City Bites Magazine

Fall’s most delicious event. Who’s coming? Tix at Parsons website. #Repost @nataliegoldenbergfife with @get_repost ... Kicking off a newly envisioned #Countylicious @countylicious program for @visitthecounty is Canoe in The County Toronto’s bastion of Canadiana, Canoe @canoerestaurant is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! To mark this occasion, Canoe will bring their unique contemporary cuisine to Prince Edward County where Parsons Brewing Company @parsonsbrewing will play host to Canoe’s John Horne @chefhorne, Anthony Walsh @chefanthonywalsh and Ron McKinlay @rwmckinlay. The Canoe culinary team will work in collaboration with the region’s top producers, composed of local chefs, winemakers, brewers, and distillers, for this exclusive event designed to celebrate what makes this destination one of the best in Canada. The afternoon will begin by a walkabout reception which will feature a selection of canapes created by Chefs: Alexandra Feswick @alexandra_feswick (The Drake Devonshire Jamie Kennedy @chefjamiekennedy (Jamie Kennedy Kitchens) Elliot Reynolds @elliot.reynolds (Bloomfield Public Market) Samantha Valdivia @samvaldivia (La Condessa / Koenji) Hidde Zomer @chefhidde (Flame + Smith) John Horne, Ron McKinlay & Anthony Walsh (Canoe) A sampling of @fifthtownartisancheese will also be included. Beverages will include fine vintages, beers, ciders & spirits by: @clossonchasevineyards @karloestateswinery @kinsipspirits @morandinwines @parsonsbrewing @rosehall_run @stockandrow @trailestatewine Following the reception, a three-course menu will be served. Chefs Horne, McKinlay & Walsh will be paired with a County chef to compose a collaborative dish. 1st: John Horne & Zach Littlejohn @littlejohnfarm 2nd: Anthony Walsh & Albert Ponzo @theroyalhotelpicton Dessert: Ron McKinlay & Enid Grace @enidgraceculinary Each of the three courses will be accompanied by a wine pairing curated by Canoe’s sommelier, Billy Woon. This event will be part of a calendar of (9) others to be held at different venues around The County. . . #torontolife #eatontario #ontariowineries #ontariorestaurant #harvest #foodiestoronto See more

I’m comin’ up so you better get this party started. . Can’t get Pink’s mega hit out of my head after hearing Tom Power interview songwriter/producer Linda Perry today on Q. Great interview. Amazing person. 4 Non Blondes! . This weekend’s party wines inspired by Pink and her fabulousness. ... . The Henry of Pelham Speck Chardonnay was on sale at Cobourg LCBO. Not that I wouldn’t have paid full price. Malivoire’s Vivant rosé is a fave: pure, focussed, pretty. Leaning Post’s The Fifty Chard is outstanding, and I’m loving the new vintage. And... Cuvée Catherine ... it’s just not a party without Ontario’s best sparkling rosé. . Also, we’ve got a birthday to celebrate. Not mine... . Have a great weekend, y’all! . . . #wineporn #ontariowines #ontariowinery #drinkpink #drinkchardonnay #sparklingwine #rosé #winesofinstagram #bottleshots #1001canadianwines #bestcanadianwines #drinkcanada #winecanada #birthdaywines #ontariorules #canadarules #pinkrules #musicisthebest @ Trent Hills, Ontario See more

Courtesy my pal @crazywineasian and procured from @archive909 wine bar. A crisp sip in the park. And for the geeks: 2016 vintage! . . . .... #winebar #wineporn #winetasting #torontowine #wineandfoodpairing #wineinthepark #winetime #torontolife #wsetdiploma #wineexpert #winewriter See more

Cute bird alert! Once again, it’s Dillon’s sanitizer to the rescue. This little juvenile barn swallow got stuck to a flypaper strip in the kitchen. (Note to self: throw out all fly strips.) Both wings pinned. After carefully removing him/her, and consulting the interweb (one hand typing) and calling my wildlife expert relatives for advice, I swabbed the sticky goo off his/her feet, wings, head, belly and tail with the Dillon’s. Then applied a bit of vegetable oil to cleanse a...nd temper the sticky, then wiped with warm water. Buddy was hopping by this point, all unstuck. A few flaps on the lawn, drying out the wings, and s/he booted it for the trees. That was all rather emotional... . . . . #birdsofinstagram #boozeofinstagram #handsanitizer #birdrescue #canadarules #barnswallow #natureisthebest #birdsarethebest #thisiswhyidrink @ Trent Hills, Ontario See more

