Caraquet is Worth the Long Drive

When I travel outside of Atlantic Canada I'm proud to champion our region, and I always try to cure the rest of the world - and Canadians - of their ignorance of the Right Coast of Canada.

I often encounter people who think we are quaint, and our region is pretty, but when I tell them about our fantastic restaurants and tasty wines, they give me that perplexed look. They just don't take me seriously, but don't want to say anything and appear rude. What does this Coaster know about wine and food? He's a Coaster ferchrissakes.

Funny thing is, most of these folks have never been down east, or if they have, they've wasted their time at tourist traps hunting for Anne of Green Gables, rather than taking the time to research the really cool "foodie" places to visit.

My trip this Wednesday to the FestiVin de Caraquet inspired me to write this.

Most Canadians do not know that New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province. Most do not know that we are approximately 30% Francophone, or that we have many distinct, mainly-French towns and communities as you travel around the province. Shediac, Edmundston, Bouctouche, Tracadie-Sheila (that's pronounced Shyla) and Dieppe are but a few.

Caraquet is on my mind, though, as this week is the annual FestiVin de Caraquet, my favourite wine and food show in Atlantic Canada. It isn't the largest, but it feels like the most genuine, because the population there is virtually all French Acadian, and although it is known mainly as a fishing town, they really love good wine.

When I first moved to New Brunswick in 1999, FestiVin featured only French wines. This was very cool, as there were often new wines arriving at that show and visiting winemakers to meet. I got to know the people there, including one of the organizers Allain Lanteigne, a former New Brunswick liquor store (ANBL) manager, who was one of my first Sommelier graduates in the 2003 class in NB/PEI.

Opening soon on the waterfront in Caraquet, Déjà BU is a funky new restaurant and wine bar is owned by Sommelier Robert Noel, who worked for the ANBL for several years after a stint out west, including time at the big resort hotels. Noel is working towards his Master Sommelier certification, and is well respected for his wine and food knowledge.

The highlight every year at Festivin is the Prestige Tasting, and this year it featured Augusto Boffa of Pio Cesare presenting his wines, with Noel doing the food pairings.

To show you how much I love this town - I drove 4 and a half hours to attend the tasting, and then drove back the next day. When I told Boffa that, he seemed impressed. I think he understood how much I love this wine festival, and after the evening, I believe he understood why; the people in Caraquet truly love and understand wine and food.

The $125 Prestige Tasting included 10 excellent wines from Pio Cesare, including Gavi, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Grignolino, Barbera, Barbaresco and Barolo. This was a bit of a test for Déjà BU, since many of the local wine and food lovers were on hand, getting a taste of what is to come from the new restaurant.

Everyone left happy, impressed by both the fine wines and the bold cuisine. An example: 2005 Ornato Barolo and 2003 Il Bricco Barbaresco served with Elk Osso Bucco, Red Deer Ravioli and a carrot, pea and fiddlehead (now THAT'S New Brunswick!) flan.

Caraquet has developed into a really funky vacation spot and a nice place to live, with several good restaurants, easy water access, and a few nice shops. And of course they have Festivin, and "quinze aout," the annual Acadian celebration.

They have Hotel Paulin, a historic waterside inn with fine dining, a terrific sushi restaurant called Mitchan, a couple of trendy cafes, and plenty of traditional seafood dining spots. And, oh yeah, you can't forget the Dixie Lee!

For those of you who have never been to the North shore of New Brunswick, you really should put Caraquet - and Déjà BU - on your map for this summer.

Cheers!

Craig Pinhey is a writer and Sommelier, available for private tastings. Visit him at www.frogspad.ca and follow him on twitter (@frogspadca)