Lucy is flying off to Chile tomorrow to explore it's culinary scene--from Santiago south to Patagonia and then back north to La Serena, the focus is on unique and sustainable products. She will no doubt have tales to tell from this exciting land when she returns. For our final dinner before she leaves, we decided to stick to the basics, but what great basics they were! For us, nothing beats outstanding roast chicken, green veggies, salad and more of Vicki's potatoes.

To help it along we unearthed a bottle of 2003 Beaune Bressandes from Albert Morot. These days, with so many exciting wines to discover (from the rich fruit of Central Otago pinots to the warmth and elegance of some pinots from Oregon and the Sonoma Coast) we forget that the original can be sublime. This bottle was just that. Well on its way to brilliance (we probably cut its life short before its time) here was pure pinot: spicy, smoky with generous ripe dark fruit. Perfect with the chicken and something for Lucy to compare with the Chilean wines and foods in the days to come...

Today, we experienced the first hint of spring. To celebrate, we turned to Nortown rib steaks (now naturally raised and grass fed) on the barbecue for dinner with California asparagus and desiree potatoes from Vicki's Veggies. A quick rustle in the cellar produced a bottle of Chateau Fourcas Hosten 2000 - as it turns out, an uninspired, but acceptable match. For a 2000, I expected some grace, but instead found the wine a little stiff, with a tannic edge hiding the fruit. Not a bad match with the steak, but it should certainly have been better. In my judgment it needed time for the fruit to show, unless, of course, it was never there.

Tonight was miserable and rainy, but we enjoyed our evening nonetheless thanks to good food and good company in the form of an old friend (and student of Lucy's) and his partner. Showing off their culinary skills and new rings (they are very recently married) our hosts also produced a couple of special selections from their cellar to add to this special evening. First up, Gravlax with cream cheese and capers (from Scandinavia) along with what I will call North Toronto ceviche (marinated scallops) were outstanding nibbles and very well matched with the 2009 Stoneburn Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in New Zealand. The classic grassy flavours of this wine with its hint of lime zest set just the right tone.

A little Italy came next in the form of a green salad with parmesan and figs, and then Lucy's favourite: roast duck with green beans, accompanied by wild rice. For this, our hosts' cellar was tapped for the Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir. A Billy's Best Bottles pick, this pinot from the hills northeast of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria, was produced by the winery once owned by James Halliday, former lawyer and the author of the leading text on Australian wines. What a choice this was! Full, rich and long. Classic pinot nose, earthy black cherries on the palate and plenty of depth--a wonderful combination. And to top it all off, this great meal seemed to stop the rain as we returned home. Spring is in the air...

Image: Cloudy Bay

Spring is still a fantasy in December but the holiday season gives us an excuse to dust off some of those beauties languishing in the cellar and pull them from purgatory to wow your guests and this year we were lucky enough to be the beneficiaries of such largesse when our friends amazed us with their selections.

With the starter the 2005 Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc was a very special wine. Barrel fermented and then aged on its lees for the better part of a year, this wine actually stopped the conversation. With very concentrated fruit, it was mellow with complex personality, which fit perfectly with the food and the guests.

Not to be outdone by the white selection, we were next treated to two great Ontario pinots, the 2004 Clos Jordanne from the Claystone Terrace vineyard and the 2004 Clos Jordanne from La Petite Vineyard. Entering their prime drinking phase, both wines (but particularly the former) demonstrated once again that great pinots can be made in Niagara.

Le Clos Jordanne, a French/Canadian venture was inspired by investors on both sides of the Atlantic who believe in the Niagara terroir. This occasion (and many others) have proven their confidence was not misplaced. In addition to its Grand Cru (high price point) and Village (lower price point), Le Clos Jordanne produces pinots from three individual sites, including Claystone Terrace and La Petite Vineyard. Served first, the Claystone Terrace showed layers of complex aromatic dark cherry fruit with flavours that went on and on. Similar in many ways, but somewhat more foursquare, the La Petite Vineyard was not quite in the same class. All told, some outstanding bottles on a cold December night!