#friends Two of my all-time favourites. Thank you @henryofpelham and @ittybitty.pinotproject and @thefarmwines Luvs! . . . .... . #winelover #wine #ontariowines #greatwines #pinotnoir #sparklingwinelovers #sparkling #winesofontario #winesofinstagram See more

Going deep on the wines of Chile with my pal Debbie Harry. Oh, and John Szabo, the master of masterclasses. I love so many Chilean wines, and I tell people that the value:quality ratio is unparalleled. Fascinating regional variations in Chile ... 4270 km from north to south! They’ve got all! [WINES PROVIDED] . . .... . #winetasting #winesofchile #coolclimatewines #sauvignonblanc #carmenere #cabernetsauvignon sauvignon #syrah #pinotnoir #greatwines #wsetdiploma #winesofinstagram #winetaster @ Toronto, Ontario See more

Opened up my copy of The Definitive Guide to Canadian Artisanal Cheese and found this article from Toronto Life, by one of my favourite food writers, from 2006... about one of my favourite shops and the folks who make it happen. . . . .... #toronto #torontolife #cheeseisthebest #cheeselife #torontoeats #thebest #torontorestaurants @ Stanley Park See more

Pierre Sparr Riesling Altenbourg 1993 Alsace Vin d’Exception Bought in December 2003 from the LCBO Classics Catalog, back in the day when you phoned or faxed in your order. This bottle was $36 which I could afford at the time, pre-kids. So, a 27-year old bottle of Riesling damn good. Still fresh and fruity, with an incredible savoury line all the way through from attack to finish. Like fresh white mushrooms, or the scent of fungus in a forest. Copper gold, with a few slow ...tears. Some mould under capsule, but cork solid. (Anyone know why there’s a E on the bottom?). Floral notes wafted immediately on cork pull. Very fragrant. Nice bright attack, racy citrus/lemon, integrated acid (the acidity much less than I expected). Dry. Medium body, incredibly long savoury-citrus finish, with more fresh mushrooms mingled with lemon/limoncello. Still feels young, nimble, fresh, with citrus/orange washes. Long savoury finish, pleasantly bitter. 95 points. [NOT SPONSORED] . . . . #winesofinstagram #winetasting #coolclimatewines #i4C20 #foodwines #wineisthebest #somewhereness #pierresparr #rieslingrocks @ Trent Hills, Ontario

This woodpile powered by Harp. Not sponsored, just . . . .... . #harpbeer #goodbeer #beerandwine #beerlove #beerofinstagram #axelove #outdoorbeer #carbonneutral #burnbabyburn #winteriscoming #woodstove #treeoflife @ Trent Hills, Ontario See more

People Got a Lotta Nerve. One of my favourite Neko Case songs. Hey, people! You know who you are. . .... . . . #livingontheedge #peoplewow #musicisthebest #lifeduringwartime See more

It’s always nice to chat with someone so knowledgeable, passionate and generous with his time. I’ve interviewed sommelier Bryant Mao twice and always learn a few things. His dedication to his craft and to his staff @hawksworthrest and @nightingalerest is second to none. Read on to find out why he is Canada’s Best Sommelier for 2020. [Link in bio.] . . . .... . #bestsommelier #vancouver #sommelier #sommelierlife #wines #rarewines #winelover #winetasting #vancouvereats #vancouverlife #restaurants

I test-drove Galleon Wines’ brand new website delivering premium and value-priced wines to homes in Ontario. Some great bottles to be had. Link in bio. . . . .... #winedelivery #ontariowine #winetasting #wineexpert #winelover #winesofinstagram #winetime #finewine #timeforwine #torontolife #torontolifemagazine #goodwines #winereview See more

Two really good Pinot Gris wines at the #LCBO this summer. Italy’s Mezzacorona winery has been sending us very good value-priced bottles of late. There’s a reason everybody likes Pinot Gris ---- Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio Trentino DOC is just $12.95 (on sale currently for two bucks off) it’s refreshing, light bodied, zippy, easy-drinking summer fun. Apple, stony/mineral, citrus. Good with light fare, fresh cheeses, salty snacks, veggie pizzas, grilled trout. Great value!... ---- Mezzacorona Cliffhanger Pinot Gris Trentino DOC is $15.95 and new to Vintages. Similar profile to the one above, with more roundness and concentration. Pear, peach, sweet spice. Nice with grilled scallops, raw oysters, beer-can chicken, tempura. . . . . #winesofinstagram #pinotgrislove #pinotgris #wineexpert #wineisthebest #onemorewine #drinknow #LCBOvintages #vintages #ontariowinelover #summerwine #winereview #bestwinesontario @ Toronto, Ontario

