Thanks to a contest hosted by Peter from Vancouver Livin and Fable Kitchen, K and I won two tickets to the long table dinner at Fable Kitchen which featured a five course menu paired with Bordertown wines. The menu was created by Chef Max Straczek.

Bordertown Winery was present at the dinner to explain the different notes of each wine and essentially provide a wine tasting experience!

Bordertown is one of the newer wineries and is located in Osoyoos, BC. It started in 2015 and BC Liquor stores now carry their wines. Bottles range from around $18-40.

Pan Seared Scallop and Cucumber

The first dish was the Pan Seared Scallops with compressed cucumber, cucumber relish and watercress. The scallops were perfectly cooked and almost melted in my mouth! I loved the pickled flavours of the cucumber relish and this paired great with the seafood. Refreshing and light. This was paired with the 2015 Muscat which was light and fruity. Muscat white wines are always one of my favourites.

Slow Cooked Egg and Flash Steamed Asparagus

Next up was the Slow Cooked Egg and Flash Steamed Asparagus on top of gnocchi and topped with hazelnut bread crumb. The egg was cooked perfectly with the yolk spilling out. This was paired with a 2014 Chardonnay which has a buttery richness to it.

Rabbit Turnover

For our main, we had the Rabbit Turnover with smashed peas and chervil. The portion looked small but I was seriously so full after this but I couldn’t stop eating because it was so delicious! The pastry was so flaky and the rabbit filling inside was full of flavour. This is the perfect introduction to rabbit for first timers. This was paired with the first red wine of the evening, a 2014 Cabernet Franc, which was perfect with this savoury dish.

Duck Cooked Three Ways

Next up was the Duck Cooked Three Ways. The three ways were smoked, confit, and mousse and this was paired with cornbread, carrots, and pickled mustard. This dish was delicious, but I was beyond full at this point. My smoked duck was a little too rare for my liking. It was still very bright pink in the centre, and therefore more chewy than tender. My sister’s was cooked nicely with a light pink all around. The confit was really interesting as it was more like a croquette. Deep fried in a cornmeal type batter, this was tasty with the pickled mustard on the side. However, one of my favourites was the duck mousse. This was like a pâté and delicious when spread on the cornbread. This dish was quite heavy though, especially with the cornbread. Perhaps smaller portions of each would be perfect or if this was the only main we had. This was paired with the 2014 Merlot, a perfect pairing for meaty dishes.

Apple Terrine

For dessert, we had the Apple Terrine which was absolutely delicious! Essentially a streusel with custard on the side, topped with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce. Sort of like a deconstructed apple pie, but so flakey and addicting. A must try! Paired with the 2014 Gewurtztraminer, one of my favourite dessert wines, this was a great way to end the night!

Overall, we had an amazing time at the Fable Kitchen x Bordertown Winery long table dinner. What more can you ask for with good food, good wine, and good company! Thank you to Peter from Vancouver Livin and Fable Kitchen for the contest!