For the fourth consecutive year, the Bailliages of Buffalo (NY, USA) and Toronto (Ontario, Canada) gathered together to celebrate our bi-national friendship, love of food and wine, and most importantly camaraderie.

The event was shared with the Société Mondiale du Vin (Ed. The USA equivalent of the Ordre Mondial des Gourmet Dégustateurs - OMGD - in the rest of the Chaîne world) group within the Bailliage Provincial of Northeast.

As in the past, we drew from beyond our area, with attendees coming not only from Toronto and Buffalo, but also from Michigan, Connecticut, and Albany.

The weekend began with a tour of Inniskillin Winery - the birthplace of icewine - with a Riedel Tasting Experience and “Aromarama”: a blinded olfactory experience highlighting some of the more common notes of white and red wines. We then enjoyed an exquisite tasting lunch in the Inniskillin cellars.

After a brief respite we headed to Peller Estates for a really special evening. We began with a sunset reception on Peller’s patio moving to their Barrel Cellar for an intimate tasting dinner.

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Canapes
Ice wine compressed watermelon, balsamic, basil
Pork belly with Niagara fruit preserve
Salmon gravlax, preserved lemon, fried capers

Ontario shrimp niçoise
green beans, quail eggs cherry tomatoes
young potato, chive dressing
2017 Private Reserve Pinot Gris

Summer soup
grilled tomato, leeks, spicy oregano
2017 Private Reserve Riesling

Pan-seared halibut
white Balsamic lentils, lobster romesco
scallions, baby bok choy
2017 Private Reserve Chardonnay

Fire-roasted Ontario beef ribeye
smoked pommes purée, Hen of the Woods mushroom
summer squash
2017 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc

Icewine chocolate ganache
chocolate oatmeal crumble, berry coulis, basil gel
2017 Signature Cabernet Franc Icewine

Undaunted, we enjoyed an Icewine tasting in their 10Below Tasting room. It’s built completely out of ice: ice walls, ice shelves, ice bar!!! Everyone donned a puffy down coat to enter and savoured their delectable liquid-velvet ice wine in this special room.

The evening finished with an Icewine marshmallow roast out of doors. This simple childish pleasure was elevated into working us into a delightful gooey frenzy!

The next day, members enjoyed bike tours of Niagara on the Lake and theatre productions at Shaw Festival. There was time for a rest before we reconvened at a Gala Dinner with our Toronto fellow-members at Vineland Estates.

As we sadly departed, everyone was eager to reschedule next year’s event.

Helen Cappuccino
Bailli of Buffalo