Quebec Seafood Promotion Campaign

Launching Quebec Fisheries Products

The Quebec Association of the Fishing Industry (AQIP) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) and Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Exports (MEIE) launches its campaign to promote fishery products in Quebec under the theme "cast off". This year AQIP engages several famous chefs to create special recipes which brings forth the Quebec seafood's extraordinary freshness and flavour.  

Below are key players in the Quebec fishery products promotion campaign.

Two key events mark the launch: one in Quebec city on May 19, 2015,

and the other in Montreal on May 26, 2015. This  campaign brings together players in the fishing industry and the culinary chefs, in order to highlight lobster, crab, Northern shrimp and surf clam through custom-made and original recipes.

The following Chefs: Phillipe Hêtu from L'Epicier, Mathieu Perreault from Sous-bois restaurant, Alexandre Vincent from L'entrepot restaurant, Santino Testani from AML Cavalier Maxim,  Remi Michaud from AML Louis Jolliet accepted the challenge to prepare original recipes from the Quebec seafood products during the Montreal Launch event.

The promotion of Quebec seafood will also take place in the Metro and IGA grocery stores with the generic identification of products from Quebec. Radio broadcast in Quebec City and Montreal is will also promote this campaign.

With the arrival of May, marine products available in abundance. Retailers increasingly offer consumers Quebec marine products. "The opportunity is perfect to launch our campaign, which aims to bring together all the players in our industry, including fishermen and processors. We are very proud to add this year's top chefs from Quebec who represent for us a special relationship with the fans. What more eloquent indeed that the succulent taste of these recipes that highlight the exceptional quality of our marine products," said Paul Gagné, CEO of AQIP.

"The reputation of excellence of marine products from Quebec, though linked to the richness and quality of the water of the St. Lawrence river as well as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is also the result of efforts of all those who work hard to ensure the sustainability of the resources and who provide consumers with more than 50% of eco-certified products, which represents an excellent performance in North America, "said the deputy of the Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mr. Germain Chevarie.

The AML cruiser ships (Louis Jolliet and the Cavalier Maxim) closely collaborate with this project. They promote Quebec fishery or marine products and use them in their dining menus.

AQIP (aqip.com), AML Cruises (croisieresaml.com), and MAPAQ (mapaq.gouv.qc.ca).

German Wines - Riesling

New Generation Riesling Wines

May 5, 2015

Today, Germany has presented its new generation of Riesling wines.

The event was held in the Rio Tinto building's art gallery, located right next to the Place des Festivals, at the very centre of Montreal in the Quartier des spectacles. The place was an excellent choice for the venue, as the paintings on the wals complemented and enhanced the wine presentation and the overall wine tasting experience.

Wines from 22 German vineyards were presented, ranging from dry to very sweet. All were New Generation wines, featuring a reinvented taste and grape composition, yet made by traditional wine producing establishments. Even some bottles were redecorated, with blue colour being the flavour of the day.

The wines were delightful, light, and refreshing. The attendance was plentiful. People waited patiently for their turn to experience the New Generation German wines.

There was also plenty of food which helped to balance the wine tasting experience.

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Wines of Germany website.

New Wines of Greece

New Wines of Greece

May 7, 2015

A professional tasting and presentation of New Wines of Greece took place today in Montreal, at the Science Centre in Old Port. The event was well attended and appreciated by all.

22 new white, rose and red wines were promoted at an exclusive professional tasting presentation, accompanied by a video and a detailed explanation of the regions where the wines were grown and produced, as well as some specifics of various vineyards.

   
This tasting event was followed by the visit to the New Greek Wines exhibition hall with over 50 Greek vineyards on display. 

The representatives were very friendly, eager to help and to answer all the questions.

And there were many questions along with the visitors' desire to taste as many wines as possible.

This event was a great success!

Fine out more about the New Wines of Greece by visiting their official website.

