Canadian Winery Spotlight: Little Farm Winery
For many, this week is truly the beginning of the year: it’s back to school. And for parents, this is usually a stressful time. Life becomes hectic again with a schedule that is filled with a long list of tasks. To alleviate some of the stress, below are three recipes from food guru Jamie Oliver that take just 15 minutes to prepare paired with three lip smacking wines from one of my favourite BC wineries - the Similkameen Valley's Little Farm Winery. A delicious meal and a glass of wine to match will immediately make you feel better and put a smile on your face. I call it gourmand therapy. In addition to being incredibly exclusive (small quantities made and not widely sold), Little Farm Winery also happens to be offering free shipping on 6 or more bottles of wine when you order right here!
The owners of Little Farm Winery, Rhys Pender and Alishan Driediger, also have two little girls going back to school this week. No doubt they will be sipping on some wine to ease the week. Especially during harvest time. Wishing them (and all other parents) best of luck!
Fennel, crab & orange salad with Little Farm Winery 2015 Mulberry Tree Vineyard Chardonnay
One way to feel that summer has not completely gone away is to eat light meals with fresh ingredients. This quick and easy to make salad will make the 2015 Mulberry Tree Vineyard Chardonnay shine. Un-oaked and high in acidity, this wine has a beautiful structure with seductive chalky and mineral notes. Its generous flavours of lime and grapefruit resonate with the fennel and the orange while the creamy texture matches the crab and avocado. Absolutely delectable!!
Thai-style mussels with Little Farm Winery 2014 Mulberry Tree Vineyard Riesling
Mussels are often my go-to when I want a delicious meal but have a tight timeline. They are easy to make but there is something special about them that makes you feel like you are treating yourself. It makes a Monday look like a holiday. At least for a moment. The strong flavours of lemongrass, coriander and red chilli in this recipe call for a wine with equal intensity. I love the dry, if slightly austere, Riesling that Little Farm crafts. The 2014 Mulberry Tree Vineyard Riesling will withstand the intensity of this dish and cut through the richness of the mussels and coconut milk. Monday has never been better!
Gennaro’s spaghetti alla puttanesca with Little Farm Winery 2015 Blind Creek Vineyard Rosé
For the cooler days of the fall, pasta is the perfect comfort meal. Spaghetti alla puttanesca is a classic and when paired with a thirst quenching rosé, it will bring back some of those summer rays of sunshine. Made from Cabernet Franc grown nearby in the Blind Creek in the Similkameen Valley, Little Farm's dry rosé has appealing acidity and dry herbal notes that makes it an ideal partner for the tomatoes and capers. Here's to drinking pink all year-round. Santé!
Click the bottles below to see more information, and remember that you get free shipping this week only!
Michelle Bouffard is a wine educator and journalist who splits her time between Montréal & Vancouver. She is the president of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. She Tweets @michellebwine and Instagrams @michellebouffard.
