EYW Blog

Wine tasting in Niagara-on-the-Lake

The rolling hills of Napa Valley, the elegant vineyards of France and Italy, the rows of vines in coastal New Zealand—that’s where great wine comes from, right? Well, yes, but you might be surprised to discover that Canada also belongs on that list.

Better known for grub like poutine and maple syrup and sports like hockey, Canada isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you consider world-class wineries to visit. However, it’s home to some exceptional vineyards that have been flying under the radar for years. The cool microclimate of Ontario and other regions of Canada, like the Okanagan Valley and Nova Scotia, are perfect for creating the...

All photos by Gigi Griffis

Saskatoon.

When I decided to road-trip across Canada, this small city in the prairie province of Saskatchewan was little more than a stop in between up-and-coming Winnipeg and gateway-to-the-parks Calgary. The prairies of Canada were a necessary evil, something I had to get across in order to get from charming French Canada to the jagged peaks of the national parks.

Little did I know, I’d come to love the prairies for their own sakes. For their vast open spaces. For their bright yellow fields of canola flowers—an industry that contributes $26.7 billion in Canada each year and that makes the prairie fields look like strange, beautiful art pieces. And,...

Le Comptoir. Photo by chef-owner Segue Lepage

In the course of our Montréal food research, prior to our last trip there, our Airbnb host was one of several locals we asked to weigh in on the dishes and drinks we proposed to cover. He gave a lot of great input, but it was the line about visiting one of “Montréal’s classic buvettes,” which he described as “something between a wine bar and a gastropub,” that caught my eye. What was this mysterious class of restaurant we don’t have in America?

Turns out, buvettes are pretty accurately described as wine bars meet gastropubs, and they definitely belong in any conversation about modern-day Montréal gastronomy, certainly because of the...

“You don’t get a true representation of terroir by buying fruit from Ontario and adding a French yeast. A great wine is grown, not made in the winery—that’s the only way to get a true taste of the landscape.” –Emmanuel Maniadakis, owner of Verger Biologique Maniadakis

Tell us about what you do.
I grow certified-organic, biodynamic  apples and pears; I make a certified-organic, biodynamic apple ice wine, a pear ice wine, and a still cider (apple wine) with no manipulation, using natural indigenous yeasts and natural filtration, no sulfates added. It’s the only natural wine in all of North America recognized by Nicolas Joly and his group of natural wine makers in France (le...

Our latest city spotlight turns north to Montréal, where French-Québécois comfort food meets cosmopolitan nose-to-tail dining, innovative microbreweries, and old-school Jewish classics.

The flower market outside Marché Atwater

Montréal, just 330 miles north of New York City, is an increasingly exciting place to be, whether it’s live music, cultural festivals, contemporary art, boutique shopping, or food and drink you’re after. We are predisposed to favor the latter, naturally, and Canada’s second-largest city, with its ethnic diversity and rich (if tumultuous) Franco- and Anglophone history, does not disappoint. Start by exploring the most regional of Québécois foods—the meat...

Every so often, a dish or drink is so beloved, so synonymous with a place that we just have to pay it a little extra mind.

Poutine. The mere thought of it gives you a guilty thrill, doesn’t it? The idea of going to a city where it’s perfectly acceptable—indeed, expected—to plop yourself down at 2am and brazenly order a giant plate of French fries smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy speaks loudly to our inner gluttons. It says, Go to Montreal. Now.

In New Jersey, where I grew up, it’s also a common thing to go to a late-night diner and gorge on such alcohol-soaker foods. Greasy eggs were always a favorite order, as were “disco fries,” or cheese fries with gravy. What I...

It isn’t every day you’re treated to a historic culinary spectacle while waiting for breakfast—and yet that’s what you get every time you walk into Montreal’s St.-Viateur BagelRead More