Showing posts with label Wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wine. Show all posts

Monday, September 2, 2013

Dirty Dancing... Halifax Nights

Our Big Day Night Downtown HFX


We were psyched to be given the opportunity to participate in the Halifax Downtown Business Commission’s Big Day Downtown promotion. We were given a $150 Visa gift card and let loose to spend our monies in Haliwood’s downtown then blog about it. There was just one condition, we were given three words which had to describe our experience; our words were Thrilling, Playful and Satisfying. Our own conditions were that we had to do something different that none of us had ever done before or any of the other bloggers participating. With a lot of debating the idea to spend a night out rather than the day was born.


Thursday, January 31, 2013

Screaming Eagles

But not the Cape Breton kind......




I shouldn't have to say this, but just in case, we have bald eagles!  Real life screaming eagles located in Sheffield Mills in the Annapolis Valley. And I am not kidding about the screaming part they... were very loud.
Last weekend (Jan 26 & 27) and this weekend (Feb. 2 & 3) the 20th Annual Eagle Watch is being held, conviently located in Sheffied Mills (Wine Country!) the eagle watch is a great way to spend a winter day.

Way too early on a Saturday morning, we got up to go get a look, and were not disappointed. 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Christmas Haul - Wine Edition


Merry Christmas Blog Nova Scotia Readers, this holiday season we wanted to feature some of the amazing Nova Scotia Products we have available all year round and that would make great gifts.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

GOING LOCAL .... FOR V-DAY!

Noggin Farms & Gourmandise Ave, Halifax Seaport Market
Sure... it’s super easy to go local for Valentine’s Day if you take your lover out to eat at a local restaurant and buy them roses or whatevs from the local florist. Not that there is anything wrong with following typical Valentine’s traditions but it’s also kind of boring. We decided we'd just mention some Made in Nova Scotia ideas for the big V-Day to get you started so you could show your lover that you’re thoughtful, creative and...  locally minded to get that romance mojo flowing. 

If you’re single, don’t worry, I’ve got something for you and maybe a few of your fabulous single friends in a post this week!  And by this week, we mean probably tomorrow... 

Now, Valentine’s Day is just under a week away so let’s start with the best part of V-Day....

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Would You Like Some Wine With That Cheese?

The secret is out. We have wine. Delicious award winning wine. Surprised? Don't be. With our mild climate and nutrient rich soil, growing conditions are perfect for grapes. Which is why we've been making wine since 1611 and I dare say we've gotten pretty damn good at it. Practice makes perfect after all. 

With over 2 dozen wineries each offering their own distinct brand, things can seem overwhelming. Don't worry about wine snobs, we're friendly and like to share. Which is why every year, you can find various tours, tastings and festivals throughout the province.

Starting February 2 -12 The Ice Wine Festival (award winning icewine!) will be taking place in varies locations throughout the province. For full schedule see here. This year over 40 events will be held, varying from the traditional wine and cheese pairing to winery tours by snowshoe.   Kids? No problem, how does a toboggan rides down a 1000 foot hill with a horse-pulled sleigh to meet you at the bottom and bring to the top again, sound? On a budget? Take in one of the amazing prix-fix menu  being offered during the festival.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Ice Ice Baby ....

It’s Icewine Festival time again in Nova Scotia, happening from Feb 3rd-13th, 2011. It hasn’t been a long-standing festival in Nova Scotia (4 years), since icewine is relatively new to the province (compared to our beers) but is increasing in popularity. I’m not going to try to pull your leg and come off as if I’m some sort of expert on icewines because I’m not. In fact, I don’t really know that much about wines at all except that I like to drink them. Well, some more than others and others more than I should. 

The wine industry is growing here in Nova Scotia, and each year our wines win more and more gold medals at the, uhh, the... Wine Olympics. Okay, so I don’t really know where these gold medals are coming from, but they are advertised as gold medal winners on their bottles and they’re all listed on the Wines of Nova Scotia website. In fact, the industry has grown so much that we actually HAVE a wine association such as Wines of Nova Scotia  that has developed a set standard of quality wines must meet to be part of the association and, in my opinion, is working tirelessly at promoting wines in this province. I will say that the standards have greatly improved the quality of our wine. (I would tell you the tale of the first time I tasted a Nova Scotia wine but I’ll save that for a later post.)

Now back to the icewine! Icewine is labeled as a dessert wine, meaning it’s sweeter in taste than “regular” wines. It is made from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine, which allows the water to freeze inside the grape and sugar to be more concentrated -  hence the sweetness. The rest of the process I’m not too sure about but I do intend to find out this year at the Nova Scotia Icewine Festival. Here’s a brief clip on last years festival. 




Have you tried the icewines here in Nova Scotia? Which ones would you suggest are a must and which ones are a bust? Let us know by leaving a comment or send us an email.