2015 Christmas at the Design Exchange

“Nice hair,” said little Cindy Lou Who to the man cramming gifts into a huge sack.  “You must be the new Prime Minister of Canada.”

“No dear,” said the jolly old fellow with the flowing white locks and beard.  “But I’m ready, just as ready as that Trudeau lad to bring plenty of smiles to plenty of faces. “  And off he went to fill a second bag with assorted bottles of bubbly to pour at the Design Exchange on Wednesday, December 9^th.  

Santa knows a great party when he sees one, and he never misses the Winetasters’ huge selection of fine wines and tasty foods.  And as was the case last year, sign up 5 or more guests and they each attend at the member price

When you register to party with Santa, you may also order a serving of this year’s specialty wine:  1895 Cossart Bual Madeira, a 120-year-old classic.  If that strikes you as too young for Madeira, there will be two bottles of 1815 coming out of the kitchen as replacement wines later in the evening.

Many, but not all, of our wines follow a 5 or 10 year anniversary cycle.  If you’re celebrating an event from 1970, 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000 or 2005, we have a wine for you.  There are red wines, white wines, young and old wines, sweet wines and dry, and even a Champagne or two.  Feel free to organize your own mini-tasting challenge:  compare Rhône varietals with their Australian counterparts, let top white Burgundies square off against fine Chardonnays from California and Australia.  Compare old Bordeaux to younger Bordeaux; toss into the mix Napa, California Cabernet Sauvignon; and then stir the pot with a top notch Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.   As the opening 36 wines run out, look for top quality surprises throughout the evening. 

As always, normal tasting-size portions of each wine will be served. Throughout the evening as selections are exhausted, they will be replaced with unadvertised wines.  The identity of replacement wines will be prominently displayed at the various serving stations as the wines appear.   Each of our 6 serving tables will contain half a dozen wines at the start of the evening:  typically four reds and two whites or “others”.

 We recommend transportation to Design Exchange be provided by the TTC, a taxi, other exotic livery service or perhaps a designated driver.

Note: For those who just can't wait, a list of all of the first 36 wines will be available on our web site in early December. Check it out at www.winetasters.ca.

Winetasters’ 2015 Design Exchange Christmas Menu

Mezze Board

• Grilled Haloumi, Hummus, Roasted Artichokes, Grilled Vegetables, Baba Ghanouj
• Caper & Chili Fried Cauliflower, Olives
• Assorted Pita Breads, Flatbread, Crostini

Whole Smoked Turkey & Whole Ontario Bone-In Smoked Ham

• Carved at the station by our uniformed Chef
• Accompanied by Assorted Rolls and Croissants
• Pommery Mustard, Dijon Mustard and Maple Mustard

 Festive Cheese Board

• Cranberry Chèvre Cheese Ball with Walnut Crust
• Double Crème Brie, Danish Blue Cheese, Aged Cheddar, Oka
• Fig Jam, Dried and Fresh Fruits
• Nuts and Berries
• Crackers and Artisanal Flatbreads

 Holiday Dessert Platter

• Figgy Christmas Pudding, Pumpkin Tartlet, Spiced Whipped Cream,
• Apple and Clove Crumble, Caramelized Pear Upside Down Gingerbread Cake and Assorted Holiday Cookies

Tea & Coffee

HERE ARE A FEW OF THIS YEAR’S FEATURED WINES:

• classic old Bordeaux (1964 Ch. Léoville-Barton, 1970 Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou, 1978 Ch. Beycheville);
• from Pommard’s excellent Domaine Pothier-Rieusset, two top 1985 Premiers Crus—Epenots and Rugiens;
• 1985 Vieux-Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape;
• from Tuscany, 1995 Ornellaia (and its “lesser” sibling Le Volte).  Keep an eye out later for Masseto;
• 2000 Hacienda Monasterio (Ribera del Duero from Peter Sisseck of “Pingus” fame);
• 1971 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa);
• 1998 Penfold’s Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon (and a Penfold’s Chardonnay) from Australia;
• 1980 Very Rare Old Tres Cortados Sherry;
• a 16-year-old Bruichladdich single malt Scotch (aged in Ch. Latour barrels).

Our replacement wines include a couple of Ch. Latours, a Muga Rioja Gran Reserva over 45 years old, and Vintage Ports from 1960 and 1970.

     

As always with our tastings, this event will be strictly non-smoking, and we request your cooperation in not wearing any scented after-shave or perfume. Please don’t drink & drive.

Date:  Wednesday, December 9, 2015 Design Exchange
Time:  7:00 p.m.
Place:  234 Bay St. (TD Centre)
Limit: 300 people

Members:  $130.00 each (incl. HST) 
Guests: $145.00 each (incl. HST)

(sign up 5 or more guests and they each attend at the member price)

Cancellations accepted up to Friday, December 4, 2015 — Jennifer Curran (905-829-4675). evenings). No reservations by phone, please. Supplies of the1895 Cossart Bual Madeira are limited and will be allocated to the earlier responders.

Note: The Holiday Party will be filmed for an upcoming TV series, called Drinks, hosted by members Alex Powell and Priya Rao. They will not photograph you without your consent.

Wine Tickets:  For those new to the event each attendee gets a base package of tickets. Wines are assigned a ticket value for which the attendee "buys" each wine. Additional tickets are available for purchase at the event.

Register Now!