ChefmeetsGrape – 2009 Winners

BC Wine Institute Media Release

September 18, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ChefmeetsGrape – 2009 Winners

Vancouver, BC - ChefmeetsGrape, the largest BC food and wine event in the city, toasted BC’s winemakers, winery proprietors and chefs, to a sell-out crowd last night. The fifth annual event put on by the BC Wine Institute paired thirteen of Vancouver’s finest chefs with over 40 BC VQA wineries serving the ‘best of BC’ to close to 400 people at the Westin Bayshore.

Like in past years the competition for top awards was stiff as chefs from Le Gavroche, Goldfish Pacific Kitchen and Diva at the Met participated with ten other restaurants in the evening’s wine and culinary challenge. The judges were very impressed with the dishes the chefs prepared for the evening’s crowd – awarding the restaurant teams from Bin 941 & 942 and Mosaic at the Hyatt honourable mentions before giving Executive Chef Michael Batke and his team from the Westin Bayshore the coveted 2009 title for the Judges’ Choice for Best Food and Wine Pairing award. Batke’s Pacific scallop ravioli was deliciously paired with the 2008 Hester Creek Estate Winery’s Trebbianno, earning top marks from the judges.

Judge Andrea Vescovi, respected wine director and restaurant manager at the Blue Water Café and first time Chef meets Grape judge, noted that it was a difficult decision for the judging team to choose just one winner from the thirteen food and wine pairings presented. “We are giving out two honourable mentions along with the traditional Judges’ Choice award to acknowledge the level of excellence for best food and wine pairing the restaurant participants brought to this evening’s competition.”

The audience eagerly awaited their awards of the evening. The ballots counted, judge Neil Ingram, of Boneta Restaurant, thanked the entertaining band Double Magnum for the great tunes all evening and announced the People’s Choice small plate and pairing award. This year the People’s Choice award went to Executive Chef Milton Tanswell and his crew from Sanafir Restaurant and Desert Hills Estate Winery. Tanswell served “butter turkey with basmati rice, cucumber raita and mango chutney – a crowd pleaser pairing the spicy asian dish with the floral and fruity notes of Desert Hills Estate Winery’s 2008 Gewürztraminer.

ChefmeetsGrape is an annual fall event that brings together the fresh flavours of the province with BC VQA wines. This year thirteen Vancouver Chefs prepared small-plate dishes, and over 40 BC VQA wineries served their new autumn-release wines for people to enjoy at the event. The event is organized by the British Columbia Wine Institute.

For event details for next year’s Chef meets Grape, and other BC wine events, please check the events calendar at winebc.com

Participating Restaurants and Wineries

Restaurants:

A Kettle of Fish
Bin 941
Bin 942
Diva at the Met
Goldfish Pacific Kitchen
Italian Kitchen
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House
La Terrazza
Le Gavroche
Mosaic Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency
O’Douls
PAIR Bistro
Sanafir
Uva Wine Bar & Cibo Ristorante
Westin Bayshore

Wineries:

Artisan Wine Co.
Arrowleaf Cellars
Black Hills Estate Winery
Black Widow Winery
Calona Vineyards
CedarCreek Estate Winery
Chandra Estate Winery
Church & State Wines
Clos du Soleil Winery
Deep Creek Wine Estate & Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery
Desert Hills Estate Winery
Dirty Laundry Vineyard
Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery
Garry Oaks Winery
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery
Gray Monk Estate Winery
Hester Creek Estate Winery
Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate
Lake Breeze Vineyards
Little Straw Vineyards Estate Winery
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery
Nk'Mip Cellars
Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery
Peller Estates
Poplar Grove Winery
Quails' Gate Estate Winery
Red Rooster Winery
Road 13 Vineyards
Sandhill
Saturna Island Family Estate Winery
See Ya Later Ranch
St. Hubertus Estate Winery (Oak Bay Vineyard)
Stoneboat Vineyards
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery
Summerhill Pyramid Organic Winery
Thornhaven Estates Winery
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
Township 7 Vineyards and Winery
Twisted Tree Vineyards and Winery
Vista D'Oro Winery
Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery

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For further information:
Lisa Cameron, General Manager
British Columbia Wine Institute
#107 – 1726 Dolphin Avenue, Kelowna, BC

Tel (250) 762-9744 ext. 103
Cell (250) 878-9698
Toll-free 1-800-661-2294
lcameron@winebc.com

About the BC Wine Institute (BCWI)

The province’s lead wine industry trade association since 1990, the BCWI has played a pivotal role in taking BC’s wine industry from a vision to an internationally recognized niche region producing premium wines and providing quality wine tourism experiences.

The BCWI markets the Wines of British Columbia (BC VQA) brand and BC’s wine regions, delivers quality trade, media and consumer tastings; and acts as the voice of BC’s wine industry by advocating to government on behalf of its members.

Please visit www.winebc.com for more information.

Based in Kelowna, the BCWI promotes the Wines of British Columbia (BC VQA) and the Wine Regions of British Columbia brands.


For further information:
Lindsay Anders, Communications Manager
tel (250) 762-9744 ext. 103 toll-free 1-800-661-2294
landers@winebc.com www.winebc.com