ChefGrapes 2019
Chef Meets BC Grape Vancouver Judges (L - R) Sean Nelson, Rhys Pender, Mijune Pak, Tim Pawsey and Joanne Sasvari.
BC wineries and top chefs competed in April at the 15th annual Chef Meets BC Grape event, Western Canada's largest tasting of BC VQA Wine and food, to win three coveted awards: Best BC VQA Wine Pairing, Best Dish and Consumer's Choice awards.
Hosted by the BC Wine Institute in support of the BC Hospitality Foundation, the sold-out Chef Meets BC Grape event returned to the Vancouver Convention Centre welcoming 550 guests to taste and enjoy newly released BC VQA wines from 94 BC wineries and creative dishes prepared and served by 16 of BC's top restaurants.
The 2019 Chef Meets BC Grape winner for Best BC VQA Wine Pairing is Chef Jeff Van Geest of Miradoro Restaurant for his Oxtail Arancini dish paired with Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Merlot 2016 BC VQA from the Okanagan Valley, BC.
Mijune Pak, a judge on Food Network's Top Chef Canada and Iron Chef Canada, served as the evenings' emcee for the third consecutive year. Pak judged alongside a panel of four expert wine and food critics as they tasted and scored the 16 dishes and BC VQA wine pairings.
"It's a good sign when the judges are arguing over who should win," said Pak. "The competition was tight this year, and the standard of dishes and wine pairings showcasing beautiful BC was nothing but impressive."
