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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.

  • 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]

  • 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]

  • Summer Patio

    Sweet Retreat

    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, [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]

On Quench TV

From The Pages Of Tidings Magazine

  • Pinot Grigio and Peanuts? Pairing Food and Wine

    People go to parties for a good time — not because they are hungry or thirsty. As party patrons, we all know this. So why, then, does this knowledge seem to evaporate in the brains of so many hosts and hostesses? As soon as they start planning a do, off they go to shop. Some [READ MORE]

  • Where the (Water) Buffalo Roam

    If you’ve never been nose to nose with a water buffalo, you’ll have to take my word that these magnificent creatures, with their shaggy hair, long eyelashes and sweet round eyes, mean you no harm. “The only way they could hurt you is by loving you to death,” says Darrel Archer, who, along with his [READ MORE]

  • 21 Wines Under $21

    I taste a lot of sock squeezings disguised as wine that sell for way too much dosh but I don’t write them up. Nor do other critics. We tend to focus on what’s good instead. How badly do you really want to read about a $50 bottle of wine that tastes like under-ripe raspberries crushed [READ MORE]

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Top Drinks

Get Hungry

  • Summertime Munchies

    You don’t have to travel to Mexico to feel the heat. Sit poolside, on a patio or a balcony sipping Margaritas and noshing on this dip. It also makes a great spread for a pork or steak burrito. For a different taste, substitute pinto beans for black beans. Sour cream can take the place of [READ MORE]

  • The Best Slow Cooker Meatballs

    Yes, my maiden name is Lucarelli. But no, I am not the Nancy Lucarelli who originated this meatball recipe. Rather, the Nancy Lucarelli in question is my former pen pal. We discovered each other when my very first article was published in Catholic Miss Magazine when I was just 11 years old. We rediscovered each [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]

  • Goat Cheese Pizza

    Nancy Johnson started writing before she could read, dictating her stories to her mother. Nancy’s love for cooking grew slowly, mainly because it involved kitchen clean-up.  Eventually, she embraced her inner gourmet by attending George Brown College where she studied culinary arts, food media and wine.  When she is not in her kitchen, she works [READ MORE]


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