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March 21, 2014
March 17, 2014
Ravine Vineyard
We went to a restaurant in Toronto a couple weeks back and had a glass of Riesling with dinner. Riesling's are normally a safe wine to order when in doubt, but this one was different from the rest. We looked up the name and it came from Ravine Vineyard and we were happy to find out that it was located near the Niagara on the Lake region! Coincidentally, we had plans to go to Niagara Falls that week, so we decided to stop off at the winery to check it out.
We didn't know what to expect when we got there, as it seemed like a smaller winery. We took a tour of the winery to get some more information and background about the wine, the company and the history. The history of the houses went back 100+ years ago, with a long story to tell. The wine itself was amazing as well! Unfortunately, the houses had a history of fires, but they were able to salvage whatever they could and rebuild. All the woodwork you'll see in the below pictures were hand carved and original pieces.
It was nice to take the tour of the winery because we got the chance to find out what they do onsite. Their restaurant next door is even more impressive as they grow most of their ingredients themselves, from the tomatoes they use to make the pasta sauce, to the sprouts they use to garnish their dishes, to the cured meats they use from their animal farm. We didn't have plans to eat there, but after hearing what they do, we couldn't resist. Although we weren't even that hungry, we decided to order a few items off the appetizer section; the butternut squash soup, house cured charcuterie plate and their house cured prosciutto. Everything melted in our mouths and tasted so fresh!
I encourage you to stop by if you're in the area! The tour's $10 -- it's half an hour and includes three tastings of their wine. And if you have time, be sure to grab a bite to eat at their restaurants as well!
We didn't know what to expect when we got there, as it seemed like a smaller winery. We took a tour of the winery to get some more information and background about the wine, the company and the history. The history of the houses went back 100+ years ago, with a long story to tell. The wine itself was amazing as well! Unfortunately, the houses had a history of fires, but they were able to salvage whatever they could and rebuild. All the woodwork you'll see in the below pictures were hand carved and original pieces.
It was nice to take the tour of the winery because we got the chance to find out what they do onsite. Their restaurant next door is even more impressive as they grow most of their ingredients themselves, from the tomatoes they use to make the pasta sauce, to the sprouts they use to garnish their dishes, to the cured meats they use from their animal farm. We didn't have plans to eat there, but after hearing what they do, we couldn't resist. Although we weren't even that hungry, we decided to order a few items off the appetizer section; the butternut squash soup, house cured charcuterie plate and their house cured prosciutto. Everything melted in our mouths and tasted so fresh!
I encourage you to stop by if you're in the area! The tour's $10 -- it's half an hour and includes three tastings of their wine. And if you have time, be sure to grab a bite to eat at their restaurants as well!
March 11, 2014
Project: Explore Toronto
I live in Toronto. Whenever I travel to a different country, I'm always taking pictures of the culture, the city, the architecture and the people. I look back at those pictures and relish in the unique lifestyle or the little things that make the city so special and I think to myself...why can't I live in a city like this?
I live in a multi-cultural city, full of life, entertainment, history, food and much, much more. I'm sometimes stuck on the same route, taking the same subway or walking the same streets. But whenever I do venture off to a new area in the city, it's new and exciting, and I discover something that has probably been there all this time.
Over the next several months, I'll be making the effort to travel to a new area in Toronto that I've never been before (and maybe I have, I just haven't had the time to walk around and take it in) and see for myself what Toronto has to offer. I'll visit a new neighbourhood each time, and I'll be doing it with my camera along with my bike, and I'll be sharing it here on this blog.
I recently came across this website (http://www.
Please visit back, as I'll soon have my first neighbourhood crossed off the list!! Stay Tuned!
(I didn't do any research on the Internet to see if anybody else has done this before, mainly because if I did find someone, I'd feel as if I'm trying to replicate it)
...I probably do, I just don't know it!
Let me introduce you to Project: Explore Toronto
I live in a multi-cultural city, full of life, entertainment, history, food and much, much more. I'm sometimes stuck on the same route, taking the same subway or walking the same streets. But whenever I do venture off to a new area in the city, it's new and exciting, and I discover something that has probably been there all this time.
Over the next several months, I'll be making the effort to travel to a new area in Toronto that I've never been before (and maybe I have, I just haven't had the time to walk around and take it in) and see for myself what Toronto has to offer. I'll visit a new neighbourhood each time, and I'll be doing it with my camera along with my bike, and I'll be sharing it here on this blog.
I recently came across this website (http://www.
