This weekend we opted to put our cooking skills to the test in order to come up with a three course pairing meal for ourselves and 6 of our friends.
The challenge: to keep the total cost (all wine and food) under $200 and to ensure that everyone left with full bellies, a wine induced buzz and a happy palate.
We cracked open our cookbooks and came up with a menu full of seasonal produce and herbs. We raided Granville Island for most of our fresh items, Costco for the pork roast and the Signature BC Liquor store up on Cambie and 41st for our wine.
Here’s the breakdown:
Appetizers
The Food:
• Black Mission Figs stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto, drizzled with a balsamic reduction
The Wine:
No. 8 Wire Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 from Marlborough New Zealand ($14)
• The acidity in the wine played nicely with the creamy goat cheese, the saltiness
of the meat and the sweetness of the balsamic and figs
• Just enough green grass and fresh citrus to add to the tasting but not overpower it
Main Course
The Food:
• Fennel marinated pork roast stuffed with Italian sausage, garlic and balsamic vinegar
• Brown Butter and garlic mashed potatoes
• Honey and rosemary carrots
• Green beans with lemon and sage compound butter
The Wine:
Viu Manent Estate Collection Malbec, 2008 from Valle de Colchagua Chile ($16)
• This inky purple, well balanced Malbec delivered a great mix of cherries and spice with the tannin levels nicely
balanced against the protein of the pork
• The cherry and spice aromas presented very well with the balsamic and sausage stuffing.
Dessert
The Food:
• Pumpkin pie brûlée with a gingerbread-scented shortbread cookie
The Wine:
Yellow Tail Bubbles Rose from Australia ($14)
• Strawberries and spice pair well with the autumn spices of the pumpkin pie and shortbread
• Sweetness of the wine was perfectly paired with the crisp, burnt- sugar brûlée topping
• The bubbles cut through the creamy custard, cleansing the pallet.
All in all, the night was a success and we were delighted to have found two more wines under $20 that we would drink again on a more than regular basis!