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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.

  • 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]

  • bud burst

    Grape X

    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 [READ MORE]

  • finished-patio3

    Patio Make-Over

    So there we were, hubby and I, sadly staring out at our backyard ten years after promising we’d do something about the expanse of asphalt that posed as a patio. It was truly hideous – now more than ever. Years of cycling from frozen winters to sweltering summers have caused the asphalt to heave, crack [READ MORE]

  • Canadian Whisky

    A Liquid Career

    “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.” Davin de Kergommeaux from www.canadianwhisky.org/about Thanks in large part to the accessibility of the Internet, the world is now awash [READ MORE]

On Quench TV

From The Pages Of Tidings Magazine

  • Wine Scoring and Wine Pairing

    How do reviewers (like those at Tidings) determine the scores they give the wines they taste? Wine scores are a lot like Kim Kardashian: they both have great figures, but in the end you’ve got to wonder if that’s all there is to them. Truth be told (and I’m all about the truth), I give [READ MORE]

  • Valpolicella, Corks and Fruit

    What are the differences between a regular Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico and a Recioto della Valpolicella? Is it in the process, geography, grapes or a mixture of factors? Good old Valpolicella — a wine style so nice they named it thrice (actually six times if you include those that ID themselves as Amarone, Ripasso and Superiore). [READ MORE]

  • Going With The Tide

    In June 2008 I was invited to give the keynote address at the Atlantic Canada Wine Symposium in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. In my concluding remarks I suggested that the winemakers of the Annapolis and Gaspereau Valleys should have T-shirts made, emblazoned with the legend, “Embrace Acidity.” No other wine region of Canada has a more [READ MORE]

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Top Drinks

  • Mansion Mind Eraser

    Fill glass with ice cubes. Pour all the ingredients in order and fill with 7-Up. Drink with two straws like a shot.

  • Cricket

    In a shaker filled with ice, combine ingredients and shake well, strain into old fashioned glass

Get Hungry

  • Matchy-Matchy

    I’ve been a dedicated fashionista since my early teens, but lately the fashion industry has left me behind in its multi-coloured dust. I’m talking about the annoying trend to mismatch colours, patterns and fabrics. After years of coordinating my handbag with my shoes, I suddenly find myself frumpy and outdated. It seems “matchy-matchy” is a [READ MORE]

  • Something On The Side

    Sometimes I think I’ve lived my whole life as a side dish. I’m neither light enough to be the appetizer nor meaty enough to be the entrée — and I’m most definitely not sweet enough to be dessert. If I were in a sitcom, I’d be the wise-cracking, slightly wacky next door neighbour — Ethel [READ MORE]

  • Five Things To See Before You Dine

    The Before You Die books make me nervous. There are a number of them in the series, such as 1001 Movies To See Before You Die, 1001 Places To Go Before You Die and so forth. The whole notion makes me jittery because there’s the erroneous implication that I am, indeed, going to die. Moi? [READ MORE]

  • Grilled Chicken Souvlaki and Tzatziki

    Nancy’s experience in the kitchen translates into very tasty, quick and easy-to-prepare dishes that never fail to elicit rave reviews from diners and readers alike. An all-weather recipe, this chicken recipe can be made in the broiler now and on the grill come spring. The chicken cooks quickly but you do have to start marinating [READ MORE]

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