Please visit back, as I'll soon have my first neighbourhood crossed off the list!! Stay Tuned!
(I didn't do any research on the Internet to see if anybody else has done this before, mainly because if I did find someone, I'd feel as if I'm trying to replicate it)
January 29, 2014
September 29, 2013
September 6, 2013
June 26, 2013
TO Food Fest 2013
Last year, a new food event was born...
TO Food Fest was back for their second year of celebrating a selection of the best foods of Toronto. It was a hot and humid day, but that didn't stop people from coming out and waiting in line to eat their favourite foods. With new vendors, this year's event had a large variety of food, from sweet to savoury and from ice cold to piping hot!
Bring on TO Food Fest 2014!
TO Food Fest was back for their second year of celebrating a selection of the best foods of Toronto. It was a hot and humid day, but that didn't stop people from coming out and waiting in line to eat their favourite foods. With new vendors, this year's event had a large variety of food, from sweet to savoury and from ice cold to piping hot!
Bring on TO Food Fest 2014!
May 2, 2013
Jan & Mark
Just a quick sample of an engagement shoot at High Park, just in time before the craze of the Cherry Blossoms.
April 2, 2013
March 12, 2013
March 11, 2013
February 28, 2013
February 20, 2013
February 18, 2013
January 27, 2013
Guyana -- Day 9
We woke up this morning to the sunny skies and went downstairs to the restaurant in the hotel to have breakfast. After getting ready for the day, we took a taxi out to the Demerara Distillers Limited, Diamond Distillery. This is the where they make their famous El Dorado Rum, as well as other types of alcohol. Their rum is aged for different lengths of years, from 5yrs to 25yrs. The El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum has continuously won awards over the past decade, including "best rum in the world".
We had a 10am appointment for a rum tour of the distillery. Our guide took our group around to explain the whole fermenting process and described how the rum is made, including a 400 year old wooden still that's used as part of the process. After the tour, we were provided samples of several different rums -- at 11am. Usually a little early for us to sample rum, but since we were in Guyana and lucky to be on this tour, we couldn't give up this chance.
After the tour, we headed into town to grab some lunch and walk around Stabroek market for the last time before going home -- today was our last day in Guyana :(
Our cousin came by the hotel in the evening after work and we had dinner at the hotel and talked to him about the last couple of days. We were pretty spoiled during the week by having him or someone else touring us around and showing us the ropes. The past two days were on our own, and we turned out okay :)
Our flight back to Toronto was at 6am Saturday morning, so we left the hotel in the middle of the night at 3am. Our Aunt, Cousin, Granny, and their two neighbours came along for the ride to send us off. It was a sad, yet happy moment to say goodbye. Although we were only there for about a week, it felt like we had known each other our whole lives.
It was such an inspirational week being in a different country and being part of their culture and their lifestyle. After spending only a week there, going back to Toronto seemed overwhelming with everything that was going on. We went from 30 degrees to 0 degrees, from sun and trees surrounding us where ever we went to gloomy weather and a concrete jungle. Obviously it's two different countries, two different ways of living, but traveling there was educational and life changing. This was a first time for me being there, but it will definitely not be our last.
We had a 10am appointment for a rum tour of the distillery. Our guide took our group around to explain the whole fermenting process and described how the rum is made, including a 400 year old wooden still that's used as part of the process. After the tour, we were provided samples of several different rums -- at 11am. Usually a little early for us to sample rum, but since we were in Guyana and lucky to be on this tour, we couldn't give up this chance.
After the tour, we headed into town to grab some lunch and walk around Stabroek market for the last time before going home -- today was our last day in Guyana :(
Our cousin came by the hotel in the evening after work and we had dinner at the hotel and talked to him about the last couple of days. We were pretty spoiled during the week by having him or someone else touring us around and showing us the ropes. The past two days were on our own, and we turned out okay :)
Our flight back to Toronto was at 6am Saturday morning, so we left the hotel in the middle of the night at 3am. Our Aunt, Cousin, Granny, and their two neighbours came along for the ride to send us off. It was a sad, yet happy moment to say goodbye. Although we were only there for about a week, it felt like we had known each other our whole lives.
It was such an inspirational week being in a different country and being part of their culture and their lifestyle. After spending only a week there, going back to Toronto seemed overwhelming with everything that was going on. We went from 30 degrees to 0 degrees, from sun and trees surrounding us where ever we went to gloomy weather and a concrete jungle. Obviously it's two different countries, two different ways of living, but traveling there was educational and life changing. This was a first time for me being there, but it will definitely not be our last.
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