2010 COMPETING CHEFS | PAST WINNERS | 2009 EVENT SUMMARY | CANADIAN WINE INDUSTRY STEPS UP TO THE PODIUM

EDMONTON



Chair: Ms. Bernie Kollman
Honourary Chairs: Bob Westbury and Douglas Goss

Gold Medal Plates is the ultimate celebration of Canadian Excellence in cuisine, wine, the arts and athletic achievement.

Gold Medal Plates Edmonton
Wednesday October 27, 2009 6:00 pm
Shaw Conference Centre
9797 Jasper Avenue NW

Contact:

Lisa Pasin
200, 10924 - 107 Avenue
Edmonton, AB, T5H 0X5
780-448-5957 - phone
780-428-1030 - fax
E: lisa@comlinks.ca

2010 Competing Chefs

Michael Brown - Pradera Café, The Westin Edmonton
Paul Campbell - Café de Ville
Shane Chartrand, L2 Fantasyland Hotel
Daniel Costa - Red Star
Andrew Fung - Blackhawk Golf Course
Susan Kellock - Skinny Legs and Cowgirls Bistro
Tracy Lydster - The Dish
David Omar - ZINC
Paul Shufelt - Hundred Bar and Kitchen
Jan Trittenbach, Packrat Louie Kitchen & Bar

PAST GOLD MEDAL PLATES EDMONTON WINNERS

2009
Gold: Chef Nathin Bye, Lazia Restaurant
Silver: Chef Blair Lebsack, Madison's Grill
Bronze: Chef Sonny Sung, Bistecca

2008
Gold: Chef David Cruz, Sage Restaurant
Silver: Chef Michael Brown, Pradera Café, The Westin Edmonton
Bronze: Chef Blair Lebsack, Madison's Grill

2007
Gold: Chef Judy Wu, Wild Tangerine
Silver: Chef Frank Olson, Red Ox Inn
Bronze: Chef David Cruz, Sage Restaurant

2006
Gold: Chef Michael Brown, Pradera Café, The Westin Edmonton
Silver: Chef Dennis Cummings of Billingsgate Seafood Market & Lighthouse Café
Bronze: Chef Simon Smotkowicz, The Shaw Conference Centre

EDMONTON EVENT SUMMARY 2009

With the Winter Olympics clearly on everyone's mind and in everyone's heart, the 2009 Gold Medal Plates campaign got off to a spectacular start in Edmonton, last night. The Shaw Centre looked splendid, as the sell-out crowd of 770 guests entered the competition hall through a giant igloo. In the centre of the space, surrounded by the rare wine auction and the chefs' stations, local lads played roller hockey. Later, the celebration stage of the evening came alive with the music of Jim Cuddy and crooner Matt Dusk, who were joined on stage for their final song by Edmonton Oilers coach, Pat Quinn. Who knew he had such a fine voice? The live auction was a triumph: it alone raised well over $200,000 for the athletes and has set the bar extremely high for the cities to come.

From the food and wine standpoint, this was Edmonton's strongest showing ever. All ten competing chefs performed superbly and the imagination and variety of their offerings impressed the judges mightily. Local ingredients were very much to the fore.

The bronze medal was won by Sonny Sung of Bistecca Italian Steakhouse & Wine Bar. He opted for a dish of elegant simplicity and impeccable balance using a juicy, lightly smoked chop from a rack of Alberta lamb, its surface patted with chopped fresh herbs. A roasted parsnip and truffle purée was the accompaniment and a silky foie gras jus, like some kind of heavenly cream, was Chef Sung's sauce. As a final flourish, he stuck a jaunty parsnip crisp into the purée. For his wine pairing, Chef Sung chose a smooth 2007 Syrah from Road 13 Vineyards in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley - a fine match.

The silver medal went to Chef Blair Lebsack of Madison's Grill who built his dish around some exquisite grass-fed, pasture-raised, seven-month-old beef from Nature's Green Acres farm. He poached the amazingly tender meat in butter then sliced it over lovely little sautéed golden chanterelles from B.C. Queen Charlotte Islands, enhancing the shrooms with a porcini-thyme rub. Over the top he napped a rich BC Side Stripe prawn hollandaise that proved a delicious counterpoint to the beef. Chef Lebsack's chosen wine echoed the weight and richness of the sauce but also worked brilliantly with the delicate meat - a big, bold 2008 Chardonnay from Kettle Valley Winery in Naramata, B.C.

