By Mike Lowe
Anyone who’s visited Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery knows it to be one of the most picturesque winery destinations in the Niagara Peninsula. And, there has been an undercurrent of constant growth at Ravine, one in which food has factored in to from the very beginning.
The latest in Ravine’s evolution is the opening of their inviting and casual Vineyard Bistro. Offering classic, Niagara inspired French fare, the bistro is likely to become a notable culinary address on Niagara’s wine route.
Large windows and sliding glass doors bathe the bistro in sunlight creating a space where diners can feel like they are part of winery’s surroundings.
The bistro’s à la carte menu is a varied collection including mussels (six preparations available at $14), soups ($9- $11), salads ($8- $13), hors d’oeuvres ($12- $15) and main dishes ($11- $28).
You will also find a selection of fine artisan cheeses from Ontario and Quebec priced by the ounce. Not surprisingly, only VQA wines from Niagara comprise a wine list that pretty much covers all bases when it comes to food and wine pairing.
We start with Foie Gras Quebecois Poêlé ($15) and Salade Niçoise ($13). The foie gras, as the name suggests, is pan seared which develops a well seasoned crust and soft, silky interior.
Rounds of crisp brioche toast serve as platforms for the melt-in-your-mouth foie gras which is paired with a spiced apple plum chutney. I matched the dish with 13th Street winery’s Cuvee Rose which proved a formidable partner and palate cleansing option.
The Niçoise salad varies ever so slightly from tradition, but in a good way. Canned tuna is replaced with a neatly trimmed “block” of perfectly seared tuna, still cool and rare on the inside. As a twist, the tuna is dusted with a touch of cinnamon before searing. This unusual addition adds a sweetly spicy touch which creates contrast with some of the salty ingredients in the dish.
Next dishes include a wonderful confit of duck leg, boasting crisp skin and moist, succulent flesh, and Coq au Vin with tender chicken, deeply stained from hours of careful simmering in red wine, bacon, onions other aromatics.
The duck is matched with sweet, earthy celeriac puree, tender mustard greens and brilliant green beans. With the duck I chose Ravine’s 2009 Redcoat which works extremely well with the rich, savory nature of the dish.
My dinner partner’s chicken sits atop a mound of Yukon gold mashed potatoes laced with Comfort Cream cheese, produced by Upper Canada Cheese Company in Jordan, Ontario, while the veg consists of snap peas, green beans and carrots.
For dessert I can’t resist the chocolate “half-moon” cake. This work of the pastry chef’s art consists of chocolate cake, topped with chocolate mousse then coated in a shell of dark chocolate. Chocolate covered rice crisps look like black pearls swimming in a combination of dark and milk chocolate sauces.
My companion offers a bite of moist, creamy cheesecake matched with a refreshing lime sorbet. Sweetness of the cake is balanced perfectly with the slight tartness of the intensely flavoured sorbet.
Chefs Colin Goodine and Paul Harber have done a great job of bringing a fresh face to some of the French classics. Our server, Laryssa, exhibited an admirable knowledge of the menu and wine list.
Throughout our stay she exuded enthusiasm and good charm while efficiently tending to our needs. With this latest addition, Ravine Vineyards seems poised to capitalize on the culinary momentum building in Niagara.
Ravine Vineyard Bistro
1366 York Road,
St. Davids, Ontario
905 262 8463
★★★★1/2 Stars (Out of 5)
Wine Pick of the Week
Cattail Creek
Pinot Noir 2009 (VQA- Niagara Peninsula)
$19.45 (winery only)
A light, yet enticing, Pinot showing plenty of black/sour cherry and raspberry on the nose and palate together with subtle spice, graphite notes and lingering vanilla on the finish.
Cattail Creek Estate Winery
R.R. #4,1156 Concession 6,
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
905-988-9463
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