Tonight we were at The Greek for a Three Sister’s Wine Maker dinner. The 46th annual Vancouver International Wine Festival is back for its 46th year, and unfortunately Three Sisters is not taking part in the week long festivities. Instead, they have decided to collaborate with The Greek for this intimate event.
This was a ticketed dinner where guests were seated long table style to be able to mix, mingle, and meet with the winemakers as they walked us through seven courses with six wines to match.
Three Sisters Winery is named after a commonality between the husband and wife co-owners. She is one of three sisters, and he has three sisters.
Tonight we got to meet Matt from the Winery and Iani, one of the owners of The Greek. We heard their story of being classmates since the 6th grade and how Matt credits Iani for being instrumental in his decision to open a winery. In 2014 he asked Iani if he would sell his wine, and Iani declared “exclusively”. The rest is history.
The night was sprinkled with more such stories as those who knew either or both men shared how they met them and any humourous antidotes of the duo.
The event started at 6pm, however we waited for the stragglers and didn’t start service until 7pm. As the punctual guests waited we sipped on our first wine pairing and thankfully staff were eager to refill our glasses. The 2022 Pretty Women is a Prosecco-style sparkling wine with raspberry and strawberry rhubarb melodies.
On the table was a dish of warm olives to tide us over. I liked the temperature to help warm up the stomach. Whereas the salty and brininess of the fruit jump started the appetite for something more fulsome to eventually come. The red and black ones are more potent, whereas the green more mild with a firmer texture. Those are my favourite.
When the food started to come out, the first course was a Halloumi Caprese with roasted tomatoes, grilled halloumi, and basil. This was an excellent fresh start. The flavour combination reminded me of a crust-less marinara pizza. The chewy and stringy cheese with its strong grilled smokiness being the highlight. Everything was harmonious as two bites on the plate. Writing this now I want more, there was so much flavour and therefore a successful twist on the caprese that can come across as bland.
Unfortunately the food continued to trickle to the table slow, as the timing of the service was based on the slowest diner. Many came to socialize, and only a few were now famished and looking forward to more of the fulsome and meatier dishes below.
The second course was a one bite Avgo Dolma served on a spoon. This is grape leaf stuffed with pork, beef, rice, Greek herbs, and avgolemono broth. Served warm and softened with an earthy spice from the steamed leaves. The filling was heaty like shepard’s pie, but without the potato.
The pairing for this was Three Sister’s 2023 Anatoli Viognier. Orange blossom on the nose with ripe pineapple on the palate. The sweet tropical fruit evens out the savoury stew-like bites, offering plenty of tannis to wash it clean.
Our third course was a tease as their popular Greek salad is diced up and scooped on to a crostini like a passed canapé. The Horiatiki Crostini is topped with The Greek’s classic Greek salad and finished with creamy feta. Fresh and delicious, some how these two pieces only made us hungier.
This was paired with a 2023 Riesling. It was on the sweeter side with notes of orchard blossom, green apple, citrus, and a hint of honey. The salad played off well with the honeysuckle and lemon of the wine. A palate cleansing course to lead into animal proteins and red wine.
Our fourth course was the Brizola, and was some of the best pork I have had. Not dry, not tough, the exact opposite with fatty sinew and as a chewy oil slicked bite. Heavy but in all the best ways. Grilled pork with lemon, and house cut fries. The latter helps to cut into the gristle, but was just as dense. I could have used a side of salad instead.
Here, the acidity from the wine was needed and necessary. The 2022 Zinfandel with juicy notes of blackberry and blueberry jam, plus a hint of licorice.
Each course was the perfect small bite portion size, much like everything else this too was well conceived. There was just enough food to shine light on the wine, which was playing a starring role.
The fifth course was Arni me Gigantes. A braised lamb shank in a stew of hearty gigante beans, feta, and housemade tomato sauce. I would have liked a different starch like rice or bread to change up the gritty mashed texture of the beans and the incredibly tender strands of lamb meat. Plus to help soak up some of the dish’s extra sauciness. The meat was so well prepared with just the right about of fat that it felted like it melts under the weight of your utensils.
With this we had the 2022 Anatoli Meritage, a Merlot and Cabernet Franc with rich dark fruit and toasted cedar. It was a marvellous ruby with a woodsy finish, mellowed out by all the tannis.
Next, we were happy to have more lamb. The Pidakia is a breaded roasted lamb chop, zested with lemon. This was so well seasoned and delicious that I could have eaten a rack. A thick piece, tender with sinew. Happy to have the wedge of potato as a base to balance out all the gristle.
Our Three Sister’s wine pairing did well to parallel the spices in the rub with its own pepperines. Savoury and bold with enough weight to keep up with the lamb. 2021 Syrah with big notes of black plum and fig, with a sprinkle of peppercorn.
And our seventh and last course was dessert. Ouzo Ekmek with kataifi crust, ouzo custard, and whipped cream. Naturally, paired with Ouzo Liqueur. Dessert was a lush custard with crispy bits for texture. A heavier end, whereas I would have liked something lighter and more refreshing to help cleanse the palate on.
In closing this was such an intimate way to discover the wine and learn how to pair it with Greek cuisine. If you missed out on dinner, Three Sisters also delivers their wine right to your house, and if you use thecode “GREEK”, you get 10% off your order.
The Greek Gastown
221 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 4K7
(604) 423-3360
thegreekbyanatoli.com