Got my order in! On sale today at thefarmwines.ca Some of the best wines you will ever taste. . .... . . #bestwines #101greatcanadianwines #ontariowine #winetasting #wineexpert #wsetdiploma @ Trent Hills, Ontario See more

The taste of summer: this beauty from Napa Valley paired with Ontario smoked trout from Bos. Rutherford Ranch 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, $30 at LCBO. Elegant green apple, citrus, subtle herbaceousness, Thai basil, white pepper. Delicate, more Loire-like than New World. Refined and classy. Bos citrus marinated rainbow trout fillet. Lovely, lightly smoked, nice balance. $16.95 at seafoodonline.ca and some shops. ... Watch for my article on matching smoked fish with sparkling wine in the Holiday issue of LCBO Food and Drink. I know, it’s a long way off... . . . . #summerfare #picnicfood #winetasting #wineandfish #ontario #napavalleywine #napavalley #trout #smokedfish #lcbo #lcbofoodanddrink #drinkmorewine #winelover #winetips #itsfromnapa #canadalovesnapa @ Toronto, Ontario See more

Next step: see if I can find any of these in Ontario. Any help appreciated! . #Repost @wineenthusiast with @get_repost From the U.S., France, South Africa and beyond, find our global guide to Black-owned wine labels to seek out in the bio link. To share additional assets to include in this list, please email [email protected]. #BLM... : @zafawines . . . . #winelover #winetasting #wineworld #goodwine #greatwine #timeforwine #bestwines #bestwinesoftheworld See more

If you can do better for $15 I wanna hear about it. . I’ve tasted (eff that, I drank ‘em!) many Rocca wines, all up the price line. But this one delivers max bang for buck. . Nice work! @roccadellemacie !... . . . . #winelove #winetasting #chianti #italy #goodwine #greatwine #winealone #sippingred #redwine #winetime #lcbo See more

The Prisoner: suberp wine in a macabre package, perfect for nefarious activities ... like grilling ribeye. Hailing from Napa, CA. Blend of Zinfandel, Cab Sauv, Petit Sirah, Syrah and Charbono. Juicy cherry, plum, fig, sweet spice, chocolate. Rich, but finessed. Absolutely delicious. Don’t let the label scare you... A great article on this wine by VICE: How a creepy red wine called The Prisoner became Napa Valley’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. $55 at LCBO. @prisonerwineco . . .... . #scarywine #greatwine #napavalley #steakwine #sip #winelover #winetasting #itsfromnapa #CanadaLovesNapa @ Northumberland County, Ontario See more

The rankings and awards are declared! Check out Canada’s 100 Best website for details. I’d like to congratulate Bryant Mao of Hawksworth in Vancouver, who I interviewed in order to profile him as our Sommelier of the Year. Congratulations to everyone on the list, for your hard work and perseverance. Can’t wait to eat and drink with you all again. . . . .... #bestrestaurants #canadasbestrestaurants #sommeliers #chefs #eatanddrinklocal #goodfood #goodwine #goodcocktails See more

Rainy day wine. Kabang! This is a real beauty. A crazy good blend: cab franc, cab sauv, syrah, petit verdot, malbec ... maybe one or two others. Delicious! Just don’t leave it on the wood stove after lighting... Stratus = Don’t forget: get your #VQA wine delivered direct from Ontario wineries. Link in bio. . . . .... . #30DaysofVQA #winecountry #vqaallday #VQAwinesofontario #ontariocraftwinee #winenow #smartwine #drinkbetter #winesofcanada #ontariowineroute #niagarawine #drinklocal #drinkathome #drinkingalone #distancedrinking #wineislife #musicisthebest #vqawithdinner @ Trent Hills, Ontario

I’ll be virtually tasting these beauties with Thomas Bachelder tonight. Watch for notes on each wine, coming anon. . . . .... #30DaysofVQA #winecountry #vqaallday #VQAwinesofontario #ontariocraftwinee #winenow #smartwine #drinkbetter #winesofcanada #ontariowineroute #niagarawine #drinklocal #drinkathome #drinkingalone #distancedrinking #gamay #chardonnay #pinotisbetter #wineislife #musicisthebest