The Wine Ladies

The 14th ANNUAL GOURMET FOOD & WINE EXPO: NOVEMBER 20-23, 2008

Pictured Above: Jennifer Campbell, GFWE Show Manager, Debbie Currie, District Sales Manager GTA Electrolux as well Eddie Sokoloff Licensee Consultant of Churchill Cellars.

November 20th, 2008 is the kick-off of the annual Gourmet Food & Wine Expo here in Toronto. Touted as Canada’s best consumer food and wine appreciation event, the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo enters into its 14th year at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from November 20-23, 2008.

Jennifer explained that, “The Expo embraces the style and sophistication of a cocktail party, offering visitors an extensive array of fine wines and specialty foods from around the world. Selections range from the top wines, beers and spirits available at Vintages and the LCBO, to hidden gems that are only available through Canada’s top wine agents. Visitors can also sample gourmet foods and signature dishes from Toronto’s best restaurants”.

Eddie Sokoloff and Jennifer Campbell

France is this year’s theme country, and The Wines of France pavilion will showcase the savoir-faire, modernity and diversity of French wines. Offering food, wine, live entertainment, and a special area known as “Aperitif a la Française.”

Eddie reminded us that the opening of the GFWE also happens to coincide with the 3rd Thursday in November. That day every year is the release of nouveau wines which celebrates the first wines of the new vintage each year and marks the end of the harvest. The nouveau wine tradition began in the vineyards of France’s Beaujolais region more than 100 years ago when winemakers developed a quick maturing wine to celebrate the end of the harvest with their workers.  The result was a fresh, fruity wine.

Although not Beaujolais Nouveau, Eddie brought with him to the studio the classic beautiful Beaujolais wines known as Pisse-Dru. These wines definitely put us in the mood for the annual release of nouveau wines as well as to the start of the show. These wines exhibit fruity aromas and flavours are pleasant to drink and are available at your local LCBO. Give them a try!

Pisse-Dru Chardonnay 2006 - LCBO # 276865 Price per bottle: $11.95

Pisse-Dru 2007- LCBO # 2881 Price per bottle: $11.95

These wines are distributed by Churchill Cellars here in Ontario.

Some of the other highlights to be enjoyed at the show include:

THE NINE OF DINE - this year marks the 6th annual Nine of Dine Chefs of Distinction Awards Program, where 9 up-and-coming chefs are celebrated and appear live on stage at the Expo.
FOOD NETWORK STAGE - culinary masters and Food Network celebrities tantalize taste buds during cooking demonstrations every hour on this exciting stage.
TUTORED TASTINGS - top sommeliers and wine personalities host 90-minute classroom-style, tasting sessions featuring some of the world’s most desirable wines. Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.foodandwineexpo.ca
CONNOISSEUR’S CORNER - informal 45-minute wine tasting sessions will be taking place every hour on the show floor. Attendees can learn from the Independent Wine Education Guild experts and celebrity guests.
FINE WINE TASTING LOUNGE - attracting private wine buyers and collectors, this special area offers a fabulous array of premium wines.

Some of Toronto’s finest chefs will be cooking up a storm on The Food Network Stage. Electrolux has provided all of the necessary appliances to allow the chefs to dazzle their audiences and fans.

Georgia in dire need of an oven at home was drooling at the thought of a new one from Electrolux as Debbie Currie explained the fabulous features of the appliances which included the key to the perfect Christmas Turkey!

Debbie Currie of Electrolux

Included here is a link to the perfect turkey demonstration

Debbie also reminded us not to miss out on the greatly anticipated European Wine Tower which is expected to reach the marketplace within the next few months too.

ELECTROLUX EUROPEAN WINE TOWER

Features: 

Perfect Set™ Temperature Control

Set a temperature anywhere between 45 and 65 degrees – the European-style Wine Tower will hold it precisely to keep your

wine perfectly stored. 

Luxury-Design™ Lighting

LED Illumination System is as beautiful as it is functional, keeping your wine clearly visible. In display mode, the

lights can stay on to display your wine collection. 

Wooden Drawer

Ideal for chilling liquors or storing wine accessories. 

Stable Humidity Level

Held at a constant humidity level: ideal for wine storage. 

Exceptionally Quiet

You won’t even know it’s on. 

UV-Filtered Glass Door

Helps protect wine’s flavor from deterioration caused by harmful UV rays. 

Wood Display Shelves

Rich, beautiful, wood shelves with stainless steel accents can be adjusted to various angles for use as display racks. 

Versatile Installation Options

Use as freestanding or built-in. The door is reversible for either left-swing or right-swing operation - making placement even easier. 

ELECTROLUX OVENS

Features: 

Wave-Touch™ Controls

One simple touch and the control panel activates, showing the virtually endless cooking options. After you make your

choices, all but the options selected will fade away, returning to an elegant display. 

Luxury-Glide™ Oven Racks

With a ball-bearing system, oven racks are so smooth they extend effortlessly. 

Luxury-Design™ Lighting

Our ramp-up designer halogen lighting is as beautiful as it is functional. 

Luxury-Hold™ Door

Our oven door stays put at whatever angle you place it. 

Sure-2-Fit™ Capacity

Coordinate an entire meal. Our oven features 4.2 cu.ft. of cooking space with three adjustable baking racks. 

Perfect Turkey™ Button

The Perfect Turkey™ button ensures moist, delicious poultry every time. Imagine stress-free holiday cooking. 

Perfect Convect3™

Our convection technology features a third convection element for consistently even results, up to 30% faster cooking

times and even more baking options. 

Hidden Bake Element

The lower bake element is hidden beneath a smooth surface, allowing convenient, easy cleanup. 

ELECTROLUX INDUCTION COOKTOP

We also have a short video demo on the website describing the Induction technology -

Features: 

10” and 6” Induction Elements

Boil water in 90 seconds with the 10” induction element, which offers 3,200 watts of power. 

Power Assist Function

Generates rapid heat for a quick boil. 

Cooking Flexibility

Induction elements automatically detect the presence of magnetic cookware, activate the induction field and adjust it to

the exact size of the pan. 

Exceptional Temperature Control

Adjust heat with pinpoint accuracy, especially at lower settings. 

More Energy Efficient

70% more energy efficient than gas and 20% more efficient than electric. 

Perfect Set™ Controls

Up to 25 digital preset touch settings immediately raise or lower temperatures so cooking can begin at any time - without

waiting for preheating. 

Dual Expandable Elements

Cookware Compatibility

Electrolux induction hybrid cooktops include a combination of electric elements that are compatible with all cookware, and

induction elements that are compatible with most cookware - if a magnet sticks to the bottom of the pan, it works. 

Cook top Stays Cooler

Heat is transferred directly to the cookware, so the cook top stays cooler – making it easier to clean. 

Keep-Warm Setting

Maintains food at the perfect serving temperature, so it’s ideal for entertaining. 

Perfect Over a Wall Oven

Mounts above a single wall oven for additional installation options. 

Easy-to-Clean Cook top Surface