The Guild Fall Harvest Dinner with winemaker Yorgos Papegeorgiou was an opportunity for 23 diners to sample the wines of Thirty Bench Winery. We were most fortunate to have Yorgos on hand for an excellent evening of matching wines and food at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Executive Chef Willi Wetscher and his team crafted a Fall Harvest-themed dinner together with Guild member Kelly Arnott focusing on accenting the flavours and body of the wines with food pairings to showcase Thirty Bench’s range of wines and versatility. To those unfamiliar with Thirty Bench, they are one of the few Niagara wineries that aficionados reserve futures orders for their premium reds sight unseen and without pre-tasting, something that most consumers would be surprised occurs in Niagara. Having been a customer of Thirty Bench since their legendary 1995 premium red vintage, I always look forward to tasting their reserve reds blindly against Bordeaux, Australian and Napa reds with dinner guests, often much to their astonishment. Recently Kelly and I tasted their 1995 Cabernet Franc Reserve, which was concentrated, structured, youthful, and a wine that the lucky tasters preferred to taste alone even though it was a dynamic match with red meat; so much for the rumour that Niagara reds cannot age. Ah, but the word is gradually getting out.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with the Thirty Bench 2003 Mountainview White, an off-dry blend of riesling and vidal with citrus and tropical aromatics and flavours that prepared our palates for the evening, and matched very well with the Scallop with Lemon Beurre Blanc. The residual sweetness and tropical flavours of the wine provided a good balance with the sauce. This was followed by the 1999 Dry Riesling, displaying petrol notes, lemon, and balanced acidity, paired with Semi-Dried Roma Tomatoes Stuffed with Goats Cheese served on Baby Greens and Fresh Herb Salad with Pumpkin Seed Drizzle. The complexity and acidity of the Dry Riesling nicely complemented the salad course. Next up was the 2002 Benchmark Chardonnay—Unfiltered (their initial estate grown Chardonnay from young vines) that was the favourite of many for its balance and elegance with a creamy finish that paired wonderfully with the Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Spiced Froth. Many thought that the soup was flavoured with butter when it was the creaminess of the wine that enhanced the buttery notes of the soup. After a spice wine gratiné to cleanse our palates, we moved onto the 2002 Benchmark Cabernet Franc and 2002 Benchmark Reserve Blend (50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon) that were matched with the choice of Stuffed Guinea Fowl with Pistachio Mousse and Juniper Jus, Braised Red Cabbage and Gauffrette Potato, or Beef Tenderloin with Porcini Crust and Red Wine Reduction, Kale and Glazed Chestnuts. The cranberry and raspberry aromatics and flavours of the Cabernet Franc (aged 12 months in oak) was a versatile match highlighting the fruit with the main entrée; whereas Yorgos’ signature Reserve Blend (24 months in oak with thinned grapes) showed youthful structure with concentrated, plush fruit, powerful tannins, and a long, tasty, balanced finish that cried out for beef. To top off a splendid evening, the 2003 Limited Yield Semi-Dry Riesling was paired with a dessert of caramelized apple and cranberry crepe and Calvados Sababyon and crispy apple chip. This thinned grape Semi-Dry Riesling from winemaker Tom Muckle had residual sugar and a backdrop of acidity to complement the apple and cranberry fruit. What a wonderful evening of wine, food, and conversation with what Vines Magazine has coined Niagara’s cult winery.