Local is the New Black

Last season, on November 9, 2009,Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (OCTA) made like harvest and gathered together some of Ontario’s most vital farmers, distributors and producers for a feast of the foodie minds – the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance Summit.

The event began with a discussion between three titans of culinary tourism, Jason Parsons, Head Chef, Peller Estates Winery Restaurant, Arlene Stein, Director of Events at Hart House and Mike Whittamore, Producer, Whittamore Farms.  The lively debate, moderated by Kevin Brauch, host of The Food Network’s “The Thirsty Traveller,” moved down a food chain of topics relevant to culinary arts activists.

One major topic served up was the importance of relationship building between local farmers and chefs – a key connection to improving the quality of food served in Toronto.

Local growers should feel confident in their expertise and extend offers to educate chefs on the quality of their crops.

“Chefs are like rock stars now,” said Brauch, noting the rising status of those behind some of the city’s most revered restaurants.

But despite an intimidating status, “It’s important for farmers to face the fear and knock on the kitchen door of restaurants and get chefs to taste their produce,” said chef Parsons.

Basically when it comes to initiating culinary tourism, the real ‘rock star’ should always be the food. And according to one of best in Ontario growing it, Mike Whittamore, it is.

“Ontario has some of the best soils in the world,” said Whittamore, “and that means our province also grows some of the best crops.”

According to research by Local Food Plus (LFP) a non-profit organization working to build a market for local sustainable food, 79 per cent of Central Ontarians recognize this and prefer to buy locally grown food.

“The driving force behind this preference is both the anxiety of bioterrorism and the desire to buy good food with a good story attached – people like to support hometown heroes of the culinary world,” said Rebecca LeHeup, Executive Director of OCTA .

Next to the stage was the Ontario Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky, who rallied the crowd towards measures for agricultural success.  “When agriculturalists innovate, that’s when culinary tourism get an edge,” said Dombrowsky.

The Minister stressed the importance of the culinary arts community not resting on their laurels. She also stated that a profitable future for Ontario farmers requires producers to stay ahead of culinary trends. By tailoring crops to chef requests, using the most advanced and environmentally safe farming methods, and expanding their customer reach, farmers can start putting more forks in their produce.

OCTA started that trend at lunchtime, by inviting all guests to a meet and greet lunch hosted by Green Belt Canada.  Attendees were treated to lunch supplied by local chefs and farmers, as well as a room full of Ontario food samples. Hungry for both snacks and opportunity, fresh produce and business cards were handed around like hors d’oeuvres.  The meet and greet was a excellent way for local-minded guests to network and exchange tasty treats and tips.

For the afternoon portion, the crowd was led back into the conference to learn about “Mapping a Culinary Destination,” three representatives from emerging culinary destinations were given the floor to discuss their plans, successes and challenges for putting their regions on the foodie map. Rebecca LeHeup moderated the discussion between Danielle Broadhagen of Savour Stratford, Kerri King of Durham Tourism, and  Jaimi Ruoho-Long of  Peterborough and Kawartha Tourism.

After a lively chat regarding issues surrounding the local food movement, the representatives counted down a top ten list of solutions:

1. Create local food ‘clusters’ in your region
2. Work closely with growers associations’ agricultural action committees
3. Support and fund local initiative that links farmers to consumers
4. Educate consumers and food service providers about how to use and source local products
5. Advocate for a Local Food and Farming Act
6. Advocate for a Local Food Procurement Policy
7. Encourage regional farming strategies
8. Compile regional food action plans
9. Establish agricultural enterprise zones
10. Initiate multi-sector food and farming councils

The last talk of the day was given by communications expert Barry Martin of Hypnotic. Martin laid out a recipe for success through social media. He discussed how a local farmer and/or producer can cook up business by becoming a dynamic presence on online culinary communities. Martin suggested the regular use of Twitter, writing a personal blog and expanding contacts online as vital ways to help local foodies stay connected.

Finally, the OCTA Summit closed out with a Taste of Ontario Reception and a pairing of the day’s stew of helpful information with some award-winning VQA wines.

The main dish of the day was certainly the theme of “farm to table” cuisine.  But like any great meal, there must be several courses served up in order. The first step for Ontario farmers and producers to promote the “farm to table” movement is taking their local goods out on the town. Promoting local edibles to busy shops and restaurants, respected chefs, and popular urban spaces is a sure-fire way to make local cuisine the hottest plate around.

After all, it only takes an amuse bouche of local produce, before the rest of the world becomes hungry for Ontario’s culinary arts.

You don’t need to hug trees to see how “eating local” boosts Toronto’s green trend and economy. But does “drinking local” hold greater implications for the city? Possibly, and it starts in the restaurants.

Few of the city’s wine lists feature Ontario varietals. Instead, foreign wine is often found in the glasses next to fine local dishes. The freshest ingredients from Ontario’s family of beautiful produce are served at Toronto’s most distinguished restaurants, with wine that has been shipped across a sea.

Most who dine out regularly, will be more hard pressed than a pinot grape to find more than two or three Ontario wines on a restaurant’s menu. Basically our city makes local wine sit at the kiddy table.

It is strange because nothing would compliment local food better than local wine. Both born from the same soil, Ontario wine and produce  are naturally compatible and should be served together. Your meal will just taste better.

Photo courtesy of Rick O’Brien

Perhaps restaurateurs are simply responding to the fact that most Torontonians see local wines as no more than a grocery store bargain. And the economy certainly isn’t helping the case.

The best Ontario wines are too expensive for the average drinker; typically priced at $30 or $40. LCBO pricing, tax regulations, and the high cost of grape crops for Ontario vintners all bump the numbers up.

Photo courtesy of Rick O’Brien

The result is that most Torontonians don’t have a clue how good provincial wines are. But local sommeliers and restaurateurs do. There needs to be more responsibility in the city’s restaurants to support Ontario wines and to inform the consumer just how worthy the varietals are.

Those in the know are aware that Ontario wines are beating top French and Italian varietals in international taste tests. Last May, at the Judgment of Montreal, a local wine – Le Clos Jordanne’s 2006 Claystone Terrace Chardonnay trumped the top French varietals in a blind taste-test.

Thirty-three years ago California wine was legitimized by a similar event – the 1976 Judgment of Paris.  Like the Le Clos Jordanne wine, California wines were snuck into the blind taste test and were rated best by the seasoned judges.  The only difference in this situation was that California always supported its local wines, while Toronto restaurants seem to mate outside the breed. When choosing wine lists, why is water thicker than blood?

And here we have the biggest conundrum of all: where is our local pride Toronto? We support The Blue Jays no matter how many times they lose, and local breweries are always on tap, so where is the love for local wines?

Perhaps the most interesting thing is that this is not the case for all of Canada. In B.C. there is huge consumer support – many restaurants out West feature only local wine.

Bottom line, it is time to think about not only what we can do for local wine, but what local wine can do for the city. Supporting local grapes could pack a powerful punch for the city’s economy and tourism; more than a big glass of pinot at lunchtime.

Photo courtesy of Rick O’Brien

The city may be a rainbow of cultures, but it could use something fresh to support together, especially during the recession, to get a pot of gold. By purchasing an Ontario wine you are returning $4.60 back to the economy, but with a foreign wine, the return is only about 80 cents.

Look around, nearby wineries are the economic heartbeat of many cities, like San Francisco and Napa, Toronto and Niagara have an opportunity for shared growth.

The idea is that when Toronto restaurants support the local wine industry the rest of the city will follow. The Ontario economy will also improve and best of all, Torontonians will enjoy a more common ground. Now that’s something we can all toast to.