Not a breath of wind caresses the snow-blanketed vineyards. The tar-black sky is pin-pricked with stars, and a full moon sends shadows slithering out between the scarecrow vines. Stooped figures in Arctic gear coax their bare fingers to snap off bunches of frozen grapes. That’s what the annual icewine harvest looks like in Niagara at this time of the year. It results in a wine that combines the sweetness of lusciously ripe fruit with a silver edge of acidity that’s as crisp as the winter wind. Despite its modern association with Canada, icewine was actually discovered in Germany, by accident, […]
Wine & Cheddar
Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Canadian Wine Pairing Contest
You can read the 85 comments from our interactive tasting on Facebook. Savour your holidays with these terrific Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Canadian wine pairings. Congratulations to the winners of the Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Wine Pairing contest! It was a fierce race for 10 days … Lori Kilmartin Sommelier & Blogger Lynn van der Linde Certified Sommelier and Event Planner Donna Hargrove Wine Blogger & Tasting Group Leader Which Balderson Cheddar & Wine Pairing Gets Your Vote? This poll closed on December […]
Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Canadian Wine: A Natural Pairing
Leanne and I chat about pairing Balderson Cheddar Cheeses with Canadian wines on CTV News. You can discover more terrific wine pairings for Balderson. Posted with permission of CTV
Balderson Cheese and Olive Nuggets Recipe
A Tasty Look on any Serving Plate with Cheddar Flavour Baked Right In ¼ lb (125 g) shredded Balderson Royal Canadian 2 Year Old Cheddar Cheese ¼ cup (50 mL) softened salted Lactantia butter ¾ cup (175 mL) all-purpose flour 8 oz (250 g) pimento stuffed olives (1 jar) 1 tbsp (15 mL) celery or poppy seeds Prep Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 15 minutes Makes about 3 dozen Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Blend shredded Balderson Royal Canadian 2 Year Old Cheddar Cheese with butter, stir in flour and knead well to form dough. Drain jar of olives and […]
Tale of Two Niagara Wineries: Reif Winery Makes Big Impression
As a photographer, I capture many wonderful moments in life, with no two moments ever being quite the same. This weekend, I found out in my travels to the Niagara Region, the same can be said for its wonderful abundance of world-class wineries. This is my story about visiting two wineries in the Niagara region at opposite ends of the spectrum, one small and one large, to see just how different they really were with respect to service style, approachability, ambiance and overall experience. In Part One of Tale of Two Wineries, I wrote about my experience visiting Ravine, considered to most as […]
Balderson Cheddar Cheese Tart with Summer Vegetables Recipe Paired with Cabernet Franc
Summer Vegetable and Balderson Cheddar Cheese Tart Pair this delicious recipe with Featherstone Winery Cabernet Franc 2013 Ingredients: 1/3 cup [75 mL] Lactantia Butter melted, divided 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 cup [250 mL] chopped asparagus 3 plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped 2 cups [500 mL] chopped spinach 2 tbsp [30 mL] chopped basil 6 sheets thawed phyllo dough 2 tbsp [30 mL] honey mustard 2 cups [500 mL] grated Balderson Heritage Cheddar Cheese 1 cup [250 mL] Lactantia 10% Table Cream 4 eggs, beaten Preparation: In fry pan over medium heat cook green onions in 2 tbsp [30 […]
Pairing Wine with Balderson Cheese
The finest Ontario and British Columbia wines make the best marriages with various Balderson mild and aged cheddars. The cheese flatters the wine, and the wine mellows the cheese. The older the cheese, the more flavourful and intense the wine is needed to match it. The Cheddar Balderson Mild: a gentle, buttery cheese that would go well with a dry sparkling wine or a Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay or a dry rose. Avoid full-bodied reds with tannin or oak-aged Chardonnays whose flavour will overpower the cheese. The Wines Ontario: Chateau des Charmes Sauvignon Blanc British Columbia: Calona Private Reserve Semillon […]
Pumpkin, Chocolate and Cheddar Muffins Recipe Paired with Torres Moscatel
Take a Trick or Treat Break Things are getting pretty spooky around here and in just a few days the kiddies will be lining up for yummy treats! I love seeing them all dressed up in their Halloween garb and can’t wait to give them the assortment of candy I bought. I especially can’t wait to whip up and enjoy a little trick or treat of my own. This great recipe for Pumpkin, Chocolate and Cheddar Muffins is the perfect mix of salty and sweet, with a surprising combination of chocolate and Canadian cheese – my two favourite […]
Cheddar Orzo Salad Recipe Paired with Red Wine
Cheddar Orzo Salad The only thing scary this Halloween is not having tried this tasty Cheddar Orzo Salad. This salad comes packed with flavour from the bold characters of the Canadian Smoked Cheddar to the refreshing green Swiss chard. This salad is so delicious even the trick-or-treaters will want a taste! To get the best ingredients I shop local – right down to the cheese I use. Right now I’m obsessed with the intensity of Cows Creamery Appletree Smoked Cheddar and love how it tastes mixed with orzo, grapes, and chicken. To top it off I pair it with a […]
Summer Smoked Cheese Platter Recipe Paired with Shiraz, Merlot
Pool-Side Pickers Backyard pool parties are the best. But staying in the sun all day can leave you and your guests fatigued and most of all, hungry. If you find yourself hosting or invited to a backyard bash, serve something that’s always a satisfying crowd pleaser: a delicious Canadian cheese platter. Of course, when preparing the perfect platter there are questions that arise, like which cheeses should you serve and which wine pairings work best with them? That’s why I’ve compiled a list of my summer go-to’s that will satisfy the most discerning palettes. So here it is, my list […]
