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Okanagan, Canada. First things first. At Mission Hills Winery in the Okanagan Valley of western Canada, wines come first when planning a menu. “It was hard to adapt when I arrived, I couldn’t use old standbys” says Chef Michael Allemeier. “I had to re-evaluate everything and experiment -- it’s all about compatibility. “Pinot Gris, for example, is perfect with salmon, green beans too. Chardonnay is just right with the earthiness of potatoes and mushrooms, and also with rich dishes high in butter and cream.

Before he even begins his menu, Michael Allemeier assesses the wine in his glass. If it has been aged in stainless vats rather than oak barrels, he opts for a lighter dishes with little fat. High-tannin wines balance richer foods as “fat coats the mouth and softens the wine” he explains. A high-acid wine such as a Sauvignon is good with vegetables, particularly tomatoes. A few ingredients, Michael admits, are not wine-friendly, including artichokes, asparagus, gherkin pickles, and salty olives. “Roots can be a challenge, especially turnips”, he admits. As for vinegar-based vinaigrette. That’s a no-no”.

When it comes to dessert, for Chef Allmeier a simple rule holds good: dessert should never be sweeter than the wine. For citrus flavors, almonds, and sweet or savory custards, he favors a late-harvest Reisling.   “What about chocolate?” I ask, and Allmeier laughs. “I avoid it at every opportunity, it blankets the tastebuds”, he says. “I serve it only with coffee, and even then a glass of Port is best.”

The Okanagan Valley surrounds a 100-mile lake that creates a microclimate stretching northwards from the parched Sonora desert of Washington state. In many ways the region is ideal for winemaking. Summer temperatures run above 100F, winters are frosty but dry and sunny, while water for irrigation is just at the front door. For decades, the Okanagan was the apple capital of Canada, with peaches, pears and berries as a second string. However just recently the phrase “a new Napa Valley” can be heard. More than 40 CH vineyards now line the lake, many of just a few acres, and each year there are more.

Mission Hills is one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in the region, with ?? acres of vines on each side CHof the lake. The varied locations enable owner Anthony von Mandl to make a range of wines from hot-region Syrahs to Cabernets, Pinot Noirs, Sauvignons Blancs, and splendid frost-bitten ice wines. The vines, and the wines, are young, but already they have carried off two top British wine prizes. “We can do 10 out of 10 here if we take care”, says director of sales Ingo Grady. “Each year we do better, it’s an exciting time for us all”.

Side by side with the vines in the Okanagan grow outstanding vegetables and fruits. In the market of lakeside Penticton, vivid piles of pumpkin and squash sprawl beside late melons, pears, and a vast array of apples. “Picked yesterday afternoon” reads a label beside some red-cheeked Spartan apples. At Mission Hills Winery, four artisan producers provide all the greens, and tomatoes come from Stony Paradise, which basks in a Mediterranean microclimate that ripens over 30 varieties from late July until midOctober.

Chef Allemeier can draw on wild boar, venison, veal, pheasant, wild turkey and duck, all raised in the Valley. A couple of cheese producers – Poplar Grove with its zippy Tiger Blue, and Carmelis with a wide range of goat cheeses – make offerings of surprising quality. Michael Allmeier is determined to support the local community. “I keep the distance between stove and table as short as possible”, he says. “I go for small, independent producers who do all the work themselves. My lamb farmer has only 200 sheep, I won’t play the volume game”.

I had hardly heard of the Okanagan, but I’m convinced that the next few years will change all that. For one thing, the dry climate is ideal for bio-dynamic growing with a minimum of spraying. “Seventy percent of a good wine is in the grapes, and the same goes for food” says Chef Allmeier. For another, the Okanagan Valley is a strikingly beautiful glacial valley that until now has been neglected. Michael Allemeier speaks for many who live in the Okanagan when he says: “I don’t just work here, I have a lifestyle. I’m able to put first things first”. Many might envy him.

Shiitake Mushroom, Balsamic and Pancetta Soup

Chef Michael Allmeier likes to serve this soup with a Family Estate Reserve from the year 2002, one of the premium wines from Mission Hill Winery.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, diced
6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and sliced
3 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or to taste
salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and pancetta and cook until the onion is tender and the pancetta is crisp, stirring often, 5-7 minutes. Add shiitake and button mushrooms and rosemary. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mushrooms are wilted, 3-5 minutes more.
2. Stir in stock, cream and vinegar and bring just to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until soup is mellow and well flavored, 25-30 minutes.
3. Purée the soup using an immersion blender, food mill or blender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serves 6.

© 2004, Anne Willan. Distributed by Tribune Media Services International.

Anne Willan is the founder of the famous French cooking school, LaVarenne, and has also served as president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She is the author of over a dozen internationally published cookbooks, including her latest book, A Cook’s Book of Quick Fixes & Kitchen Tips ( John Wiley & Sons, September 2005).