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Best CheckMate Winery wines review: This is what their 100 point Chardonnay and other 90+ point wines taste like. Is it worth your money?
If you’ve been following our wine tales, you’ll know we’re quite obsessed with oaked Chardonnays from Côte de Beaune and California. We once opined that a short growing cycle in Canada made it impossible to produce anything even remotely close to these styles. But hold your wine glasses because times have changed, my friends! Canada… [Read more]
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From Plonk To Premium: South America’s Great Red Wines
A stereotype of South America as a wine producer of cheap, chuggable wines that lack personality, a polite way to describe plonk, is unyielding. To make the point, think of the answer to this question – how many fine wine lists have you seen that prominently feature South American wines? The four red wines discussed… [Read more]
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Burrata “Tango” Bruschetta with a smoky twist
We keep it simple while simultaneously changing the classic definition of Bruschetta. Our reimagined traditional appetizer even gets a fancy new name – Burrata “Tango” Bruschetta. The creamy Burrata cheese and crispy Focaccia bread represent the smooth and structured aspects of the dance, while the smoky eggplant and Romesco sauce provide a bold and passionate… [Read more]
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Blue Mountain Winery: 2020 vintage wines review and food pairing ideas
Are you a wine enthusiast and have “seeking out affordable and quality wines” listed as your favourite sport? If you are located in the New World, you probably know that anything that makes it across the proverbial pond is way overpriced and hardly combines “affordable and quality” in one description. Common sense told us to… [Read more]
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Salmon and prawns with chorizo sautéed potatoes, sauce Romesco
This dish is inspired by classic Spanish tapas and the Mediterranean recipes of New Zealand’s chef Mark Dronjak. Sauce Romesco, chorizo sautéed potatoes, and sweet and smoky paprika make this preparation burst with the flavours of Spain. An ultimate vacation in your dish, all in the comfort of your home. Pair it with Pinot Noir… [Read more]
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Baharat Spiced Duck Breast with Roasted Red Beets Salad and Arugula
Cooking duck does not have to be difficult. In this step-by-step recipe, we share with you how to prepare a duck breast so that it has an incredibly crispy skin. Our pan-seared and oven-finished duck gets plenty of flavour from the Baharat rub. It is served with roasted red beets salad two ways and a… [Read more]
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Culmina Family Estate wines review: Merlot, Dilemma and Hypothesis
“Why can’t Canada produce a good Chardonnay?” This used to be our “go-to” icebreaker when sitting down for wine tasting at California wineries we frequented over the past decade. The question never failed to steer a passionate conversation among the winery guests and sommeliers. The consensus among our Californian friends has always been that Canada… [Read more]
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Ukrainian Kitchen Spotlight: Healthy and Simple Vegan Beets Salad
Ukrainian kitchen is known for its perogies and cabbage rolls. Enter the unsung heroes, the Ukrainian vegetable dishes. In this modern Ukrainian cuisine dish, roasted red beets meet their match in crunchy pickled cucumbers, garlic and toasted walnuts. Delicious on its own, this salad is a formidable side dish option to accompany various types of… [Read more]