The Okanagan adventure starts now Or so we thought. Unfortunately, this long-awaited road trip started a little rough. Just as we were leaving, we noticed that our car had a flat. We quickly filled it and raced over to our mechanic, hoping he’d be able to perform a quick fix and get us back on…
What can I say about La Bottega Del Buon Caffe? It was a fabulous dining experience. This Florentine one-star Michelin restaurant is the sister establishment to Borgo Santo Pietro, which is close to Siena. And you better believe I am going there at some point. Hello?! they have truffle hunting and a cooking school and…
During our whirlwind trip to Italy, my sister-in-law Linda and I arrived at the Florence train station in the late afternoon. Across the street, after a few lefts and rights, we found our home for the next 5 days: the hotel Sina Villa Medici Autograph Collection, a refurbished 19th-century palazzo. The Sina Villa Medici Autograph…
My trip to Venice started with a rather hasty departure from YVR. Our original flight was delayed and after a reschedule my sister in law Linda and I needed to be at the airport fast. So we hustled our butts to leave 5 hours earlier than anticipated. Arriving in Venice, it was overcast but warm…
We hosted a wine and cheese party just before Christmas. All the guests were asked to bring their favourite wine and cheese. But what they ended up bringing me was a lesson in what my own signs of anxiety look like– and how I can begin to move past them. Before the party, I found…
What do you want to do when you turn 51? You could do worse than a lunch at Vila Joya, a small boutique resort that allows outsiders to dine in the restaurant as guests! That’s exactly what Russ and I did on my birthday this October 1st, since we were traveling in Portugal. Vila…
When food and wine is basically your religion (yes, I’m raising my hand), you want to keep learning about it. But isn’t it nice when your learning is accompanied by lots of fun, delight, fascination, and gratification? I asked myself which of my food & wine books provide (almost) as much pleasure…
I recently took the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 1 class. This course can be taken over 4 evenings or in one day, and it’s designed to develop your inner sommelier. You learn about tasting, pairing, grape varietals, grape growing, winemaking, serving, and cellaring. In other words, out of all the…
My family and I have a Thanksgiving tradition. Everybody around the table takes a turn answering a question: “What am I grateful for? And why?” The “why”—as always—is so important. When you address that part of the question, you put your whole self into the answer. For example, if someone starts with, “I’m…
If there’s one thing my friend Tania and I can agree on, it’s the necessity of occasionally immersing ourselves in the pleasures of the Okanagan wine country. That’s exactly what the two of us did to celebrate Tania’s 50th Birthday. Nature and wine: there’s no better combination. Plus, Okanagan wine tasting pairs really…
