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Sweet Retreat

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Re-imagine your yard as an outdoor oasis. Perfect for parties, or an intimate evening for two.A weekend trip to Buffalo, New York changed the way I view my humble backyard. Last summer I toured 30 private gardens, part of the National Garden Festival, the largest free garden walk in the United States. The festival, held annually from late June to late July, beautifies the revitalized urban centre. No two are alike. Hidden in the corner of one yard, pink and purple perennial borders framed a textured stone patio, with room for two oversized teak loungers. Flowing water features, found art, concrete sculptures, meandering pea gravel paths and a wooden pergola contributed to the whimsical feel. A second garden featured three outdoor areas: a romantic koi pond encircled by native grasses filled the front section of the yard, while a formal dining area and a covered, torch-lit tiki bar were ready-made for outdoor entertaining.
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A Liquid Career

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“It’s a sad fact that Canadian whisky doesn’t get its due. I am committed to changing that, using a ‘kill-rumours-with-facts’ approach, and believe me, there are plenty of myths and misunderstandings about Canadian whisky out there.”
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Grape X

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It’s not always the wine that excites me, it’s the journey it takes to get in my glass — from vine, to bud, to flower, to grape, to harvest, to crusher, to fermentation, to barrel, to bottle and finally to my mouth.We take the journey lightly, letting Mother Nature, viticulturists and winemakers do all the work before we show any interest in the life of a grape. After all, it’s not one grape we’re interested in; it’s a whole bunch of them.I have always wanted to patiently watch a single bud as it grows into a grape, through the various stages it takes before it’s gone in a gulp. I know, I know, how geeky is that, right? Well, it’s really geeky, and I admit it. And frankly, I didn’t have time to sit and watch a grape grow.
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Pomme

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Oh, the signs were there all along: The extravagant apple cider-themed dinners at his tony restaurant on the waterfront in Burlington, Ontario. The British heritage and the fact that he was raised on the myriad ciders offered in the pubs of London. And his name on Twitter, of course: @ciderseeker.It would appear that it was Chris Haworth’s destiny, but it was shocking nonetheless when he came home from a hard night of cooking and told his wife Amy and two young children that he was quitting his job as executive chef of Spencer’s at the Waterfront to chase his dream of making apple cider in a province that is just beginning to show interest in fermented apples.“She said, ‘What? Are you crazy?’” Haworth recalls with a chuckle. “But she’s a totally, 100 per cent supporter of the project.”
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Own It: A Sane Person's Guide To Insanity

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Rows of vines rule your yard, easing out family and friends. Your mini-fermenter sprang a leak and oozed booze on the new Nissan. Pickled beets and canned corn occupy your wine cellar. You want a piece of the wine business, but don't know how to branch out. Seasoned vineyard owners in BC, Ontario and Quebec offer six tips to get you started.Caution: Only those with copious amounts of extra cash, an insanely rich relative, or the itch to convert sugar into value-added vino need read further.
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Artisan

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He is a tall, strapping man, all of 27 years old, and looks more like the star quarterback than a man who tinkers with high-octane booze all day long. But that’s the path master distiller Geoff Dillon, with degrees in biochemistry and economics, has taken in the heart of Niagara wine country.Dillon is on the frontline of a taste revolution that is being fuelled by discarded grapes, locally grown wormwood, lavender, all kinds of mint and juniper as well as future crops of rye, grains, hops and the seasonal fruit of Niagara. It is borne of passion, fine craftsmanship and artisanal flare. And it is manifested in fine craft whiskies, gins, vodkas and myriad craft beers that have quickly become part of the Niagara mosaic.It is being driven by young, passionate entrepreneurs who see the potential among the vineyards, the booming wine industry, and the influx of gourmet food trucks and chefs who have moved into the region to add a little sizzle; a giant jolt of yumminess that you can enjoy once you’re done with that glass of fine Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Or maybe, just maybe, instead of wine.

