Sensory Memories and Ephemeral Identities
May 29, 2017 Missive from J.K. Farm
After meeting Geoff Heinricks at Feast of Fields in the late nineties, I really caught the vine growing bug. I had been studying wine informally for 20 years and had dreamed of owning my own vineyard one day. Geoff had recently made the move to Prince Edward County with his young family in tow. Early one cold February morning I was in the wholesale produce market in Toronto when my phone rang. It was Geoff on the line. “When we met at Feast of Fields, you seemed interested in what I was doing in the county. I thought you might like to know that the property next to mine has just come on the market.”
Late in May of the year 2000, I packed my young family into the Buick Roadmaster and drove eastbound on the 401. I had arranged to meet Geoff for a tour of the property he had mentioned was for sale. Following his directions to Hillier, we entered a part of Ontario I hadn’t yet visited. How many times had I driven to Montreal and back and yet had never discovered this area. In my mind, the 401 hugged the shoreline of Lake Ontario. I was shocked to discover this landmass south of the highway. There was a profusion of lilacs along the road. The perfume of so many flowers in bloom cast a spell on me like Dorothy approaching the Emerald City through the field of poppies. Under a mantle of lilacs we rolled into the driveway and found Geoff waiting for us. We descended from the Roadmaster began our tour of this 115 acre farm. “This escarpment that runs through the property would be a top tier site for planting a vineyard” Geoff pointed out as we walked through…
Fast forward sixteen years. There is the same intoxicating profusion of lilacs in bloom. I watch from the kitchen in the loafing barn as our guests make their way past the garden to the top of the escarpment to enjoy an apéritif and passed hors d’oeuvres as they look over the vineyard, now 15 years old, to the village of Hillier, on the other side of the creek. Needless to say, we purchased this property and over the past 15 years have slowly gotten acquainted with the land and the possibilities it represents. On my watch, the overarching goal of this farm is to return to farming. I want to take these fields that have been mostly fallow for the past two decades and plant them to organic grain. In the meantime it is very exciting to be part of a conversation about re-defining rural economies for a place like Prince Edward County.
The summer dinner series is part of that conversation. This past Saturday Battista Calvieri joined us at the table to present his handcrafted wines from nearby Hubbs Creek Vineyard. While Battista was up on the ridge speaking to süssreserve rosé, my team and I were in the loafing barn preparing the first course. At the same time Victoria transformed the barn into a dining room with profusions of lilacs on every table. Each glass and piece of cutlery was polished and carefully set in place by Naz and his front of house team. Much thought goes into conceiving of the menu for each dinner. It is a succession of dishes that has a beginning, middle and end but it must also be a gastronomic symphony that represents the foods in harmony with the wines of this region. The sum of all the parts should resonate with a clarity that provides a distinct, ephemeral identity for this place.
Saturday May 27th, 2017
featuring Hubbs Creek Vineyard
Hors d’Œuvres on the Ridge
J.K. Fries with Two Sauces
Deviled Eggs
Hot Smoked Whitefish Canapé
Curried Sweet Potato and Spinach Croquette
Confit Pork Belly on Crisp Apple
Hubbs Creek Süss Reserve Rosé Prince Edward County VQA
Dinner in the Loafing Barn
Ragout of Asparagus and Mushrooms
2016 Hubbs Creek Pinot Gris, Prince Edward County VQA
****
Pickerel Farcie Soubise
2016 Hubbs Creek Chardonnay “senza legno” Prince Edward County VQA
****
Paella with Saddle of Rabbit
2014 Pinot Noir, Hubbs Creek Prince Edward County VQA
****
Salad and Artisan Cheeses from Ontario
2015 Hubbs Creek 60/40 Lightly Oaked Chardonnay Prince Edward County VQA
*****
Baked Rhubarb Tart with Maple Custard Sauce
Hubbs Creek Süss Reserve Rosé Prince Edward County VQA
*****
Coffee or Tea
Top image @vtaylorlandarch; image with barn in silhouette @jameyordolis