One of my favourite wine and food activities is to pair the two and introduce friends and family to gastronomic and wine nerd combinations they wouldn’t have normally sought out for themselves.

I did this recently with a group at The London Chef.  Chef Dan provided the beautiful Tuscan-inspired menu and venue, while I paired a few wines with the courses.

We began with the 2014 Vintage Brut Pinot Noir dominant bubble from Argyle Vineyards of Dundee, Oregon, and with the crostini, salsa verde, and roasted vegetables, we enjoyed the 2017 Pinot Blanc from Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards of BC’s Okanagan Valley. 

The second course was a fresh pasta with basil and tomatoes that was completed by one of my all time favourites, Cristiana Tiberio’s 2017 Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo rosé – its gorgeous, deep colour produced by 20 minutes of skin contact with the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape free-run juice.

But the evening’s crowning pairing was the 2014 Avignonesi Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, a Sangiovese gem from Italy’s largest biodynamic winery, with the chicken saltimbocca. 

Delicious, and just a little too much fun.