Stratus Winery hosted a spectacular wine and food tasting dinner in Niagara on September 28 that featured the cuisine of Ottawa restaurateur Steve Beckta’s three establishments: Beckta Dining & Wine, Play and Gezellig. I found that the Stratus wines paired beautifully with partner and executive chef Mike Moffatt and chef de cuisine Katie Brown Ardington’s dishes.
Click on the arrow above to play the short Instagram video clip. The missing word at the end is windmill ;)
Chef Moffatt is a two-time Gold Medal Plates winner and Katie is a rising star on the Ottawa restaurant scene. This dinner paired courses in the genre of each of the group’s three restaurants (“Tri-Beckta”), alongside the three cuts from the Stratus vineyards: Stratus, Tollgate and Wildass.
First Course: Tomato
Heirloom tomatoes, tomato juice-marinated feta, crispy olives,
young red watercress, hazelnut vinaigrette
Second Course: Rabbit
Pumpkin consommé, braised rabbit perogie, pumpkin seed oil,
chili-toasted pumpkin seeds
Third Course: Duck
Roasted duck breast, duck confit spaetzle, parsnip purée, sautéed kale,
currant brown butter sauce
Fourth Course: Pear
Sticky pear cake, corn caramel, toasted graham meringue,
caramel corn granola
Stratus Special Select Late Harvest Cabernet Franc 2012
You can find more Stratus Wine Reviews here.
The patio in back of the winery that looks out at the vineyards.
Charles Baker (left) handles both the marketing of Stratus Wines, and in his “spare time” makes his own brilliant Charles Baker Wines Picone Vineyard Riesling.
Also pictured above, Chef Mike Moffat and Steve Beckta.
Inside the winery where tasting dinners are held.
In the video above, Steve talks about why he loves Stratus wines … in 15 seconds (the limit for Instagram).
State-of-the-art winemaking facilities.
Winemaker J-L Groux talks about the 2009 and 2010 vintages for Syrah.
Winemaker J-L Groux
Stratus Vineyards
Photo Credit: Elena Galey-Pride
