RESQROAST: Every sip supports charity

RESQROAST is quality artisan coffee sourced from the finest growing regions in the world, delivered to your door each month. Every handpicked bean is Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance Certified, Organic, or the product of a carefully selected coffee co-operative.

15% of the cost of this flavourful coffee goes to the charity of your choice

The coffee comes from farms and coffee projects employing sustainable farming practices and is roasted in 100% carbon neutral facilities. And 15% of coffee sold is donated to the charity of your choice.

Don Schroeder (Past CEO of Tim Hortons), Tim Gilks (Past Head of Commodity Purchasing for Tim Hortons & Country Style Donuts), Peter Pesce (President of Partner Roaster Reunion Island, and “Reputedly the best ‘cupper’ in Canada”) are the brains behind RESQROAST. In 2012 Reunion Island Coffee, was named “Roast Magazine Roaster of the Year Finalist”. I enjoyed the medium roast RQR Reserve, a blend of coffee from Nicaragua, Peru and Tanzania. The dark toast Luna Vista combines coffee from The Americas, East Africa and Indonesia creating a perfectly balanced cup.

Grape Destination: Tuscany and Umbria

Deciding on a grape destination in Italy is difficult. The varieties of reds and whites are endless and differ depending on the region. My wine teacher from the Independent Wine Education Guild recommended San Gimignano.  A fellow wine writer advised me to check out Maremma on the Tuscan Coast. A friend at work mentioned Piemonte. Another friend suggested Sicily.

I wondered whether to pursue indigenous varieties like Sagrantino or Sangiovese, or classic varieties found in France. Travel to established wine haunts or explore new locales?

Exploring newer, uncharted territory appeals to me. So I jumped at the chance to cover three wine consortia in different DOCGs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita).

• Consorzio Tutella Vini Montefalco
• Consorzio Chianti Colli Senesi
• Montecucco Consorzio Tutella

I’ll let you know how the journey goes.

Girl’s Guided Beer Tour 2013

On July 28, I took a Girls Guided Beer Tour as part of the Toronto Festival of Beer. Mirella Amato, a beer Cicerone, ran the 1.5 hour tour. She took us on a tasting of 5 imported beers to prove that there’s a beer style for everyone to enjoy.

We tasted:

• La Chouffe: an unfiltered Belgian India Pale Ale with a fruity aroma, spiced with coriander, brewed at the Achouffe Brewery.
• Rodenbach: a Flanders Red Ale with bold cherry notes, green apple and cranberry, brewed at Rodenbach Brewery in Belgium.
• Hobgoblin: a Brown Ale brewed at Wynchwood Brewery in the UK.
• Samual Adams Latitude 48 IPA: a bitter beer with mosaic hops. Brewed by The Boston Beer Company.
• Melville’s Ginger Beer: a spiced beer brewed by Innis & Gunn in the UK.

During the tour, Mirella told stories about female figures instrumental in the making of beer, from Egyptian goddesses to female saints to modern sensory evaluation specialists.  She also explained why women tend to shy away from beer.

Mirella dispelled the notion that spiced and fruit beer are for women only. “Defend your pint,” she said. “Drink what you enjoy!”

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Tenuta Dell ‘Ornellaia 2009

A product of the Bolgheri wine region on the Tuscan Coast, this Bordeaux blend consists of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. With a nose of red cherries and spices, this full-bodied red is easy to enjoy. The vineyards are located near the sea and sheltered by nearby hills. The classic varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot thrive in the alluvial, volcanic and marine soils.

Brunello di Montalcino Mastrojanni 2007

This big 100% Sangiovese wine is full of black fruit, dark cherries and smoke with firm tannins and a nice long finish.  It is fermented in cement casks and aged for 36 months.  This fine wine is produced by Roman lawyer, Gabriele Mastrojanni, who bought the San Pio and Loreto estates in Montalcino in 1975. The once uncultivated and sparsely populated hillsides now yield a fine Brunello, one of Italy’s most famous wines.

2008 Papale Primativo di Manduria

Papale Primitivo di Manduria 2008 is produced by Varvaglione Vigne & Vini in Puglia, Italy.  The wine was a favorite of Pope Benedetto XIII in the 18th century, hence the name  “Papale.” In March, the Vatican ordered 115 bottles from a wine shop in Culver City, California. Primitivo and Zinfandel are both clones of a Croatian grape called Crljenak. I sampled this wine last night at the Summerhill LCBO and was instantly transported to Puglia by the blackberry, black licorice and spice aromas.

Something Old – Something New – in Cuba

Something Old/Something New in Cuba

Time-honoured traditions  Our timing was impeccable. Arriving in Remedios to catch the annual celebration of the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre was a real coo. Each year, a replica of the statue of the Virgen or ‘patroness of Cuba’ is transported to through towns to rest in cherished churches, drawing crowds of local well-wishers and visitors.

Legend has it that around 1611, Rodrigo and Juan Hojos set out to find salt to preserve the meat that fed the families of El Cobre. Halfway across the Bay of Nipe, the men prayed for protection from furious ocean waves. As the waters miraculously calmed, the duo spotted a floating clay figure of the Virgin Mary holding a child in her right arm and a cross in her left. The figure was completely dry.

In the historic center of Remedios, declared a National Monument in 1980, we witnessed a parade of costumed kids performing for an audience of proud parents and visitors, couples salsa dancing in the streets, and a grand procession to bring the Virgen to rest in the Inglesia Mayor, the favourite of the two churches in Remedios. It was almost as though the event was orchestrated just for us.

New and natural In strong contrast to the colonial charm of Remedios, Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba’s newest destination in the Jardines del Rey archipelago, off the northern coast of Cuba offers luxury and quiet seclusion, and the chance to bury your feet in soft virgin sand.

Located in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve amid floating mangroves and gently sloping sand dunes, Cayo Santa Maria oozes relaxation. This protected paradise thirteen kilometers long and two kilometres wide has no permanent residents to speak of making it easier to maintain that ‘unlived in’ look.

The eight hotels on the island all back on to the powdery white sand beach and offer all-inclusive packages with meals, drinks, activities, entertainment and non-motorized watersports.

Two open-air malls, Puebla La Estrella, between the Barcelo Cayo Santa Maria Beach and Memories Paraiso Beach Resort, and Puebla Las Dunas, between the Melia Cayo Santa Maria and Melia Las Dunas, tempt tourists with fine dining restaurants, a disco, shopping, and bowling. A shuttle is available to take tourists to and from their hotels. Puebla La Estrella also houses a cigar shop, a jazz café and a spa offering couples massage.

On Cayo Santa Maria, outdoor enthusiasts can snorkel or dive to find an amazing variety of fish lurking in the coral formations, or go hiking on the islands of Majá, Fragoso, Cobos, Las Brujas, Ensenachos, Español de Adentro, Francés, and Las Picúas. Other active pursuits are windsurfing, swimming, sailing, deep-sea fishing, speed boat racing and water-skiing. And history buffs will enjoy exploring the ancient caves. A clothing optional beach is located at the west end of the Sol Cayo Santa Maria Hotel.

Just one kilometre from Cayo Ensenachos and 4.5 kilometres from Cayo Santa Maria, a new Dolphinarium has recently opened and kids can swim with the dolphins and see live shows.

In nearby Santa Clara, travelers can visit the memorial museum, built in tribute to Ché Guevara and his comrades killed in combat in Bolivia.

Make your trip to Cuba a multi-destination vacation and see all sides of this beautiful island nation.

More information on Cuba, Remedios and Cayo Santa Maria can be found at www.gocuba.ca and www.cayosantamaria.info

 

 

 

 

5 Big Island Vacation-Making Experiences

My dad lives on the Big Island of Hawaii near the tiny town of Pahoa in Puna District. After hearing about hippies hanging out in the streets, family-run restaurants, off-the-grid communities and the active lava flow, I felt compelled to visit. After all, how many Canadians can claim free accommodation in Hawaii in the middle of a lush rainforest?

When my husband and I descended on my dad’s white stucco bungalow 30 minutes from Hilo, we scoured the Island for one-of-a-kind experiences to keep our two teens occupied. Fortunately, we didn’t have to venture very far. Here’s a list of our top five Big Island finds.

Curious Critters It’s 6:30 p.m. and George and Fred are right on schedule. George chirps in a three-beat cadence as night falls. His partner in crime, Fred, begins belting out a two-beat rhythm. Then the whole crowd lets lose – gathong, gathong, gathong, a less interesting, but more regular beat.

Coqui frogs, stowaways aboard cargo ships from Puerto Rico, caused quite a stir when they reached the Big Island. “Almost everything that’s here was brought over,” said my step-brother Jim. “Rats came over with trade ships so they brought mongooses to eat the rats,” he said. But rats are nocturnal and mongooses are active during the day. My kids were mesmerized by the many mongooses running wild under towering Banyan trees.

Java Jolt On the way to Kona, we stopped at the Hilo Coffee Mill in Mountain View for a hit of caffeine. “Most people think only Kona grows coffee,” said Jeannette Baysa, co-owner. “We are bringing coffee back to the area,” she said. Hilo Coffee Mill helps small local coffee farmers produce and process their coffee crops and assists with marketing.

Juannette was our barista for the ‘cupping’ or coffee tasting offering us a medium roast from Ka’u with a mild smooth finish and some Kona coffee with a smooth acidic taste. Juannette referred to the pineapple cheesecake flavored coffee as her “Sunday morning in my pajamas coffee.” The kids enjoyed the chickens running wild in the yard.

The company’s roaster produces small batches, only 30 pounds at a time, and Baysa often consults with local chefs to create custom blends that match their menus.

Surfin’ Safari With only one day to spend in Kona, we were fortunate to find Surfer Bear – a seasoned instructor with a deep tan, bleach blonde shoulder length hair and tie dyed trunks. Surfer Bear took the girls out to Kahaluu Beach Park early in the morning when the waves were reasonably tame and the beaches less crowded.

The kids learned how to handle a board on land. Then it was into the water. Surfer Bear paddled out with the girls and selected suitable waves for them to ride, steadying their boards to create balance. After about a half an hour the kids were taking the waves on their own. It was a thrill to watch from the comfort of dry land.

Superior Snorkeling Located at the rear of a private vacation community, the Kapoho Tide Pools yield some of the best snorkeling on the Big Island. You won’t find concession stands or washrooms here. Just a parking lot where your car doubles as a change room. The pools, formed by black lava rock configured into catch basins of different sizes and depths, boast plenty of underwater nooks, crannies and caves to explore. Turtles, sea cucumbers, spaghetti worms, urchins and swirling schools of fish are all on display.

Lava Lake The Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the site of the 1959 eruption of the Kilauea Iki volcano. We packed a picnic lunch and hiked across the black rock surface to witness steam vents releasing hot air into the atmosphere. The once molten lava lake had hardened into an uneven floor where chiseled black slabs are piled on top of one another to form hills and valleys. New foliage is emerging to replace the forest that once blanketed the area.

At the end of the trip we figured we could easily come up with five or more quintessential Big Island activities for our next trip, such as a visit to Parker Ranch to learn about the paniolos or Hawaiian cowboys, an evening at the Mauna Kea Observatory, and a tour of Volcano Winery. But that’s another story.

For more information on Big Island adventures, go to www.gohawaii.com/big–island.

 

 

 

 

Wines of Chile sustainability code

New Sustainability Code

Wines of Chile has a new sustainability code for the wine sector. Read more about the code here.

Claudia Carbonnel, Agronomist and Manager of the Technological Consortia of the Wines of Chile had this to say about the code:

“We are trying to lead the sector towards sustainable development as one way of producing responsibly, and competing and differentiating our industry by incorporating environmental, economic and social measures which comply with rigorous international standards, to give us a competitive advantage.

We have privileged natural conditions that make Chile agriculturally unique with  eco-friendly conditions for grape growing, with natural barriers, such as Andes Mountains; Atacama Desert, Pacific Ocean and we are free of phylloxera and other pests. Therefore we can use zero or low quantities of agrichemicals. And the environmental, social and economic requirements have been adapted to our conditions.

The benefits include maintaining demanding markets, opening opportunities for new markets and improve the quality of Chilean wine. It also allows Chile to improve our image abroad.

A group of scientists with the collaboration of a team of wine makers and viticulturists, developed a series of protocols that describe in detail sustainable management practices allowing for an independent third party certification. Such protocols are based on the principles of traceability from vineyards to bottle, rules and requirements achieved by consensus among the industry but coming from sound scientific and technical information, and the ability of measure progress in order to stimulate a cycle of continuous improvement.

The protocols referred to as The Code, are composed of three chapters, each of them covering different areas of the wine production process. A green chapter covers all viticulture practices including cover crops use, pruning strategies, canopy management techniques, soil/nutrition/irrigation management, diseases and pests management. A red chapter covers all winery and office operations including wine composition, energy efficiency practices, water use and conservation and solid/liquid waste management strategies. Finally, an Orange chapter considers all society issues and includes emissions, relationships with other companies, improvement of people and relationship with neighbors and local community. The system considers a series standardized documents and records that participating companies need to complete and a registry of trained auditors to be chosen by each company to report on their certification status.”

 

 

 

 

5 days -12 vineyards – 200 tastings

Touching down in Santiago we were whisked away to the Atton El Bosque Hotel to freshen up and then off to Central Market and Donde Augusto for a five course fish-fest. Strolling guitar players serenaded us as we ate pebre (tomatoes, oil and vinegar on bread) abalone, scallops with garlic and chile peppers and mussels parmesan. We washed this all down with pisco sours.

A fish feast at Donde Augusto

The next morning we began a 12-vineyard tour. Each vineyard and winery has a character all its own. Some are family owned and operated and have existed for years, while others are new. Some have inns on the property. Two properties that we visited are right in Santiago and have been overtaken by the city.

Springtime in the vineyards of Chile

We met with Chilean wine makers and vineyard owners and talked  about sparkling wine, Chilean family history, new places to plant, old varietals, cold climate reds, bold blends, haunted cellars, feng shui, pre-columbian art, cold fermentation, endangered appellations and much more. It was an amazing learning experience.

Environmentally friendly farming practices

Blending our own wine.