  • chicken

    The Chicken Factor

    “It tastes just like chicken!” If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that line, I’d be a millionaire by now. Let me tell you, I’ve tried frog legs, eel, alligator, rabbit and kangaroo. And despite assurances to the contrary, none of it tasted even remotely like chicken. In fact, frog legs happen [READ MORE]

  • chartreuse

    Easy Chartreuse Cocktails

    One of the most appealing things about spring is watching those little chartreuse-coloured buds appear on the trees. And before you know it, they turn into full-grown leaves. Loved this line from Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. The bar owner, Warren (played by the director), serves a green liqueur to some customers. After they empty their [READ MORE]

  • OCP_oct12_view3copy

    Own It: A Sane Person’s Guide To Insanity

    Rows of vines rule your yard, easing out family and friends. Your mini-fermenter sprang a leak and oozed booze on the new Nissan. Pickled beets and canned corn occupy your wine cellar. You want a piece of the wine business, but don’t know how to branch out. Seasoned vineyard owners in BC, Ontario and Quebec [READ MORE]

  • lemon-flowers

    Citrus Squeeze

    Great news – there’s a new addition to our family! I wasn’t sure if we really should go for it. But, it was a blustery Saturday morning when I laid eyes on it, and the promise of heat and sunshine took over my thoughts. Our new addition is a dwarf lemon tree loaded with blooms [READ MORE]

On Quench TV

From The Pages Of Tidings Magazine

  • Eat/Drink/Live – Barolo

    Sometimes, a visit to a place leaves a lasting impression. Barolo is such a place. The people, food and architecture imprint so profoundly that one’s real home begins to feel distant and unfamiliar. Luckily, experiencing Barolo is easy no matter where home is. Whenever I feel memory tugging at me, I might descend the steps [READ MORE]

  • Well Oiled

    Settled by Scottish stonemasons in the 1800s, the picturesque village of Elora, about an hour-and-a-half drive northwest of Toronto, is famous for its spectacular gorge, artisanal boutiques, restaurants and one of the few five-story grist mills still standing in Ontario. For gourmands, there’s The Village Olive Grove, a relatively new addition to the main drag. [READ MORE]

  • Wine Sensory Garden Now Open at Reif Estate Winery

    Reif Estate Winery’s Wine Sensory Garden allows you to contemplate the colours, aromas and flavours that are characteristically used to describe wines. The project was initiated in the fall of 2006 when Reif Estate Winery approached The School of Horticulture at Niagara Parks to design a garden that would interpret the different grape varieties typically [READ MORE]

What is twitter saying

Top Drinks

  • Mekong

    Mix the first ten ingredients (malibu, peach, strawberry, banana, melon, blue, orange juice, pineapple juice, pina mix, 7-up) in a shaker. Pour into a hurricane glass, then top with cream. Garnish with whatever fresh fruit you have on hand, NO limes, please for your own good. Throw some Filberts in if you feel like it.

  • Canadian Cocktail

    Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

Get Hungry

  • Garden Minestrone

    A bowlful of vegetable soup is comfort food and a taste of summer’s bounty all at the same time. Minestrone is a personal art form. Use this recipe as a base and add whatever beans or vegetables you enjoy. Try cannellini or Great Northern beans, fennel, cabbage, green beans, rutabaga, celeriac, or butternut squash. For [READ MORE]

  • Lessons I Learned From Scarlett O’Hara

    When I am in Italy, my relatives have a word they use every time I reach for more food, which is usually about every 3 minutes. The word is domani. I have to admit the way my Italian relatives say domani scares me. They put the emphasis on the second syllable, which to my untrained [READ MORE]

  • What A Crock!

    As a happy newlywed (a role I have played unsuccessfully several times), I was extremely proud of my decked-out kitchen. Back in the old days, long before Chuck Williams of Sonoma migrated east, the homemaker in the know had a precious small appliance that was a time-saving miracle: The slow cooker. Time-saving? The very thought [READ MORE]

  • Barbecue!

    The saddest moment of summer’s end is when the grill is covered for the last time and pushed into a dark corner of the garage. If spring heralds the first smoky hint of barbecue, late fall is defined by the absence of that tantalizing aroma throughout the neighbourhood. In truth, the piquant smell of barbecue [READ MORE]


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