Terroir: it’s a word that many people know, but few are able to clearly define. Loosely translated as “a sense of place,” terroir was originally coined to describe the effect that the location and characteristics of a vineyard had on the grapes, and in turn the wine produced from them. But the definition of the word is nebulous: Does it just refer to the geographical aspects of the vineyard, or does it also include the history behind the place? Does it really have as much effect on the finished product as people seem to think? And can the concept of terroir be applied to other things besides wine, such as beer, spirits, cheese, and other artisanal foods?

These questions and others were undoubtedly on the minds of many who attended Terroir: A Sense of Place, a one-day conference that took place last week at Hart House. The first event to be presented by Eau-De-Vie, a group dedicated to building links between the many contributors to Toronto’s diverse restaurant and hospitality industry, Terroir brought together an assortment of chefs, food writers, wine and food experts, and restaurateurs for a day of panel discussions, presentations, and of course, lots of great food.

The day started bright and early with a brief address from event chair Dick Snyder from CityBites magazine, followed immediately by a panel discussion moderated by Malcom Jolley of Gremolata on “The Culture of Service”. The panel consisted of an assortment of personalities from Toronto’s fine dining scene, including restaurant owners, sommeliers, consultants and critics, and as you might expect, there were differing opinions on what exactly constitutes good service. There were a few general points that seemed to be agreeable to the majority, though – most notably the idea that hospitality and knowing what your customer wants even before they know themselves are at the core of providing good service.

It was also brought up by several panellists that customers today are much more knowledgeable then they were 10 or 20 years ago, so servers must be educated, passionate, and able to share knowledge with the patrons without giving a lecture or being condescending. As noted by sommelier Gilberto Bojaca, “knowledge without caring is pure arrogance.” And as for the old adage that “the customer is always right,” most agreed that it would be more accurate to say that while the customer may sometimes be wrong, they should always be made to feel as if they are right. During the concluding remarks, Steven Campbell of Lifford Wine Agency opined that Toronto has tremendous restaurants and service, but that everyone should work together to take it to the next level.

Next on the agenda was a cooking demonstration by Chef Michael Blackie of Ottawa’s Brookstreet Hotel. Describing his work as “contemporary cuisine,” Blackie fuses elements of molecular gastronomy with more traditional approaches to cooking, producing some interesting and delicious-looking dishes. During his 45 minute demo, he managed to whip up four dishes including a Thai-rubbed bison tataki with a sheet of gelled “sauce”; deconstructed Dungeness crab ravioli with slow-cooked egg; caramelized scallop with purple eggplant; and a watermelon and prosciutto salad. Servings of this last selection were prepared in advance for everyone to sample, and it was much more interesting than your typical prosciutto e meloni. The watermelon had been infused with Triple Sec and vacuum compressed to the point where it was almost candy-like, and in addition to the thin slice of salty ham, it was accompanied by fresh feta and a sprinkling of dried black olives to create a very unique and delicious mid-morning snack.

With bellies full (or at least full enough to take us through to lunch), we sat down to the day’s second panel, “The Art of Taste”. Moderated by author and wine expert Dr. Linda Bramble, and including Taste TO’s own Howard Dubrovsky as a panellist, the group discussed their various approaches to creating dishes that are pleasing to themselves and others. Particular attention was given to the art of pairing food and wine, with vintner Norm Hardie noting that he generally chooses a wine and builds his menu from there. As a vegetarian, Howard was asked about the difficulties in developing the same depth of flavour in veggie and vegan dishes as you can in meat-based ones, and the ensuing discussion brought forth the conclusion that if a chef is committed to what he or she is preparing, they should be able to build complexity and taste in any dish, regardless of the ingredients they are using.

On that note, we moved to our decidedly non-vegetarian lunch. The menu was prepared by Executive Chef Jason Parsons of Peller Estates, a Niagara winery with an on-site restaurant that features as many locally sourced ingredients as possible, and nothing from outside of Canada. Our lunch featured a “Scallop Benedict” (diver scallop, duck prosciutto and cheddar scone with Jerusalem artichoke sauce), Ontario lamb chop and saddle with a truffled potato and goat cheese terrine, and rice pudding with crème fraîche ice cream drizzled with 12 year balsamic vinegar. Each course was paired with a wine from Peller’s “private reserve”: 2005 Riesling, 2004 Cabernet Franc, and 2004 Vidal Icewine respectively. It wasn’t a perfect meal – the scallop dish was nearly cold, and the combination of the crème fraîche and balsamic made the dessert a bit too acidic – but in general, it was quite tasty, and very well presented considering the size of the crowd being served. I was a bit worried about how the lamb would agree with me as I’d only fallen off the vegetarian wagon a week or so beforehand, but I found the chops in particular to wonderful, served perfectly rare and tasting delicious, even without the mint sauce that I used to drown them with in my youth.

Lunch was followed by a combination wine tasting and panel presentation discussing the 12 sub-appellations assigned within the Niagara Peninsula a year or so ago. Based on years of climate monitoring, soil analysis, and geographical and topographical study, these sub-appellations allow the concept of terroir to be more fully applied to Ontario’s wine industry. Along with the discussion, we tasted Cave Spring Winery 2003 CSV Riesling, Henry of Pelham 2004 Reserve Baco Noir, and Lailey Vineyard 2004 Oaked Cabernet Franc. Not being a wine buff, I was a bit lost by some of the descriptions and terms being thrown about during the tasting, but I still enjoyed them all.

A little more understandable to me was the next talk and tasting, which focussed on Canada’s burgeoning artisanal cheese industry. Kathy Guidi from the Cheese Education Guild spoke about various approaches that restaurants can take to improve their cheese service, and then Gurth Pretty, author of The Definitive Guide To Canadian Artisanal and Fine Cheeses, led us through a tasting of Grand Châteauguay, Le Migneron and Thunder Oak Farmstead Gouda.

By now, the combination of food and wine had dulled my senses somewhat, so thankfully the day was almost over. In the final hour, Paul DeCampo of Slow Food Toronto gave a short talk that touched on the issues discussed at the previous week’s Green Link conference, and this provided a suitable introduction to a keynote address from Chef Jamie Kennedy. Titled “Canadian Cuisine and the Sustainable Marketplace,” the talk drew from the more than 20 years that Kennedy has spent developing relationships between Toronto’s restaurants and Ontario’s growers. In his mind, terroir means a sense of harmony between producers, chefs and customers, and while this this harmony has been heavily damaged by large scale industrial farming, leading to a “land covered in Kraft Singles from sea to shining sea”, he is heartened by the increasing interest in slow food, farmer’s markets, organics, and other facets of the local and sustainable food chain.

This provided a perfect closure to a day filled with great food and drink and inspiring ideas. Kudos are due to the five women behind Eau-De-Vie for launching their collective with a nearly flawless event, and here’s hoping that their future presentations will strike similar positive notes. Both my brain and my belly look forward to what they have in store.