot, subtle herbs of complexity Cabernet Franc, and structure, balance and length of Cabernet Sauvignon.
The dinner aperitif served blind was a stylish lovely French Champagne from the family house of Pol Roger. The four food courses were brilliantly planned and executed with the wines chosen. Our third host Bram Bolwijn, Guest & VIP Experiences Manager provided an entertaining and thorough insight into the glorious wines served:
2022 PERPETUA: An excellent white meaning “long lasting” of Dijon clones from 4 blocks of chardonnay in Border Vista Vineyards (72%) Osoyoos and Naramata Ranch (28%) barrel fermented aged sur lie with 16 months in French oak (18% new) plus new puncheons (10%) & concrete egg (5%) at stylish 13 abv. Paired well with the crispy sage chicken morel flavours.
2014 OCULUS IN MAGNUM: A blend of 50% Merlot, 24 Cab Franc, 21 Cab Sauv & 5 PV aged in French oak (25% new) is so fresh in magnum format yet structured and balanced. Drinking beautifully smooth with special addition of more interesting Cab Franc & complex PV.
2016 OCULUS: Slow ripening harvest over lengthy 76 days of 56% Merlot, 27 Cab Sauv & 17 Cab Franc spent 20 months in French oak (27% new) at 14.5 abv shows with more of a floral earthy character. Solid easy drinking currently matched with very thinly cut seasoned carpaccio.
2010 OCULUS: From a difficult vintage blending 51% Merlot, 26 Cab Sauv, and 23 Cab Franc with 3 months of extended maceration for 14 months in French barriques. Fantastic selection of the very best fruit. Showing more aged maturity. Tertiary notes attractive with dried spices and refreshing acidity. Well done.
2020 OCULUS: This is the highlight wine of the night! The blend of 49% Merlot, 24 Cab Sauv, 22 Cab Franc, and 5 Petit Verdot for 19 months is magical – though I expect there may be more Cab Franc used in future years. Admire the smooth rich concentration of fruit with balance. Should develop yet already is delicious. Very stylish with cellaring potential. Noted as “Optimal until 2035”. Sings majestically with the outstanding pithivier of local duck and foie gras. Congrats to all.
