I always get a little melancholic when I head down to wine country for Get Fresh! in the springtime. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of visiting the wineries in the off-season. This is one of the last weekends that you have to grab winemakers before the vines come to life and everyone spends the busy summer watching the vines. The winter season also means there are fewer other tourists to contend with.
Get Fresh is a passport event where you get a wine and food pairing at participating wineries. Events like this are perfect if you have fallen into a wine rut. If you’re sitting at home and you’re drinking a wine for the second time in the same week you’re in a wine rut. This event has matured fantastically over the years and it seems that you now have 22 wineries who are trying to one up each other with food. One of my favourite things about the event is that the wineries involved aren’t necessarily pouring the wines that they are known for but truly what pairs best with the food.
I had a chance to stop at seven wineries for the day. Each winery offers a recipe card so you can recreate the dishes at home. Let’s just say that every winery I had a chance to visit brought their “A” game. Elegant simple dishes that will look great at anyone’s table for their summer entertaining.
My first stop was at The Good Earth. For any of the wine and food events in 20 Valley The Good Earth is a mandatory stop because their food is always delicious. This year they were pouring their 2012 Riesling with Cold Salad Rolls. There is a lot that goes into the recipe but I assure you … it’s not as hard as it looks.
My stop at Mike Weir cemented the things that I love about this event … I have tasted and reviewed the wines but I had never set foot on the property until this event. They were serving a Double Smoked Bacon, Asparagus & Spring Pea Salad with Basil Lemon Crème Fraiche (do you see what I mean by “A” game?). The property is beautiful and there are some really good White wines being poured at Weir right now including a low calorie wine called Vinyäsa that is better than any other “diet” wine I have had the chance to try.
I had a chance to stop at Rosewood, Sue-Ann Staff, Vineland (pictured above), Calamus, and 13th Street wineries. The Smoked Whitefish Taco with Pico de Gallo, Pickled Cucumbers, and Crème Fraiche might be one of the highlights but honestly most of the food was such a high level I can’t even pick a favorite. The saving grace is having recipe cards from the wineries to tide me over until until Wrapped Up in the valley to celebrate the end of the season. If you’re lucky maybe you’ll get an invite to my house when I recreate Sue-Ann Staff’s Bacon Salad.
