By Michael Lowe
The Grand Tasting at Cuvée 2015 was a big hit with some of the best wines and plates on show from the best winemakers and chefs. From the look of this year’s lineup on Friday March 4 at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls we should see more of the same.
The event will see the return of local, well known chefs such as Ryan Crawford (Backhouse), Mark Hand and Mario Pingue, Claudio Mollica (Casa Mia), Chris Smythe (Escabeche at the Prince of Wales) and David Watt (Garrison House). We will also see some new faces — Chefs Justin Cournoyer (Actinolite Restaurant), Sing Ho (Golden Lotus), David Sider (The Restaurant at Redstone), and Alex White (Benchmark) — showing off their culinary creations. Another highlight of the evening is the lively Apres Cuvée after-party featuring entertainment, craft beer, sparkling wine, and icewine.
The Grand Tasting kicks off a weekend long series of events known as Cuvée en Route. Special vertical tastings and back vintages not generally available will be featured and a few of the winery restaurants are also offering reduced prices on multi-course tasting menus.
This year, in addition to my usual coverage of the Grand Tasting, I will take you on a trip along the wine route as we take full advantage of the weekend events. Cuvée is a 3-day celebration from March 4-6 of the fruits of the labour of the talented winemakers and chefs from Ontario — a celebration not to be missed by wine and food aficionados alike.
Cuvée en Route passports cost just $30, but are included with your Tickets for the Grand Tasting.
Click here for a complete list of participating wineries, chefs and weekend events.
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