tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31013456534099108082026-06-02T14:56:08.663-04:00Ottawa-based wine blogger writing about travel, food, local events, tourism, humour and how wine pairs with life.2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.comBlogger462125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-51632546326882112742019-08-13T10:51:00.001-04:002019-08-13T10:51:42.233-04:00

Past hybrid selections from Smokie Ridge You all know how passionate and mother-hen protective I am about hybrid grapes. We live in a cold climate with some pretty harsh winters, so it only makes sense to plant and grow vines that can stand up to -30 windchill by hibernating underground like so many vinous groundhogs. Thus, I was thrilled to read the VQA has accepted Marquette as a legit

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-11657426251897726172019-01-21T20:52:00.000-05:002019-01-21T20:52:09.209-05:00

It's about ten thousand degrees below zero here in Ottawa. I keep waiting for the Night King and his army of White Walkers to come in "just to warm up." But here in my kitchen, it's warm and cozy. I'm sipping on what's left of a Stanners Vineyard 2016 Riesling (PEC), its sharp, green-apple tang and zesty feel making me think of spring. Eventually. We'll get there. (By the way, I only have one

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-26936716480209074622018-03-10T00:58:00.000-05:002018-10-27T01:11:31.096-04:00

I hesitate to call myself an artist. Like many other creative types out there, I spend my time measuring my skills against those far superior to my own. (At least, the people doing all this amazing stuff look like they have their shit together better than I do.) I see paintings in galleries, coffee shops and restaurants, I admire them and then feel a twinge of jealousy: their stuff is up

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-55755533719243925522017-12-06T11:30:00.000-05:002017-12-08T11:42:42.445-05:00

Going "off-vine" for a few months leaves me woefully clueless on what's new in the world of wine. So it's no surprise that I've only recently heard of (relative) newcomers Stone Crop Acres and Clos du Vully. Stone Crop Acres Winery and Vineyard is based in Morrisburg, Ontario. Owner and certified sommelier Norene Hyatt-Gervais planted her vines in 2007, laying in cold climate

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-51109475081911559022017-05-15T11:08:00.000-04:002017-06-11T11:56:40.741-04:00

A few notes on some of the selections my globe-trotting Hubby has brought back for me (us) to enjoy ... Weingut Familie Pitnauer 2015 Bienenfresser Zweigelt Reserve (Göttlesbrunn, Austria) - "Bienenfresser" is the German name for the European bee-eater, a small, colourful, swallow-like bird, as depicted on the label. Wild nose of cloves, raspberries and a hint of green pepper. Medium-bodied

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-58669941515666584642017-02-05T15:04:00.001-05:002017-06-11T11:13:23.157-04:00

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. Sometimes it hits you with a one-two sucker punch to the gut. Or a bullet to the head. I spent Christmas and New Years dealing with the one-two punch, curled up in my Burrito of Misery and trying my best to cope with both physical and mental pain. I lost track of what the rest of the world was doing as it carried on without me. When the dust settled and

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-87986794995275200102016-10-23T14:41:00.000-04:002016-10-23T14:41:52.029-04:00

Be kind, everyone. Every person you meet is a human being, no matter where they come from, no matter what they look like on the outside. I had an encounter today with a pregnant woman panhandling in the Glebe. Just moments earlier, she had allegedly been attacked by some stranger passing by. The man had screamed in her face, threatened her, and then kicked her belongings all over the sidewalk

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-79544518863178751922016-08-18T15:22:00.000-04:002017-07-16T14:14:03.684-04:00

It was the Gold Rush, in small-town Osoyoos, set within spitting distance of the United States border. Smugglers, under the cover of night, bolted through the undergrowth, desperate to evade customs agents. And that moon, that cursed moon, shone full and bright. Those who were caught swore it was all the moon's fault for foiling their well-laid plans. They became known as moon cursers. I'm

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-26225554350677266252016-08-17T16:28:00.000-04:002017-07-16T13:31:59.094-04:00

There is no shortage of beauty in the Okanagan. Breathtaking, heart-swelling, silent, awesome and indescribable views so magnificent that even pictures can't do it justice. But I'll try. Sunrise over the Okanagan, Pineacre on the Lake BnB, Peachland Rolling vineyards atop the Naramata Bench MacIntyre Bluff, scarred from retreating ice-age glaciers and the gateway to Oliver and

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-5411558986006626352016-08-16T12:35:00.000-04:002016-10-23T15:03:16.338-04:00

A group of black swifts is not called a flock, it's called a frenzy. Swifts lay a single egg in their clutch, nest in inhospitable cliff outcroppings exposed to the elements, and only eat specific kinds of bugs. No wonder the silly things are endangered. Such a quirky species seems a fitting mascot for West Kelowna's The Hatch winery. Where Mission Hill is the epitome of the

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-42563452208230024102016-08-15T23:38:00.000-04:002016-10-01T12:00:09.368-04:00

Photo of sign courtesy of Richard Kanazawaa Out on the Naramata Bench, in the elbow of a long curve in the road, a placard bearing a bright orange Japanese hanabishi ('diamond flower') stood propped up against two stakes, ready to be hung. This not-yet-completed signage on a rather unkempt rural plot gave the only hint that there might be wine somewhere in there. If we hadn't

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-80965300720189447002016-08-05T21:47:00.000-04:002016-08-25T21:53:15.551-04:00

Sometime shortly after my 39th birthday I decided I was going to make my 40th year something memorable. Enough of this whole "bucket list" BS, why wait for retirement or until you're on death's doormat? I want to do stuff NOW. So I started #ThisIs40. A collection of things I haven't yet seen, done, tried or tasted. A checklist of challenges stemming from the "I've always wanted to do that" file

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-37996161794955602442016-07-05T11:47:00.001-04:002016-07-09T19:07:25.471-04:00

