Last night, we went out for dinner – something we haven’t done in a while. I’m not talking about out for a burger, or out to the pub, I’m talking about OUT for DINNER. There were four of us; we went to Gio Rana’s Really Really Nice Restaurant, and the only question I have is *why why why* didn’t we do this months ago?!?!?!?!?!?

We had a half hour wait for a table, but they handed us a menu so we could decide if it was worth waiting. It was. We didn’t get past the antipasti list before we knew that it was worth waiting! So, the boys went to the ATM, and the girls ordered drinks. Renee had a “French Martini” – vodka, chambord and pineapple juice. It was pretty tasty! I had a glass of prosecco – I was feeling bubbly. Beer and ginger ale on the boys side… Round two (since the first drinks went down pretty quickly), Renee had another French Martini, while I went for the Black Margarita. OH MY GAWD ….. gold tequila, lime and cassis. It was fantastic. I could see myself sucking back five or six of those babies …. but then you’d be carrying me out of the bar. It would be worth it. Gary – the bartender – is great fun, and very very good.

Gio’s was busy. Packed busy. They don’t take reservations, and it’s first come, first served. The maitre d’hotel was so nice – very friendly, patient, calm, but he was getting it all done; everything from seating to table juggling, to making sure the people waiting got their drinks. When a table was open for us, he gave us enough warning so that we could settle the bar tab before we sat. Zach – our waiter – was just a joy. Poor guy was run off his feet, but smiling, friendly, helpful; everything a really great waiter should be. He was a bit upset that just after he brought the white wine, he was getting called off to do something else, so I offered to pour the wine. I told him “well, it’s part of my day job to do this, so I’m happy to”, and he was half-relieved, half-guilty. But I wasn’t fussed, and I certainly didn’t count it against Zach at all!! The service was utterly faultless, all night.

We did a four-course dinner – antipasti, primi, secondi, and dolci. For starters – Andy had spicy olives, Renee had pan-seared scallops in balsamic jus, I had carpaccio, and Paul had a mozzarella/tomato/basil salad. I tried everything except the scallops (Renee didn’t share, but I can’t blame her – they looked too good to share!). The mozzarella in Paul’s salad was creamy and just sharp enough – the basil turned out to be a nice basic pesto – minced basil with a bit of olive oil, and a dash of salt. Soooooo good! The carpaccio was perfect – tender, sweet, with a gorgeous parmesan and not too much greenery. We had a bottle of Franschoek Chenin Blanc that was so fresh and crisp, our mouths tried to tell us it had bubbles. A beautiful wine (unfortunately, only available through private order by the case) that went really well with the carpaccio, and just as nicely with the salmon that was Paul’s main course.

The primi were all well chosen…. Renee had risotto with shrimp, lobster and scallop; Andy and I both had garlic shrimp on a risotto cake, Paul had gnocchi with gorgonzola and tomato sauce. The gnocchi were the best I have ever tasted – light, fluffy little bits of pasta, not the horrible leaden stodge you so often get. The risotto was a little al dente, but very very nice; not overly fishy, not overly saucy, nicely balanced, and gooooooooood. The garlic shrimp were huge, tender, and perfectly cooked. The rice cake promised to be crispy, but it was sauced, so – it lost the crispiness, but when it tastes that good, who cares?!?!?!?

It was a heated debate as to who got the best main course. Paul’s salmon was perfectly grilled, rich, buttery and very flavourful; my involtini (shredded pork wrapped with ribeye, topped with goat cheese) were rich and spicy, Renee’s osso bucco literally melted in your mouth, but I think Andy was the winner – his steak was perfect. Tender, grilled nicely, tasty, and with the mushrooms on top – well, it was indescribable. We had a selection of sides – roasted peppers with anchovies and pine nuts (heaven), brussels sprouts with bacon, sweet potato mash (that was the favourite, I think), and roasted beets which were much better than I expected. Paul stuck with the white from the first course, but Renee and I broke into a bottle of Kiss Chasey Red (the *cutest* label!). It’s a cab/merlot/shiraz blend, and one of the nicest reds I’ve had in a while. Not too dry, medium-bodied, great fruit character, and a nice spicy tang from the shiraz. Yummy!

We got a great treat for dessert – Zach surprised us with a tasting plate. Pistachio cheesecake, chocolate espresso torte, and a creamy, fluffy, rich, to-die-for tiramisu. The chocolate torte could have caused a fight, had Paul not decided to go for the cheesecake. The cheesecake was sooooooo good, even the diehard cheesecake hater was tempted into a bite, and admitted that she liked it! What’s not to like, was all I thought – it was light, and creamy, and nutty, and the crust was sweet and crumbly. Heaven. *Heaven*, I tell you! The torte was a chocoholic’s dream – flourless, rich, but not tooth-achingly sweet. DEFINITELY what I’m having next time.

