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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.

  • 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]

  • Twitter Tasting

    @ Pinot Gris

    @mikedicaro Michael Di Caro 09 Thirty Bench P. Gris: Pear, peach, floral notes & interesting use of oak but it still hasn’t managed to turn me on to PG #30dayslocal There it was. A simple tweet typed out and sent in seconds to no one in particular, just one among the hundreds of thousands that [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]

  • 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]

On Quench TV

From The Pages Of Tidings Magazine

  • Break The Bank

    First the bad news. Once the dust settles on the Beijing Olympics in 2008, wine prices for the world’s icon wines will rise significantly. Romanée-Conti, Pétrus, First-Growth Bordeaux and Château d’Yquem will be out of range for all but the mega-rich. This pressure on supply will affect prices for second-tier fine wines and have a [READ MORE]

  • Stuart McLean’s Favourite Dish

    While we speak, Stuart McLean is knocking back a banana, berry, kale, and flaxseed smoothie. I suggest that he must be on a health kick, and I am swiftly corrected. “This isn’t healthy,” he says. “It’s aiming for health. Besides,” he adds, “You can’t even taste the kale.” Since writing the award-winning Welcome Home: Travels [READ MORE]

  • The Best of VinItaly 2006

    It seems only fitting that the country producing both the greatest quantity and the greatest variety of wine in the world should also host the globe’s largest wine show. Over 4,000 wineries and 100,000 wine lovers gathered in the literary home of Romeo and Juliet for an event that is frequently billed as “another love [READ MORE]

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Top Drinks

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    Pour a shot of Tequila in glass, and fill with orange juice. Stir.

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    Put ice in glass Pour in vodka Add splash of Sour Mix Half fill with cola Half fill with 7-Up Roll drink to remove fizz Drink!

Get Hungry

  • 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]

  • Mangia Italia!

    A family legend has it that I invented Aglio Olio. This was back in the early 1960s when most kids were eating bologna sandwiches with processed cheese on white bread. I was raised in an Italian/Irish household — heavy on the Italian. My parents grew garlic and herbs among the tomato plants. There was always [READ MORE]

  • 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]

  • And Now For Something Completely Different

    I am so immature. This thought occurred to me as I watched the magnificent series The Tudors. Mind you, I really try to pursue scholarly subjects with a somewhat sophisticated attitude. But my brain resists, taking an unprovoked right turn at the crossroads of mature intellectual pursuits and Monty Python. The fact is I was [READ MORE]

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