Such hard work, having to try all these delicious Ontario rosés and then write about them, about what goes best with them ... *sigh*. Read my latest Savvy Company reviews of great rosé wines here and here ... enjoy! (PS ... While it may not have been featured in the Savvy reports, the pretty pink number in the picture at left is the elegant Marilys from Domaine Perrault, right here in the

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-604007140013207282016-04-30T13:45:00.000-04:002016-05-04T23:05:56.559-04:00

In the local Seneca language, "keuka" means "crooked." With its distinctive 'Y' shape, Keuka Lake is the only lake in the U.S.--and one of the few in the world--that flows both north and south. And it's the little-known birthplace of North American winemaking. These little factoids came courtesy of Mikey "Merlot" Linehan, our host aboard the WBC15 Mystery Bus #5 on the Keuka Lake

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-3263188413065684062016-03-24T18:35:00.001-04:002016-03-24T18:35:23.860-04:00

The blog might be on hiatus, but I did have a chance to chat with Michele Bosc about what's new at Chateau des Charmes recently. You can check out my article over on the Savvy Company website. Cheers!

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-11355734630111746492015-09-30T19:34:00.000-04:002015-10-05T20:06:24.800-04:00

Hey all! So while I can't seem to find the time to write on my own blog, somehow I've managed to put together a guest post for Uncork Ontario about my experience at Domaine Darius. This is yet another small-scale, passion-fueled, committed-to-quality winery in the County with its own story to tell. The wines are spectacular; call ahead to see what they have in stock, though - it sells out fast!

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-72295690367558424322015-08-18T23:46:00.000-04:002015-09-03T12:39:40.289-04:00

#WBC15 very good conversation re: terroir. Slid to hybrids. Group now polarized, muttering and dark looks. Dinner interesting (knives?). ⏳BK — The Vineyard Trail (@VineyardTrail) August 14, 2015 In the middle of a Q&A period on the soils and grape varieties of the Finger Lakes, a voice piped up out of the crowd: "Can you tell me about hybrids? Why are they such crappy grapes?" As one

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-83879286777826175822015-08-16T18:55:00.000-04:002015-09-03T00:09:02.059-04:00

In her opening address to WBC15 participants, Karen MacNeil passed on a bit of advice given to her when she was the wine and food editor of USA Today: "If you know your stuff, you should be able to explain it in 17 words." So here is my recap of the 2015 Wine Bloggers Conference in 17 words (more or less ...) 1. Glaciers: Big walls of ice that receded from northern New York some

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-45930239528003516292015-08-01T22:00:00.000-04:002015-08-13T10:40:47.777-04:00

Everything at Soif is corked. No, no, not the WINE. The wine and the food (OMG) are fantastic. I'm talking about the walls. The floors. Some of the tables, parts of the bar, pieces of artwork. All made of cork. A startling revelation as you walk in the door; this is, indeed, a one-of-a-kind place. Soif Bar à Vin is owned by Véronique Rivest, a local sommelier who rose to fame in 2006, when

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-31883931922877177952015-07-03T23:39:00.000-04:002015-08-18T12:58:28.900-04:00

Winemaking is about passion. It has to be. If you're in it for the money or the fame, then you're in the wrong business. Tim Kuepfer, of Broken Stone Winery, gets that. And when you taste his wine, that passion shines through. Broken Stone is situated on Closson Road--the unofficial "winery row", if you will, of Hillier. It opened to the public in 2013, after a long, hard road of

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-56444468808919931122015-06-28T22:22:00.000-04:002015-07-19T23:36:46.809-04:00

Not even a two-day deluge could keep me from a Canadian Wine Day weekend in the County. And let me tell you, it RAINED. And then it rained some more. And then more on top of that. You'd figure rain would mean a lack of tourists, right? On the contrary, rainy days send the crowds to the tasting rooms en masse. I mean, what else are you going to do when your beach plans at Sandbanks are waterlogged

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-17294901133371193962015-06-15T10:16:00.000-04:002015-07-03T17:20:28.162-04:00

It's Ontario Craft Beer week! Not that you really need an excuse to try out the wide range of hoppy beverages made by passionate local brewmeisters, but this is a good one. We've had a good year so far when it comes to beer. I signed Hubby up for the Savvy HipHops beer-of-the-month club last Christmas (aren't I a good wife?) Every month since the early weeks of snow-bound

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-5693970828978830762015-05-31T23:43:00.000-04:002015-06-06T08:32:43.951-04:00

A few times a year, Hubby gets sent off on business somewhere in the world (while yours truly pulls Single Mom Detail ™ at home). In between never-ending meetings, chats with bigwigs and the like, he ventures out to discover something new about where he is. This is his latest adventure ... On a recent trip to New York, I made my way over to the trendy SOHO/West Village neighbourhood to visit&

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-17152125187969786212015-05-28T23:52:00.000-04:002015-06-04T11:02:32.250-04:00

May was a long month. I ain't gonna lie. Just in case you were wondering where I've been ... Hubby was in New York for a marathon session at the UN. From the end of April until just last weekend. A month. Me and the kiddies. Single Mom Detail™ of epic proportions. It's not like it was a complete nightmare or anything, nor did it result in me losing my mind. But it was hard work. And single

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101345653409910808.post-14953188063348320502015-04-12T20:06:00.003-04:002015-05-12T13:06:59.412-04:00

The California Wine Show was in Ottawa on its annual tour this week. This time around, I carefully studied and plotted a route on my map, checked the map against the list in the catalogue, checked the list against the layout at the door. Because this time I had a plan and I was sticking to it. Whites. Everything but Chardonnay. (Ok, so I tried *one* Chardonnay, but it was so lively, zesty and

2ndFermenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08603822998797885302noreply@blogger.com0