Ask any Sommelier or winemaker in Nova Scotia what their favourite white wine is, and it’s a good bet they’ll say riesling. Some might say it’s their favourite wine, period. There’s something special about Germany’s most noble grape that elicits this response. Riesling has beautiful lime, lemon, apple and/or peach notes, plus pretty white flowers […]
Craig Pinhey
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Dark Matters
Guinness The most famous. A dry, bitter, opaque stout from Ireland that is also low in alcohol. Murphy’s is very similar. It’s a Cork-Dublin thing. Dry Irish stouts are old-school beers, full bodied and far from wimpy. Where: every Irish bar in town. Rogue’s Roost Imperial Stout Big, powerful, stick to your tongue, gums & […]
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Brewing from field to glass
In England, they refer to a pub that has an exclusivity agreement with a brewery as a tied house. Although many breweries would dream of deals like this, it’s illegal in Nova Scotia to tie a bar to a brand of taps. The Port, a gastropub—a pub that serves high-quality food—on the red banks of […]
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BYOW: a year later
When Nova Scotia changed its liquor laws to allow Bring Your Own Wine (BYOW) last year, I imagined people would come out in droves—a legion of oenophiles, bottle in hand, enjoying fine dining with a wine they chose themselves. Not so fast, buddy. The impact of BYOW regulations on dining habits is virtually nil. Consumers […]
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Cocktail questing
When the temperature drops and grey snowstorms drift into our port city, mixologists around town adjust their cocktail lists in small ways to take the chill out of their bars. Take Cooper Tardivel, manager of Mosaic Social Dining Lounge on Argyle, for instance: Since winning Best Bartender in The Coast’s Best of Food poll back […]
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Liquid art
Benjamin Bridge, a new sparkling wine specialist in the flourishing Gaspereau Valley, produced the sellout Nova 7 sparkler wine. They were also the Gold sponsor for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s annual benefit gala, Art Takes Flight, held November 2 at the Lord Nelson Hotel. While the fundraiser featured silent and live art auctions, […]
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What is the traditional method?
The Traditional Method Diehard fans of Champagne often justify paying the minimum $50 price tag by explaining that only Champagne has that taste. What they are referring to is the bready, yeasty, toasty aroma and flavour that comes from long aging on the lees—the dead yeast cells—which break down and release flavour notes, in a […]
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On the Bubble
Winemaker Bruce Ewert is well-known in Canadian wine circles for his still and sparkling wines. He received multiple awards at BC wineries and won double gold for his 2007 L’Acadie Star at this year’s All Canadian championships. But what interests me is his bubbly. L’Acadie Vineyards in the Gaspereau Valley is the first Nova Scotia […]
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No whining about wine
The long-awaited boom in the Nova Scotia wine industry is finally happening. Some would say it has already happened and it would be hard to argue based on the industry’s Fall Festival kick-off party last week. Myself and a bunch of more important wine people, including NSLC execs and Winery Association of Nova Scotia representatives, […]
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Tideview cider house rules
Old-style Valley hard cider made of ribstons, pippins, balwins and spys, poised to take Halifax by storm
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Garrison shake-up
Brewer Greg Nash leaves Garrison after differences with president Brian Titus
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Binge drinking, big fighting
Halifax drinkers get drunk and fight too much now. Not like the 1980s…