Make no mistake – there will be a next time. Several ‘next times’, in fact, because I can’t remember when we ate this well, had this much fun, got such great service, and all for a relatively reasonable final tab. The damage was $300 – that’s four people, four courses, two bottles of good wine, and Andy and I went for the priciest of primis. I reckon Paul and I could get out of there for $75, if we did three courses, and wine by the glass.

And if we did, it would probably still be as awesome an experience as last night was.

Okay, I’m hungry now …………

So, I thought my first wine-y post would be a list of my favourites, but as I’m still compiling it, I offer instead a list of upcoming opportunities to find *your* new favourites!

First of all, if you’re in New York City, planning a trip to New York City, or looking for an excuse to go to New York City – well, you can’t miss these. Eight Mile Creek are hosting two fantastic wine tasting dinners.

The first, in honour of Australia Day (January 26), is “Advance Australia Fair”, a prix-fixe dinner celebration featuring home grown Aussie favourites like emu, kangaroo, barramundi, and ….. uhhhhhhh …… butter steamed balmain bugs?!?!?! OK, whatever they are, I’m sure Will can make them taste good!

The second event is February 8 – “Big Barossa Reds, the Peter Lehmann Way”. This is a unique opportunity to try superb wines from Australia and New Zealand, each paired with a select dish in a five-course tasting menu. They’re not all reds, though. The evening starts with a Semillon, and ends with Australia’s answer to icewine, a Botrytis Semillon (botrytis is “the noble rot”. It’s a fungus that grows on the grapes, partially dehydrating them. It concentrates the flavours, and adds an almost nutty characteristic to the finish.).

I went to a winemaker’s dinner at Eight Mile in April, and I can’t tell you how fantastic it was! The food, the atmosphere, the people – absolutely amazing from start to finish. If there’s any possible way you can get there – GO!!

For you locals – and I’m talking GTA, here! – there’s a great opportunity in January to check out good food, good wine, and beautiful art. The art even encompasses the wine – how cool is that?

Sarah Fogleman (aka Ellis Originals) uses wine labels to create really unique artwork. I *love* her stuff; I have a couple of cards, and one painting, but I’m looking to grow the collection. “Wild Wines Art” will be at the Queen Mother Café on Queen Street West until February 3rd. You should check it out. And buy a painting!! Hang it in the wine cellar …. or next to the wine rack …. or wherever …. just buy a painting!

All these can be found under the “Events” link to your right …. If you make it out to any of them, I’d love to hear about it!

So…… welcome to my world!

This site is a *very* cool Christmas present from my wonderful husband, who is very very understanding about my love of wine and food. Okay, it isn’t exactly to his detriment to be supportive; it means he eats well, and we always have a nice bottle (or twenty) kicking around the house. However – I think it’s awesome that he set this up, and made it look pretty. It’s on WordPress for now, but as I learn HTML, I will make it all my very very own, as I already have design ideas running around my brain.

I will put up a wine-y post later, but for now, I feel I must acknowledge the inspiration for the site’s title, and thus – may I draw your attention to the Links, where you will find the Original Grape Shirt Company site. I bought one of their shirts at the Gourmet Food and Wine Show this year (guess what it says???).

If you’ve ever looked for something different for your favorite wine geek at Christmas/birthday/anniversary/thanks for looking after the cat/whatever occasion, these shirts are the answer! They’re a great soft cotton, and they’re dyed using grape juice & skins (not a perfect process, so some of the shirts are a little mottled, but it just makes them more unique). I got the long sleeve; I can see the sweatshirt and the ‘pretty logo’ t-shirt making their way into my closet very very soon! (Paul, if you were looking for birthday ideas ….!)

There are a few other links up already; one of my favourite food shops, our own home site (of course), and the usual wine-related bits and pieces. I’ll be adding to these on a regular basis, but this is a good start.

I’d like to make this site into something people think of when they’re looking for something new to try, or they want to see where the next winemaker’s dinner is happening, or they just want to read real-people comments on reasonably priced wines, and maybe pick up a pairing idea, or a gift suggestion. I’m not a wine snob; I’m not an expert. I know what I know, I know what I like, and I enjoy trying new things. I get asked for my opinion quite often, and I’m happy to give it, with the caveat that I haven’t tried everything, and the vast majority of my wine experience is with bottles costing less than $40. Well, that’s if you don’t count icewine, but that is just a whooooooooole other ball game…!

So, again – welcome to my world. I hope you have fun here; I like to think it’s a nice place to be!