Whether you are a wine lover, a cheese lover, a cheese lover who happens to be lactose-intolerant, vegan, or simply vegan-friendly, your taste buds will be delighted by 6 diverse cheeses from Wandering Deli paired with a selecton of local, vegan wines.

Very excited that our featured local winery is Harwood Estates, located in Prince Edward County, ON. We'll be tasting their 2017 North Beach Sparkling Rose, 2015 Gamay Noir and their 2016 Unoaked Chardonnay.

As you savour the pairings we'll have a conversation about why all wine is not vegan, and explore the basic approaches to food and wine pairings.

On the menu:

Cashew Coconut Brie- a classic soft cheese, cultured with house-made coconut yogurt and air dried. With a soft, buttery, texture and just enough salt, this is an incredibly versatile cheese.

Double Truffle- the same soft and creamy base as cashew coconut brie is dramatically transformed with the addition of Italian black truffle sauce and white truffle oil. The fats in the cashew and coconut take to the earthy notes of truffle in a way that brings depth without being heavy, inviting your senses to slow down and enjoy themselves.

Smokey Paprika Ash- Wandering deli's 'chosen cheese' isn't shy like it's brie-like sisters. This cheese brings the flavour, with strong smokey paprika and a dash of liquid smoke dominating a luscious cashew-coconut oil base. This cheese is coated in activated charcoal and airdried, interating the salt into a soft textured-rind. This cheese is often compared to folks memories of lox.

Cumin Lime Havarti-Fresh house-made almond milk and coconut oil are transformed into a meltable cheese perfect for snacking, melting, and sandwiches. This is a fresh tasting block with a much firmer texture and brighter acid notes from lime juice, with cumin seeds adding texture and a whole lot of flavour. This flavour combination would make a dynamite 'cheese' dosa or enchilada topping!

Cheddar Pecan- A soft cheeseball with a lot of flavour sources blended together- acidity and depth from chickpea miso, sundried tomatoes, and apple cider vinegar, a little sweet from raw cashews, and studded with pecans. This is a 'hit of the party' cheese for Wandering deli. It's just retro enough.

Chocolate Coated Brie- This is a triple coconut cheese- coconut milk, yogurt, and oil, blended with sweet cashews, cultured, and set with a hint of madagascar vanilla and nutmeg. If that wasn't good enough, it's dipped in dark chocolate and finished with more nutmeg.

Your hosts:

Priya Rao has been hosting vegan food & wine events since 2013. She has recently partnered with Master Sommelier, Jennifer Huether to write the world's first book on vegan food & wine pairings. She previously created and hosted the show THE DRINK for Bell Fibe TV1 and has appeared on Breakfast Television, Rogers Daytime and Talk 640AM. As a casual wine lover she writes snobbery-free articles about wine for Grapevine Magazine in Prince Edward County, and interviews vegan artists, athletes, chefs and more as she explores the fit, fun, fashionable, foodie, plant-based lifestyle for her website, whatpriyasaid.com

Kira Lancaster is the vegan cheese maker behind Wandering Deli- the Toronto company crafting artisan vegan cheeses and charcuterie platters with a passion for redefining what 'dairy-free' can be.Her 'secret vegan cheese club' has been featured in Toronto Life, The Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail, and more! Kira continues to host 'secret vegan cheese club', continuously craft new vegan deli items,cater yoga retreats and events, and 'Wander' her way into new food happenings. She is dedicated to sharing the craft and pleasure of plant foods as something people can come together in celebration of.