Every once in a while, a chef at a Gold Medal Plates competition defies the conventional wisdom that one should cook something foolproof and simple for a crowd this large and produces a dish of many elements and great complexity. It's a risky move but when it pays off, when all the components show an intellectual and sensory harmony and when the meticulous efforts are more than just fussiness, the results can be stellar. Chef Nathin Bye of Lazia Restaurant triumphed with just such a dish last night, winning himself the gold medal. Bye issued a written manifesto with his food, explaining that Lazia offers Global Fusion cuisine and detailing his intentions for the dish - a trio of Alberta bison that simultaneously explored three different aspects of "curry." The first component used the bison tenderloin, lacquered with soy and tamarind and crusted with pineapple panko. Chef Bye set this over a purée of wild mushrooms scented with red curry spices, their exotic flavours slowly emerging on the palate. A salsa of huckleberry and gooseberry and a mild Thai chili garlic sauce provided refreshment.

The second component was a maki roll of bison 'rendang curry', carrot and potato served with a cucumber coulis and a grilled corn and coconut dip. A tiny cookie in the shape of the 2010 Olympic symbol, Ilanaaq the Inunnguaq, reminded everyone of why we were all here.

The third component cloaked braised bison shortrib in a demi-glace infused with a garam masala spice blend and a dash of cream. This was set over a celeriac and cauliflower purée and garnished with tangy marinated beets and a miniature microgreen salad while a single perfect hon shemji mushroom leaned against the meat. Beside it, a bright pink foam made from beet and white balsamic matched the colour and intensity of the wine. And what a wine it was - tangy and deliciously fruity, a successful partner for all three components of the dish, the 2008 rosé from JoieFarm Wines in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley.

Congratulations to all our chefs, thanks to all our judges, and as for you, Chef Bye: we will see you again, next month, at the Canadian Culinary Championship in Vancouver.

James Chatto
National Culinary Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
CANADIAN WINE INDUSTRY STEPS UP TO THE PODIUM

By donating over 325 cases of wine to the seven city Gold Medal Plates culinary competitions and the Canadian Culinary Championships this fall, the Canadian wine, beer and spirits industry has contributed close to $100,000 in support of Canada's Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Sixty-five wineries stepped up to either pair wines with the competing chefs or provide Canadian Wine Awards gold medalists to VIP receptions at the events. Please see the list of donating wineries, city by city, below or at www.goldmedalplates.com.

The list includes wineries owned by Vincor Canada, official wine sponsor of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Sponsorship however was not involved in deciding which wines were served by the chefs or at the VIP receptions. Each chef selected their wine independently as the success of the food-and-wine pairing was part of the judges' scoring process.

Since 2004, Gold Medal Plates has raised over $3.5 million dollars for Canada's Olympians. The program is designed to encourage and showcase Canadian excellence in the areas of sport, food and wine and entertainment, and has evolved to become the leading culinary competition in Canada!

The Winners in 2009

After local competitions in St. John's, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, the 2009 Gold Medal Plates campaign ended with the Canadian Culinary Championships in Vancouver on November 28.

The 2009 Canadian Culinary Champion is Mathieu Cloutier of Kitchen Galerie in Montreal, who paired with Huff Estate 2007 South Bay Chardonnay from Prince Edward County in Ontario. The silver medalist was David Lee of Nota Bene in Toronto, who paired with 13th Street 2008 June Vineyard Riesling from Niagara. Completing the sweep for Ontario wine, the bronze went to Matthew Carmichael of Restaurant 18 in Ottawa, who paired with Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay, also from Prince Edward County.

The winery that won the gold in its respective city competition was automatically invited to the Canadian Culinary Championships as a partner with the competing chef. The other participating CCC wineries included the Okanagan's Road 13 which took gold in both the Calgary and Vancouver competitions, Joie Farm (its 2008 Rose took the gold in Edmonton and was also poured in Vancouver) and Hillebrand Estates (its Trius 2006 Red from Niagara took the gold in St. John's).

The Mystery Wine Pairing Competition

One of the most exciting elements of the Canadian Culinary Championships was a Mystery Wine Pairing held at the trendy Republic nightclub in Vancouver. The chefs were given an unlabeled bottle and had 24 hours to shop, prepare and serve a matching dish to 200 guests. Montreal's Mathieu Cloutier was the People's Choice winner of this leg of the competition.

The Mystery Wine was revealed to be Black Hills 2008 Alibi, a crisp, complex sauvignon blanc and semillon blend that provided great refreshment with all the chefs creations then dovetailed beautifully with the best of the evening. Black Hills donated 10 cases to this event, plus another four cases to the Vancouver event, making this premier Okanagan winery the largest single donor to Gold Medal Plates 2009. Many thanks to winery President, Glenn Fawcett, who also generously donated to the Live Auction.

Canadian Wine Awards Gold Medalists Showcase

This year, Gold Medal Plates also teamed up with the Wine Access magazine Canadian Wine Awards to provide an opportunity for almost 2,000 VIP guests to taste gold medalists from the 2009 Awards programs. Wineries that had won gold were asked to donate six bottles to one or more cities, and most came through with flying colours. Those wineries are also listed below, and complete results of the Canadian Wine Awards can be found in the December issue of Wine Access magazine now on newsstands.

The Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards participating wineries:

Burrowing Owl, BC
Fielding Estate, ON
Hillebrand (Trius), ON
Kacaba Vineyards, ON
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, BC
Quail's Gate Winery, BC
Road 13 Vineyards, BC
Rosehall Run Winery, ON
Sandhill Wines, BC. (CWA Winery of the Year)
See Ya Later Ranch, BC
Seven Stones, BC
Stag's Hollow, BC
Thirty Bench, ON
Thornhaven Estates, BC

The Wines - City by City

St. John's
Trius 2006 Red, Niagara Peninsula, ON - GOLD
Norman Hardie 2007 Pinot Noir, Prince Edward County, ON - SILVER
Prospect Winery 2008 Larch Tree Riesling, Okanagan Valley, B.C. - BRONZE
Domaine Pinnacle Apple Ice Wine, QC
Iceberg Vodka, NL
Inniskillin 2007 Cabernet Franc, Niagara, ON
Mission Hill 2008 Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley, BC
Peninsula Ridge 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, Niagara, ON
Rodrigues Markland Cottage Sedna Vodka, NL

Montreal
Huff Estates 2008 Merlot, ON - GOLD
Malivoire 2007 Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula, ON - SILVER
Rosehall Run 2007 Cuvée County Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON - BRONZE
Black Prince 2005 First Crush Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON
Creemore Springs Brewery, ON
Norman Hardie 2007 Pinot Noir, Prince Edward County, ON
Val Caudalies 2008 Vidal Demi-Sec, QC
Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Estates 2007 Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Wayne Gretzky No.99 Estates2007 Chardonnay, Niagara Peninsula, ON

Ottawa
Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON - GOLD
Vignoble Les Pervenches 2007 Chardonnay Seyval Blanc, QC - SILVER
Southbrook 2005 Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, ON - BRONZE
Angel's Gate 2007 Riesling, ON
Cave Spring 2007 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Chateau des Charmes 2006 Cabernet-Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Coyote's Run 2007 Red Paw Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Peller Estates 2007 Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Stratus 2007 Wildass White, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Tawse 2006 Echoes White, Niagara Peninsula, ON

Toronto
13th Street 2008 Riesling June's Vineyard, Niagara Peninsula, ON - GOLD
Daniel Lenko 2007 Gewurztraminer, Niagara Peninsula, ON - SILVER
Cave Spring 2007 Estate Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, ON - BRONZE
Chateau des Charmes 2007 Riesling and 2006 Gamay Noir, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Closson Chase 2007 South Clos Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, ON
Fielding Estate 2008 Pinot Gris, Beamsville Bench, ON
Henry of Pelham 2007 Baco Noir, Niagara Peninsula, ON
Hidden Bench 2007 Terroir Caché, Beamsville Bench, ON
Mission Hill 2006 Reserve Merlot, Okanagan, B.C.
Organized Crime 2008 Riesling Reserve, Beamsville Bench, ON

Edmonton
JoieFarm 2008 Rose, Okanagan Valley, BC - GOLD
Kettle Valley 2008, Chardonnay, Naramata, BC - SILVER
Road 13 2007 Syrah 2007, Okanagan Valley BC - BRONZE
Cedar Creek 2006 Meritage, Okanagan Valley, BC
Gehringer Brother PR 2007 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC
Malivoire 2008 Ladybug Rose, Beamsville Bench, ON
Mission Hill 2006 S.L.C Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Meyer Family Tribute Series Bill Reid 2007 Chardonnay, Naramata, BC
Morning Bay 2006 Pinot Noir, Pender Island, BC
Quails' Gate 2007 Old Vine Fosch, Okanagan Valley, BC

Calgary
Road 13 Vineyards 2007 Syrah, Okanagan Valley, BC - GOLD
Quail's Gate Vineyard 2007 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC - SILVER
SAP Vampire Maple Lager - BRONZE
Black Hills 2007 Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Blue Mountain 2008 Gamay Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC
Gray Monk Estate Winery, 2007 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Laughing Stock Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Nk'mip Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, BC
Osoyoos Larose 2004 Petalos, Okanagan Valley, BC

Vancouver
Road 13 2008 Viognier Roussanne Marsanne, Okanagan Valley, BC - GOLD
Tantalus 2008 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, BC - SILVER
Black Hills 2008 Alibi, Okanagan Valley, BC - BRONZE
Blasted Church 2008 Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, BC
Clos du Soleil 2007 Meritage, Similkameen Valley, BC
8th Generation 200 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, BC
Joie Farm 2007 Reserve Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, BC
Le Vieux Pin 2008 Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Okanagan Valley, BC
Stoneboat 2007 Pinotage, Okanagan Valley, BC
Wild Goose 2008 Autumm Gold, Okanagan Valley, BC

For more information contact:

David Lawrason
National Wine Advisor
Gold Medal Plates
Phone: 613-885-4489
Email: david@davidlawrason.com