L is For… Many Things

Chocolate Chef Eyal Liebman of L is For…

L is For… many things, especially the love of chocolate. 

I recently had the honour of being invited to a wine and chocolate pairing hosted by Chef Eyal Liebman of  L is For…, an event in support of Second Harvest and unlike any other tasting I’ve been to in the past. It was the sixth Chocolate Dinner the company has hosted within the past two years. According to Rebecca Meir, Liebman’s wife and co-founder, each dinner is different, the menu, winery and feature artist changes, but the one thing that remains static, is the use of Valrhona chocolate–the gold standard for chocolate.

L is For… Dessert. Almond, Beets & Valrhona Opalys.

This supper was truly the first time I experienced how wine can add to and alter the flavour of the dish in front of you. Let me provide an example of what I mean.  The dessert was an almond cake with white chocolate and beet moose (I know, the beet caught me off guard, but it was fantastic). The cake on its own was dry, but when you paired it with a sip  from the Henry of Pelham Vidal Ice wine, surprise, taste altered and cake no longer dry. For those of you who have done wine pairings in the past, you may already have experienced this moment, but for a newbie, it was like an awakening. The sparkling wine actually altered the taste of the dessert, adding a subtle sweetness that was missing, as if it was a final, missing ingredient.

I discovered the same enlightenment during the main course of Elk Raviolo and Valrhona Taïnori paired with a Pelham 2012 Baco Noir, Reserve. The deep red wine brought out more of the game meat flavour I thought was being overpowered by the dark chocolate flavouring. Again, the addition of the correct wine made the course taste completely different.

L is For… Artwork by Supria Karmakar.

Throughout each of the seven courses, Rebecca explained each pairing with a little story behind it, along with details on the Valrhona chocolates used for the dish and the history behind the bean. The Henry of Pelham wines were introduced by the vintner who also shared stories of each of the wine´s creation stories, sprinkled with family anecdotes which helped build a warm atmosphere throughout the night.

Overall, it was an entertaining evening with great food, great wine, great conversations and an art exhibition by Supria Karmakar. One couldn´t ask for anything more.

Don´t worry if you missed this tasting, there´s another set for February 28th and you can sign up for it here. Or, you can book your own private or group wine and chocolate tasting with L is For… via their site. Winter is upon us and what better way to keep ourselves indoors than to entertain guests with a private cook and sommelier in your home?

Now I’m off to try the Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut with some seared scallops, something else I learned that night.

To learn more about Chef Liebman or L is For… you can visit the website www.LisFor.ca