<a target="_blank" href="http://www.allens.to/">Allen’s</a>143 Danforth AveToronto M4K 1N2Canada&nbsp;Tel:&nbsp;<a target="_blank">+1 (416) 463-3086</a>BY IAN D’AGATA | JANUARY 20, 2017 The food:Caesar salad with shaved Parmigiano ReggianoBreast of heritage duck, Dijon mustard cream sauceThrill of the grill award inning barbeque pork back
ribs with Cajun spice rub and Wild Turkey Bourbon sauceRib eye steak with Jameson Whiskey sauce

























Lamb chops with peppercorn sauce

The wines:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 2015 Pearce Predhomme Chenin Blanc Old Vine Wild
 Ferment Stellenbosch
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2015 Pearce Predhomme Pinot Gris Première Cuvée
 Yamhill Newberg Willamette Valley
 </td>
 <td>
 88
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2007 Charles Baker Picone Vineyard Riesling
 Vinemount Ridge
 </td>
 <td>
 92+
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2014 North Shore Project Gamay Noir Niagara
 Peninsula
 </td>
 <td>
 91
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2012 North Shore Project Syrah Lake Erie North Shore
 </td>
 <td>
 91+
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2012 Leaning Post Syrah Keczan Vineyard Lincoln
 Lakeshore
 </td>
 <td>
 90+
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2007 Colio Cabernet Sauvignon Lake Erie North Shore
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1484880335198-allen%27s+patio+copy.jpg">Allen's patioFor hearty food with flavorful twists, and interesting
sweet-sour and boozy nuances (for example, mango-jalapeno salsa and
Whiskey-based sauces), plus one of the best all-Canadian wine lists Toronto and
Canada have to offer, run, don’t walk, over to Allen’s. Grilled and barbeque
food don’t get much better than this, and eating outside in the patio on warm
spring or summer days makes a lunch or dinner that more enjoyable. It helps
that owner John Maxwell is extremely knowledgeable about wine in general, and
that he goes out of his way to source high quality ingredients and meats. His
menu will tell you the meat served at Allen’s (be it chicken, beef, or lamb) is
from animals raised hormone-and antibiotic-free, and fed mixed grains, and/or
hay, grass, squash, cabbage and celery silage.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1484880371204-salad+copy.jpg"> Caesar salad with shaved&nbsp;Parmigiano Reggiano 



















The Caesar salad with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano was large, fresh and creamy, though I would
have liked more anchovy bite; still, it was a great way to start the meal. The
meat at Allen’s is simply out standing. I enjoyed the breast of heritage duck
with Dijon mustard cream sauce just as much as I did the ‘Thrill of the grill’
award inning barbeque pork back ribs with Cajun spice rub and Wild Turkey
Bourbon sauce.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1484880470621-ribs+copy.jpg"> Rib Eye steak with Jameson Whiskey sauceThe rib eye steak with Jameson Whiskey sauce was almost too big for one person, while the lamb chops with peppercorn sauce were plump, pink and juicy. The back ribs were also extremely tasty and lifted by just the right amount of smokiness. Clearly, this food isn’t meant to be especially intellectual, but it’s not often that you come across such well-cooked grilled meats, so&nbsp;bravo! to Allen’s. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1484880941621-lamb+copy.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://"> 

















Lamb chops with peppercorn sauce



















My meal was enhanced by a bunch of great New World
wines from Canada, Oregon and South Africa. A smashingly good start to the
evening was provided by the two Pearce Predhomme wines, made by two friends who
source grapes and make the wines at custom crush facilities or at other wineries.
The 2015 Pearce Predhomme Chenin Blanc
Old Vine Wild Ferment Stellenbosch is a case in point: bottled at Radford
Dale, it is a textbook example of just how well this Loire variety performs in
South Africa. The wine was one of the night’s stars, showcasing pretty lemony
and beeswax nuances of noteworthy concentration and complexity, with a creamy
but lively lanolin mouthfeel. The 2015
Pearce Predhomme Pinot Gris Première Cuvée Yamhill Newberg Willamette Valley is
another in a long lineup of delightful Oregon Pinot Gris wines I have tasted
over the years. The apple, pear and a hint of mineral flavors could have used a
bit more concentration and complexity, but this easygoing, lovely wine won’t
have any trouble finding plenty of admirers.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1484881207461-wines+2+btls+copy.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://"><img alt="" src="http://"> 



















The 2007
Charles Baker Picone Vineyard Riesling Vinemount Ridge is one of the best
Niagara Rieslings of that rather hot vintage, but the cooler Vinemount Ridge
designated viticultural area always allows for refined Rieslings even in hotter
than usual conditions. This archetypal Niagara Riesling had just a hint of
residual sugar (for example compared to the 2008 Picone Vineyard Riesling,
which tasted drier) but is luscious and pure, with hints of flinty, ripe
orchard fruit complicated by jasmine and sweet spice nuances. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1484881050635-vino+copy.jpg"> 

















William Predhomme of Pearce Predhomme is also involved
with the North Shore Project, though my understanding is that the latter is
currently on hold, as one of the original partners has started up his own
sparkling wine estate out in Ontario’s Prince Edward County. The two wines I
tried during this meal were both highly enjoyable and easy to drink, and so
clearly, I hope the project takes off again. The 2014 North Shore Project Gamay Noir Niagara Peninsula shows just how
well this variety does in Ontario, offering brambly red fruit and peppery
aromas and flavors that were refreshing and bright. Not surprisingly, it proved a superb pairing with my
back ribs. The 2012 North Shore Project Syrah Lake Erie North Shore was a real
surprise, as I can’t say I have had that many truly memorable Syrahs from
Ontario, but this one ticks all the boxes. One sip, and the violet, red fruit, and
delicately smoky nuances brought me immediately back to Côte Rotie. I especially liked the bright long finish, redolent of
green peppercorns, hints of raisins and rose petals, and finely knitted
tannins. Unfortunately, the vines have a
hard time surviving the Lake Erie North Shore’s often brutal winters that wiped
out a large portion of the vinifera
vines planted there. My hope is that growers will keep insisting with what is a
promising viticultural zone. The 2012
Leaning Post Syrah Keczan Vineyard Lincoln Lakeshore offered perfumed violet and black pepper aromas on the very aromatic
nose, following through on the palate with good acidity and noteworthy
refinement of small red fruit and sweet spice elements. This wine highlights Leaning
Post’s knack for producing refined, flavorful wines that are never blockbusters
but often seem blessed with sneaky concentration. The 2007 Colio
Cabernet Sauvignon Lake Erie North Shore is aging extremely well, and offered
lovely smoky dark small berries aromas and flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon is not
the right variety for Ontario where it’s just too cold for the variety to ripen
fully most vintages; however, this well made supple, very approachable wine
with no green streaks matched perfectly with my grilled meat dishes and proved
a very pleasant surprise from what is one of Ontario’s more underrated estates.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1484881232327-wines+3+btls+copy.jpg">

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