The Ontario Wine Society Presents The Toronto Chapter's Annual Dinner At Bangkok Garden Date: Tuesday, May 8, 2007; Reception - 6:30pm, Dinner - 7:00pm Members: $85    Non-Members: $95.

The Venue

Bangkok Garden, closed for 1 & 1/2 years due to extensive renovations to the Elmwood Spa, is again open and now under the direction of our "knight in shining armour" and OWS friend from the Tasting Rooms, Christopher Boland, Senior Food and Beverage Manager.

Bangkok Garden Chef, William Thetsombandith, a native of Thailand and part of the original Bangkok Garden team, is leading the kitchen staff. Chef is a bronze medal winner from the 2000 B.C. Chefs' Association Culinary Salon competitions.

Christopher and William created the menu just for us for this evening, combining flavours from the Spa and Bangkok Garden menus to match as perfectly as possible with the flavours of Malivoire's wines.

Bangkok Garden is in the restored 1890s Elmwood Complex designed by Edward James Lennox, the architect of Toronto's Old City Hall. It was home to the first YWCA in Canada. Bangkok Garden was one of the first restaurants to bring traditional Thai cuisine and culture to Toronto over 24 years ago.

The Wines

Owner Martin Malivoire believes that the Beamsville Bench of the Niagara Peninsula offers many features similar to the great vineyards of Alsace and Burgundy. Here soil, drainage, airflow, aspect and other meso-climatic factors combine to produce uniqueness in his wines - "le goût de terroir".

Malivoire is frequently credited as having "raised the quality bar in Ontario" and is dedicated to sustainable viticulture. In the winery, which is built into a hillside, their gentle gravity process allows for precise oxygen management and minimizes stress to the structure of the wine. "… wines with more textural finesse than any in Niagara," says Toronto Life. "Brilliant winery, brilliant wines," says Billy's Best Bottles. "… one of the best producers in Ontario," says Wine Access.

Malivoire's winemaker, Shiraz Mottiar, took over the reigns from Ann Sperling prior to the 2005 harvest. Shiraz joined Malivoire as a cellar hand in 2000, quickly moving to Assistant Winemaker in 2001. Shiraz was born and raised in Ontario and has 10 years of higher education, including a BA from the University of Western Ontario and a Business Diploma from Wilfred Laurier University. A passion for wine led him to Brock University's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute making him a member of the first graduating class, receiving his BSc (Honours) in Oenology and Viticulture in 2000.

During dinner, Shiraz will provide more details about the winery, the wines and the food matching.

Locale: Bangkok Garden, 18 Elm Street, Toronto, 416 977 6748, two blocks north of Dundas Street, between Yonge & Bay. There are several nearby parking lots, as well as street parking along Elm. If coming by TTC, your nearest stop is Dundas on the Yonge-University line.

Please mail the form below with a cheque, payable to the Ontario Wine Society, by Wednesday, May 2, 2007, to Ken Burford, 43 Cuthbert Cres, Toronto, Ontario, M4S 2G9. Your cheque is your reservation. Unless you hear from an OWS representative, you are confirmed. Refunds will not be made for cancellations received on or after Wednesday, May 2, 2007. For information only or to confirm that we have received your cheque, call the Wine Line at 416.921.9798. Reservations will not be taken over the phone and payment cannot be made at the door.