How About a Virtual French Wine Tasting?

It’s like inviting a private sommelier to your house and almost like going to France, to the beautiful Alsace region, but in the comfort of your home…

All you have to do is buy the four wines and cheeses listed below, get your wine glasses and cork screw ready and log-in here at 8pm EST on April 19^th. You will be greeted online by sommelier extraordinaire Aurélia Filion who will take you on a beautiful tasting adventure. Great occasion to dust off your high school French and/or to get inspired for a future trip on a ‘French Route des Vins.’ The event is interactive and you can tweet (#degustationweb) and ask questions live to Aurélia. Of course she speaks English so your questions or comments don't have to be in French :)   

Photo: Sommelier Aurélia Filion busy pairing the wines with the right cheeses. 

I am inviting my girlfriends over to my house and making a special girl night out of it! You can share your experience with us on Twitter @natalierichard. Everyone is bringing something to eat and I am making this easy and fantastic classic recipe from Alsace: Tarte Flambée (Flamenkuche)

Recipe: 1 pizza dough, 3/4 cup of sliced bacon cut in 1-inch pieces, 1 small onion thinly sliced, 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of heavy cream 35%, a little nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste.

Heat the oven at 475°. In a skillet, fry the bacon until crispy and set aside. Add some olive oil to the pan and sauté the sliced onions until golden, then mix with the cooked bacon. Mix the cheese and cream together with the nutmeg, salt & pepper and spead on the dough, add the onion and bacon mixture as a topping and cook in the oven for 6-7 minutes, until brown. Finish at broil to give the tart a nice Flambée! 

Sorry girls, this is not light! But the wine will wash it off..

You can enjoy this recipe anytime with a nice glass of Reisling and it will be a delicious pairing.

See you on Twitter on the 19th! Cheers!

The List for the Tasting:

 Pierre Sparr Reserve Pinot Blanc 2010 – $14.95 paired with any soft-ripened cheese, like a tomme, if you find the Contomme it's great!

 A Riesling from Alsace, paired with any extra-strong cheddar.

 Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris 2007 – $24  paired with Le Riopelle cheese.

 Helfrich Gewurztraminer 2008 – $18.95 paired with Bleu Benedictin or La Sauvagine.

Note: The wine types are equivalent to the ones you will find in the tasting but the house may vary due to the different products offered in various liquors stores across Canada.