New Zealand Wines

New Zealand Wines

May 5, 2015

A professional wine tasting took place today at the Montreal's Marché Bonsecure. It was a special treat to discover the New Zealand wines, which are not well known in North America. In a sense, they appeal as being somewhat exotic. We all know the Australian wines, but New Zealand ones - that's a different story.  Why do they appear exotic, the posters at the tasting hall tell it all.

The following New Zealand wineries participated at the event: Blind River Estate, Cloudy Bay, Craggy Range, Elephant Hill, Hunter's Wines, Kim Crawford Wine, Monkey Bay & Nobilo Estate, Matua Wines, Mud House Wines, Oyster Bay New Zealand, Pernod Ricard Winemakers, Rockburn Wines, Saint Claire Family Estate, Schubert Wines, Sileni Estates, te Pa Family Vineyards, Toi Toi Wines, Villa Maria Estate, Waimea Estates, Whiteheaven Wine Company.

The participating new Zealand wineries presented themselves as being wholesome yet of the old world high standards of taste and quality. Although the way one perceives the wine taste is quite individualistic, I have to admit that wholesome always taste quite good to me, and even much better than good...

And of cause, there also was food at this New Zealand wine tasting event.

For those who would like to know more about the New Zealand wines, here is the official New Zealand wine website.

Click on any image to enlarge it.

The Institute of Fine Italian Wines

l’Istituto del vino Italiano di Qualità
Grandi Marchi

The Institute of Fine Italian Wines or l’Istituto del vino Italiano di Qualità - Grandi Marchi as it is called in Italian, has held a fine wine tasting for professionals in Montreal today. The event took place at the Marché Bonsecure.

14 Italian wine producers participated at this event: Masi, Tasca d'Almerita, Carpene Malvolti, Ambrogio e Giovanni Falonari Tenute, Jermann, Rivera, Alois Lageder, Antinori, Donnafugata, Argiolas, Lungarotti, Umani Ronchi, Michele Chiarlo, Mastroberardino.

An impressive number of the Montreal wine professionals were in attendance. They asked many questions and were eager to get acquainted with the wines presented by the producers.

Italian food and cheese tasting was also offered to the participants and was much appreciated by everybody. This event by the Institute of Fine Italian Wines was a great success, as Italian wine has many fans in Montreal, Quebec and Canada.

For more information, visit the website of the l’Istituto del vino Italiano di Qualità - Grandi Marchi.

MKT Restaurant Official Opening

Official Opening: MKT Restaurant

Chef Marino Tavares' New Project

Monday, April 20, 2015

The opening of a new MKT Restaurant in the heart of Montréal's downtown and business district, marks the return of market cuisine to the forefront. 

Drawing on 25 years of experience, master chef Marino Tavares, native of Azores, Portugal, intends to offer the best of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine within an urban setting where tradition intersects with modernism. For this project, Marino has teamed up with true restaurant business enthusiasts: Manager Parry Kyriakodis, who brings a decade of experience in the field, and Joao Pereira from Restaurant Globe. Together, their mission is getting back to basics: the love of cooking and its traditions.

MKT is a tribute to the market and all its freshly supplied food, from vegetables to fish and seafood. MKT provides the opportunity to celebrate the market's best within the downtown core, a neighbourhood Marino loves and believes in. "This time, it's the table that does the talking," he says.

Marino is a leading authority in the Montréal restaurant industry, having been elected Chef of the Year at the Société des chefs cuisiniers in 2001 and star of the Chef's Gala in 2008. Above all, he loves working with family recipes, giving them a contemporary twist: slow cooking, fresh fish and marinades. The menu includes, for instance, Toscana risotto (duck leg confit, mushrooms), ostriche (oysters), and other fine meats and fine wines. MKT is an inviting and friendly restaurant.

The new MKT is an Italian and Mediterranean food restaurant. It is located at the 2044 Metcalfe Avenue, in downtown Montreal.