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Photo by Andy Dawson Reid“Are you aluminiuming them my man?” “No, I’m copper-bottoming ’em Mum.”

Tongue-twister

Well – I promised you another anniversary – and here it is…

As of last Friday The Girl and I have been married for ten years – a decade which has passed in a flash… or mayhap in a haze of happy hours and preposterously pleasant pursuits. In common with others who would normally have been celebrating significant anniversaries in this most unprecedented of years we have been unable to do that which would normally come naturally – the throwing a party (or at the very least a full-scale barbie!).

So – I hear you mutter through clenched teeth – just how did you celebrate then?

Easy… we went out – just the two of us – to indulge in a splendid dinner at The Deep Cove Chalet. They may not have been able to accommodate the Ginger Prince earlier in the year but they had no trouble fitting us in for our special occasion on their lovely waterfront garden terrace.

Now, neither of us have previously visited The Chalet – which is no surprise in my case given my status as a BC ‘noob’ but is more so in the case of The Girl, who has intimate knowledge of most of the eateries of Greater Victoria. I think it is safe to say, however, that this will not be our last visit.

The Deep Cove Chalet – in its gorgeous position overlooking Deep Cove at the northern end of the Saanich Inlet – dates back to 1913 but has been owned by Pierre Koffel since 1972. It is a classic French restaurant of the sort that would come as no surprise in northern Europe, but the which is considerably harder to find in the non-French speaking parts of Canada. They do what they do well and with panache. The service was attentive and well-judged and they clearly have a good understanding of special occasions and of how to enhance them.

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidAs to the feast itself – we shared Atlantic scallops followed by a fabulous steak tartare, before each having our own helpings of a wonderful saddle of venison. This excellent repast was washed down (though that is hardly the appropriate term – let’s say ‘perfectly complemented’ instead) by an excellent red Burgundy from Morey-Sainte Denis.

As it happened I had popped over to The Chalet a couple of days previous to our booking, to check the availability of wines on their extensive list and to arrange for our chosen one to be treated with respect and opened appropriately ahead of our arrival. On asking Pierre for his recommendation I was invited to go down to the wine cellar to have a look for myself. Once down in that chamber of delights Pierre disappeared, with a wry – “If you have not come out in an hour we will send someone to look for you“.

I think that it must be clear that we were impressed all round and really most grateful for the excellent hospitality.

 

Copper-Bottoming? Well – the tenth anniversary is traditionally ‘aluminium’ (not aluminum!) and I’m sure that you know the tongue-twister…

Well – you do now!

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Cheers!

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidHere follows an extract from an article on the website ‘thedrinksbusiness.com‘ dating from October 2014:

“Luc Heymans was so shocked by the price of wine in Ireland that he opened up Europe’s first craft wine-making shop in Kells, County Meath, reported the Irish Examiner.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Heymans explained his rationale: “When I lived in Europe, I used to enjoy a glass of wine with my dinner, but when I moved to Ireland I couldn’t believe the price of a bottle of wine. I started making my own wine and then I decided to open the shop. There are thousands of similar stores in Canada but this is the first in Europe,” Heymans said.

Unlike similar offerings in the UK, the wines are made with kits rather than on demand from a winery and customers can buy the kits and take them home to make the wine or leave them in the shop throughout the process.

Heymans said: “The wine takes between four and eight weeks to ferment, depending on the quality you choose and, when it’s ready, the customer comes back into the shop to bottle and cork it and add personalised labels.”

“They then take the wine home and leave it to rest for a few months and each kit makes between 28 and 30 bottles,” he said.”

Since being introduced a decade ago (by the Kickass Canada Girl, naturally) to the splendid wines from the Okanagan Valley and elsewhere in BC, I have become a massive fan of Canadian wines. I had no idea – however – that Canadians were also as enthusiastic about making their own wines, whether from kits (which bear absolutely no resemblance to the ‘Boots the Chemist’ home wine kits that I remember from my youth) or from their own produce.

Shortly after our arrival in the province we were introduced to a local winemaker – the wonderful ‘Flying Fish Winery‘ in Saanichton. I was immediately knocked out both by the cost of the wines per bottle (a little over £3 in English money!) and the amazing quality of the product. We instantly ordered four different half kits – a Sauvignon Blanc, a Gewurztraminer, an Amarone and a Carménère – and a couple of weeks ago were told that they were ready for bottling.

You might – incidentally – recognise the symbol on our labels. Yes – it is the Luckenbooth!

With regard to the bottling process I think these pictures tell their own story:

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson Reid

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Harwood ArmsYesterday afternoon found me in the heart of the City of London at St Paul’s Cathedral. The occasion was the School’s annual Founder’s Day service. Long term readers might recall that I posted on the subject at around this time last year. Newcomers may care to catch up here.

As ever I took a moment to stand under the very centre of the dome and offered up a silent prayer of thanks. The significance – for those that must know – is elucidated here.

On which subject – the Kickass Canada Girl was herself in town yesterday – ‘hot-desking’ in the London office. Once my mission to the Cathedral had been accomplished I collected her from Pimlico and lead her away to the mysterious wilds of Fulham – whereat we were to dine in celebration the previous day’s anniversary. She did not know where we were dining (I can’t resist surprises!) and was thus somewhat taken aback when we plunged into the maze of residential streets that lie behind Fulham Broadway.

Our destination was the utterly splendid Harwood Arms. Once a regular street corner ‘pub’ and now belonging more properly to the increasingly ubiquitous ‘gastro-‘ variety (in many cases to be treated with deepest suspicion) the Harwood Arms is a genuine delight. The excellent atmosphere in the dinning room is considerably enhanced by the knowledgeable and personable staff – but the true star of the show is, quite rightly, the food itself. Head Chef Barry Fitzgerald knows how to cook meat – game in particular – and when one gleans that the Harwood is the only pub in London to have been awarded a Michelin star one gets an idea of what to expect.

I haven’t mentioned the wine list. I should! Even if you do not feel able to stretch to the Romanée-Conti Grands Échezeaux (and frankly, who can?) there is a wealth of other wines from around the globe from which to choose. We particularly enjoyed the ‘Ten Minutes by Tractor 10X’ Pinot Noir (from that other Victoria down under) which went especially well with my grouse. If – incidentally – you should find yourself fascinated the wine’s designation you can ascertain its origin here.

On the subject of grouse I was delighted to discover – subsequent to our visit – that those behind the Harwood have also established The Harwood Game Company from which one can order wild game online. I challenge the gentle reader to visit their site and not to come away with mouth watering!

Our server from last night told us that he has a sister (married to a Canadian… sound familiar?) who now resides in Vancouver. He and the Girl spent some time comparing notes about life there and the highlight of my evening (some ask given that the epicurean delights on offer had already set the bar pretty high) was listening to her describing how her father used to take her grouse shooting on the roads of British Columbia.

But enough of this… Look up the Harwood Arms here, book yourself a table and head to Fulham for a serious treat.

I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed!

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