Bree’s scheduled visit allowed me the chance to reciprocate. I have to be honest it was a trifle unnerving. The only wines from Niagara that I have opened for him have been Ice wines. Would he like Chardonnay with only a subtle degree of oak? How would he adjust to wines of elegance and charm instead of his usual daily dose of high-octane fruit bombs? Well, it would be a challenge, and the best way to start was to head to the cellar and see what I had stashed away for a rainy day.

Kim and geo helped out immensely by bringing a few of the culinary treasures that are only available at certain times throughout the year. For example, once the Gang arrived, a bag brimming with just plucked zucchini blossoms was cast upon my kitchen counter accompanied with the instructions, "Do something with these". No problem, a thin tempura batter and some smoking olive oil quickly catered to Kim’s command. I sprinkled a concasse of tomatoes, the first from my vines, over the top, some shredded purple basil and finished it with a drizzle of pungent truffle oil from Piedmont. As an amuse should, it took the edge off our hunger while we sipped away on the Roederer. There was a little Foie Gras tucked away on the back shelf of my fridge that I knew with the oncoming road trip would not get eaten. Hey there is no time like the present!

My main objective of the evening was to serve the first course early and the last course late. Although there was a plenteous amount of food to come, opening Kim and Geo’s generous offering of the Domaine des Baumard gave us time to relax a little and work up an appetite.

For the first course I wanted something that would compete with the strength and concentration that I hoped the Montrachet would display. Rarely drinking wines of this caliber, I didn’t really know what to expect. However, at the same time I imagined it would be a powerful wine so I wanted to make certain I did it justice. The Gazpacho was based on roasted tomatillas pureed along with hazelnuts, almonds, cilantro, and a touch of sherry vinegar. The soft-shell crabs, which sat upon slices of brioche spread with tartar in the centre of the room temperature soup had been fried quickly in very hot clarified butter. I had poached the flesh from a few lobster in beurre blanc, and used the shells to produce a most potent lobster stock that was reduced to a glaze. The lobster sat on top of the crab and its essence was spooned around to intermingle with soup. Fingerling zucchini, more of Kim’s treats, were used to garnish along with some "Mesclun Nicoise" greens that came right from my garden. I was happy with the result and although both the wine and the dish were powerfully flavoured, each did compliment the other.