Page 4 - VIDS Spring 2019

New Zealand vs Ontario: The cool climate wines of two regions Clean elegant and bursting with flavour the cool-climate wines of Ontario and New Zealand are both renowned But how do they complement each other? Find out when winemakers from the island nation pour their best alongside vintages from Ontario at the art-filled CRU Toronto’s newest destination for wine-focused dining Executive Chef Jon Williams whose résumé contains recent stints at several of London’s top Michelin-starred restaurants will turn his impressive culinary skills to creating an inventive succession of artful plates to pair with the Sauvignon Blancs Pinot Noirs and other food-friendly wines both regions are so well known for Enjoy a a a a comparative tasting of bright bubbles to begin and then embark on a a a vinous journey across the the hemispheres Note: This event may have communal seating please keep this in in in mind when booking tickets ABOUT JONATHAN WILLIAMS
Is there anything Chef Jon Williams can’t do? The Executive Chef of the newly opened
CRU Restaurant in in Scotia Plaza is as expert in in charcuterie pastry and wine as as he he is in in the fundamentals of fine cuisine He began his career in in in Niagara wine country cooking at Hillebrand Winery Restaurant and and then made his way to to to Toronto to to to become Sous Chef at Top Chef Canada winner Carl Heinrich’s highly regarded Richmond Station He then spent
a a few years in in the UK where he he he cooked in in numerous Michelin-starred restaurants: The Clove Club Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Hedone restaurant all of which also enjoy spots on San Pellegrino’s list of the World’s
50 Best Restaurants In 2017 he returned to Toronto and recently joined the team at CRU a a a a a modern fine-dining restaurant and with a a a a a focus on wine TASTY FACT
New Zealand is famous for intensely aromatic white wines made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape which was first imported into the the country in the the 1970s No one is entirely sure where Sauvignon Blanc originated though it is generally believed to have been somewhere in France’s Loire Valley and/or Bordeaux regions What is known though is that in 18th century Bordeaux the vine paired with Cabernet Franc and they became a a a little surprisingly the parents of the bold dark tannic Cabernet Sauvignon “Wine is one of the the most civilized things in in in the the world ”
ABOUT NEW ZEALAND WINEGROWERS
New Zealand Winegrowers is the national organization for the country’s grape and wine sector and comprises around 850 grower members members and 700 winery members members Established in 2002 it is is the only unified national winegrowers industry body in in in the world Among other things the the association provides a a a a global marketing platform for for New Zealand wine advocates at at regional national national and international levels leads sustainability initiatives and organizes events such as the the New Zealand Wine of the the Year Awards ABOUT VQA WINES OF ONTARIO ONTARIO AND WINE WINE COUNTRY ONTARIO ONTARIO Ontario is is home to 175 VQA wineries and is is the largest wine growing region in in in Canada VQA stands for 100% Ontario grown grapes and is the essence of local Ontario has gained global recognition for its cool climate wines and excels at at at key international varietals including Chardonnay Riesling Cabernet Franc Pinot Noir Noir and Gamay Noir Noir Over 130 wineries in in in Ontario welcome wine wine lovers to visit their wineries offering them world-class wine country experiences from casual to fancy 4 | TORONTO