Wednesday, November 21 2007

One Down, Three to Go!

Brandon, the second largest city in Manitoba has a population of 180,000. Nestled in the scenic Assiniboine River Valley in the heart of western Manitoba, Brandon has approximately two-thirds of Manitoba's farmland located within a 130 km radius of the city. Brandon is very close to the geographical centre of North America, and is home to the Wheat Kings. Go Kings!

Craig Swanston with more guest blogging

Apparently we didn't forget anything in Winnipeg and the evening went very well. Now we have to find out if anything was left behind in Brandon! Everyone attending the tasting enjoyed Tim's presentation, along with the wine and the food pairings. The buzz was great and we're looking forward to doing it again tonight in the Blue and Gold Room back in Winnipeg.

The Pacific Quartet was a big hit- I'm not sure if that was due to the wine or the three fantastic ladies pouring it. I think it might have been a little of both. The wine we are using as the commercial equivalent is a perfect match for the kit and people are loving it. Just as unique as the wine is the food pairing that goes with it. It's a "two-step" pairing. Tasters first try the wine with some Chèvre (a soft goat cheese). Chèvre is slightly tart (like yoghurt) and earthy. The tartness diminishes the perception of acidity in the wine, accentuating the off-dry character. The next step is to try it with honey–and as evidenced by raised eyebrows all 'round–the wine changed completely. The sweetness of the honey took all of the sweetness out of the wine, and the flowery/nectar character diminished the floral notes of the Chenin Blanc and Gewurztraminer, leaving behind a structured, steely wine with a lot of length and impressive character.

Food pairings like this are a perfect example of why wine is an almost-perfect beverage: it changes with the food you're eating, you're setting, and the mood it finds you in–and when it's really good, it makes all of them better.

On to more tasting!

Posted by Tim AT 10:51PM

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