Gault Millau Honour, Top Sushi Event Nov 23rd, Winter Food Program
The perfect long, dry summer set us up for a truly magnificent harvest. The dry conditions kept the berries and clusters small, ensuring tremendous concentration of flavour. While the perfect weather created the potential for a great harvest, ultimately it was down to the unbelievable dedication of our amazing team of Thai field workers and Lou our vineyard manager. At our communal harvest party I made a speech dedicated to their impact and importance to our economy/winery. It went viral with over 400,000 views.
With our wines being poured in over 40 Michelin Star restaurant across Europe, their quality has also caught the eye of the Gault Millau Guide. Last week at their annual awards dinner in Brussels, our County Chardonnay was chosen to be paired with the north Atlantic turbot dish inspired by Tim Boury, Executive Chef of the 19 Gault Millau score and three-Michelin Star restaurant Boury. I felt very proud being Canadian standing up showcasing our Canadian wine to 850 restauranteurs and sommeliers – the cream of the crop of the Belgian culinary scene. Enclosed is a clip of my speech. To highlight my Canadian pride I chose to wear the Canadian plaid jacket to stand out amongst the sea of beautiful tailored sport coats.
On Sunday, November 23rd we have the honour of welcoming Katsumi Namaizawa of KIYOMI, one of my favourite sushi spots in Toronto, for a special private event at the winery. Space is exceptionally limited (seven spots per both 5:30pm and 7:30pm seatings), ticket price is $200/person. Katsumi will prepare an immersive 12-course meal, paired with our top Chardonnays. Also in attendance will be KIYOMI’s Beverage Director, Robin Morgan, who will introduce guests to the world of sake and offer a special tasting to complement the evening’s menu. Join us as Chef Katsumi takes you on a journey through the subtle flavours, textures, and traditions that define the art of Japanese dining — beautifully paired with the craftsmanship of Norman Hardie wines. Email Janet (jnamaizawa@yahoo.com) to secure your spot(s)!
The winery remains open daily all year-round! Our hearty winter food program is available daily all winter long. Serving piping hot lasagnas, classic French onion soup, fresh East Coast oysters, our cold-smoked local trout and toasted warm focaccia. Seating is available outdoors next to roaring fire pits, or inside our cozy barrel chamber. Visit our website or Instagram (@normanhardiewinery) for our most up-to-date hours. Winter is a magical time to visit us.
Cheers,
Norm
P.S. We all need great gift ideas this holiday season, and our wines make the perfect choice. While served in over 40 Michelin Star restaurants across Europe, they taste even better on your table shared with friends and family. If you can’t make it to the County to pick up our wines this holiday season, we are always delighted to ship directly to your door. Free shipping is available for Ontario orders $200+ and orders to Quebec and the rest of Canada $400+. Mixed cases are welcome and we have beautiful two-bottle branded boxes which make gift giving even easier. Order here.