A Winemaker's Dinner

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending Chef Jordan Ratcliffe of Eighteen 27 and Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery's first ever Winemaker's Dinner. Held at Eighteen 27’s restaurant, the evening included an exceptional 5 course menu with exquisite wine pairings.

I can honestly admit, I’ve been wanting to try Seaside Pearl Winery for a while now and its safe to say their fine-wines are worth bragging about! Known for their unique artisanal wines and picturesque estate, Seaside Pearl Winery is a family-run business nestled in the rolling hills of the Mount Lehman area.

Upon arrival each guest was welcomed with a glass of the 2016 Daffodils Sparkling, which featured aromas of peach and citrus, with spicy floral notes.

With that being said, the Daffodils Sparkling can be found as one of my top picks for the evening as I loved that it was crafted to achieve ripeness in the grapes and a refreshing acidity without acquiring excessive sugars.

Shortly after, we received a friendly introduction from the Chef and Staff behind Seaside Pearl. Which set a wonderful tone to the evening as they shared their excitement behind the Winemaker’s Dinner.

Although, I do not eat meat, the first course was a Smoked Beef Tartare that was elegantly plated and paired with the 2016 Seaside Pearl Landing Road (Red Blend). Which held decadent flavours of chocolate and blackberries with a taste of subtle oak.

During our second course, Chef Ratcliffe served an enticing Poached Salmon paired with the winery’s 2017 Magnolia’s Rosé which remarkably complimented each component Ratcliffe’s dish had to offer.

The highlight of the evening for me was how the wonderful team behind Seaside Pearl provided the history on the wines, which I found not only helpful but extremely insightful on the process of winemaking.

Their knowledge and expertise of the wines truly displayed how passionate they believed in the process, even while discussing the detailed back stories on each pairing. It was refreshing to hear how each family member had a hand in the wines that were crafted, including the inspiration behind their son Remi’s Rosé that their customers have grown to love.

The Lobster Ravioli, which was paired with the 2016 Charlotte Estate Petit Milo and Roasted Duck Breast which was coupled by the 2016 Royal Engineers Petite Verdot were delightful dishes to end the third and fourth courses.

Throughout the evening, I was quite impressed with Chef Ratcliffe & Seaside Pearls selection of wines as I found they were well-thought-out and paired beautifully with the flavours of each dish.

Especially when it came to dessert! The fifth course included an astonishing deconstructed take on the classic Apple Pie that paired perfectly with a 2016 Fraser Gold Chardonnay.

All-in-all, I would like to personally thank Allison & David Zimmerman (the owners/winemakers behind Seaside Pearl Winery), along with Chef Ratcliffe for a memorable dining experience.

Although, I attended their Winemaker’s Dinner off location, I have every intention of visiting Seaside Pearl’s charming estate before summer’s end for a private tasting and afternoon picnic.

I look forward to the next Winemaker’s Dinner they host and have listed some of my favourite wines from the evening below.

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SOME OF MY FAVOURITES

SHOP THEIR WINES HERE

Landing Road 2015(Red Blend) boasts rich flavours of chocolate, blackberry with subtle oak. The blend is 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc.