Go away Bill!

I always like to bragg about Nova Scotia's weather and generally favourable conditions, believe it or not. We don't have tornado's or tsunami's, earthquakes or volcanoes erupting around us. Sure, winter is LONG and there are a few weeks of humidity in the summer-but all in all considering the destruction caused by mudslides and flooding and raging forest-fires..we are doing allright! Having spent 2004 on the Gulf coast of Florida-being under the constant barrage of Hurricane after Hurricane, I can tell you that we really are lucky. In your preparation for what may happen should Bill swing by Nova Scotia this weekend, make sure you have food and water, and then the wine. It is true what they say..you should have at least as much wine as you have water! I have been loving a simple, practically health-food drink of Sangria this Summer. I do love all wine, particularly red-but on a hot day it's hard to have that 18 degree glass of wine when you're longing for something with ice clinking in the glass. I buy an organic cherry juice-available at Planet Organic market, or the health-food section of Superstore, and mix it with a dry red..something around 12% alcohol (I use a greek wine we carry) cut up lemons and limes, and voila..amazing Sangria. No sparkling, no sugary syrups, plain simple and delicious. SO if you're hunkered down (I got so sick of hearing the crazy news station guys on TV out in the wind and rain on CNN talk about being 'hunkered down') this weekend, be prepared-enjoy some Sangria as long as there's power and ice, and stay safe.

Cheers, Erin

Lakeside Lobsters & Saltram Chardonnay

Last Saturday was a hectic day, wine needed to be delivered to Lunenburg while we were in the Valley and a 1 year old birthday part was happening in Point Pleasant Park. Matt (of BC warehouse fame) and I hit the road with cases of wine and ended up on a cross-Nova-Scotia-experience. Luckily it was a nice day for a drive. We got a call from some friends urging us to rush home as soon as possible to head up to the lake (Black River), boil some lobster, bbq some corn and enjoy an evening with friends. Needless to say we stopped to the store on our way back and picked up some "lobster wine". Matt and I had been debating as my standby is the Domaine Micheal David Muscadet Serve et Maine but he reminded me about the Saltram Chardonnay. The Saltram is on buy two get one free at the store and three bottles seemed appropriate for three couples. The hostess, who is quite the foodie and an emerging wino herself, prepared lobster, bbq'd local corn, roasted potatoes, greek pasta salad even garlic bread. The Saltram went perfectly with the meal and matched up well with the richness and butter on the lobster.
We sat around the table and finished as many of the lobsters as we could before the sun went down. Then started a fire and enjoyed desert and specialty coffees, how she managed to make those delicious coffees in a shack in the woods still has me guessing. All in all it was a beautiful relaxing night as an end to a hectic day. Saltram Chardonnay is still on buy two get one so next time you want to throw a seafood dinner party stop by for this magnificent wine!