Lingering Memories, and Flavours, of Bordeaux

Bon Vivant is excited to introduce its newest blogger, Carrie Brunet. Check out her profile and read on for her very first post.

As the summer sun sets in, I find myself longing for the French countryside of the Bordeaux region where, cooled by the breeze of the Atlantic ocean and intersected by the Gironde river, the weather stays a lot cooler than in large cities.

There’s a lot of reasons to love the Bordeaux region, which most people recognize for its wine. In fact, there are 57 appellations in Bordeaux, which means there are 57 varieties of wine (all of which are blended varieties using two or more types of grapes) produced in the region’s ‘chateaux’, including the highly-favoured Sauternes a sweet intense wine, perfectly paired with another regional specialty ‘salade landaise’ a salad topped with pine nuts smoked duck and foie gras.

And while I’m on the subject of food, it’s worth noting that Bordeaux has much more to offer than wine. Their regional cuisine, although not widely recognized like other French regions such as Alsace or Lyon, is incredibly diversified, with a strong penchant for local produce. These people were practicing the hundred-mile diet long before the Western Hemisphere caught on. And why not? Fresh oysters, caviar and sole are local delicacies. Producers in the area grow vegetables and fruit, and raise carefully controlled beef and lamb. Bazas beef is the most prized beef in France, grass fed and aged to create a melt-in-your mouth piece of meat. The Village of Bazas holds a festival each year as the cattle reach maturity. Now that sounds like a steak worth celebrating.

And of course, you can’t pass through Bordeaux without trying one of their signature treats—the canelés. Baked in copper molds, the pudding-like cakes have a brown crispy exterior with a soft custardy inside, often infused with cinnamon and other spices, along with a splash of rum. Street food at its best, local vendors sell these palm-sized treats for immediate consumption.

It’s been over a year since my last visit to Bordeaux but seeing this site, which details many of the local specialties has me hungering for my next gourmet getaway. But instead, I think I might surf the web for some copper molds, and create a little taste of Bordeaux in my own home.

Follow your nose? Why not!

Adventures are my favorite thing. I’ve had adventures on trains – from memorable subway rides into Toronto to unforgettable train trips to Munich in cars filled with Oktoberfest revelers (Interesting note: 8am is not too early to drink beer on a train when en route to Oktoberfest). And I've had my share of culinary adventures too. Moving to Toronto from a small town in northern Ontario, is in my opinion, what has helped me develop my sense of adventure the most, and especially my adventurous palette.

It started off small – believe it or not, up until I was 19, I’d never had Greek food, and it turns out that I quite enjoy the whole concept of meat on a stick. Being in Toronto, there is no shortage of international cuisine and I quickly learned that the best way to order is not to scour the menu, but to ask the server “So what’s your favorite?”. I’m always surprised at how candidly they answer and what cool new things I experience by taking their recommendations.

My bravery is most richly rewarded when I travel abroad, and if I don’t end up liking what I ate, hey – at least it makes for a good story! A few years back, I travelled to Singapore and had a short stopover in Tokyo. Not much time to do sightseeing, but there’s always time to eat! I came across this post recently that reminded me of the great seafood I had while I was there. But there is one little bite from that trip that I will always remember: my first (and only!) taste of durian fruit. We had been warned by the tour guide that the strange, rotting smell in the markets wasn’t week-old garbage but actually durian fruit, which is considered to be a delicacy in Singapore. It’s apparently a love or hate type of thing. I was on the hate side, but there are plenty of people who enjoy it. A lot of public establishments in Southeast Asia have actually banned the durian to try and keep the peace. One man’s tasty snack is enough to make another want to gag! Yup – to some people, it smells that bad!

Even though I didn’t want a second serving, I don’t regret having tried it. It’s all part of the adventure that is this big ol’ world, and I’m ready to take it on, one mysterious fruit at a time.

Good News Friday

In my office, our boss has a little tradition he likes call "good news Friday". Today's good news falls into one of my favorite categories: photos! He recently went on a fab trip to Russia and after much poking and prodding from pretty much everyone who's been envious of his trip, he posted his photos up for us to see. Yup. Envy is definitely warranted.



Nothing gets people talking about their vacation like other people's vacation pictures, and you know, if you're already travelling vicariously through your co-workers, you might as well make it a multi-destination vacation! My second stop was a cruise along the Rhine river in Europe, where another one of my colleagues vanished to last year, and it seems that whenever she gets a little stressed, she goes back there in her imagination too. I imagine that she's been there a few times because of me! But yeah, recalling afternoons spent floating along the Rhine, watching castles and fortresses that seem to the rest on clouds, that would do it for me. And how cool would it be to have shivers run down your spine as you sail by the spot where the nymph who lived in the Lorelei rock would appear and lure fishermen to their death. But the memory she's most fond of are the spectacular vineyards along the river. Never had she seen terraced vineyards until that cruise where she watched farmers tending to their crops. No wonder she's such a fan of wines from the Rhine Region! The part of her trip that I choose to fantasize about are the cheese markets. Need I say more?


If you're keen on taking a journey through Europe's rivers yourself, well I have a Friday goodie for you - there is a super deal to be had on these, and you can check it our for yourself here. There is just one condition, which, since I have already given you the goodie, you have no obligation to meet. I need to work on that. But if for any reason, Bon Vivant should lead you to a new adventure, I would love to live vicariously through you, too. So don't be shy and share! And I promise that if you do, I'll never pick anything off your plate.

Old World Wines

Lire ce billet en français

Well fellow Bon Vivants – I know you’ve been waiting for it: a post all about wine! Since this is a topic we don’t take lightly here, I thought I’d go straight to our expert on the topic – Nick Keukenmeester. Not only does Nick write feature articles about wine for our magazine, Ensemble Vacations, he’s also been in the wine industry for years and has the ultimate Bon Vivant dream job as head of Private Client Sales for Lifford Wine Agency in Toronto.

Old World Wines
By Nick Keukenmeester

I often hear people complain that there are no good value European wines, but you just have to find regions and producers that are overlooked by others to find a bargain and drink like the locals (somewhere far away).

Look for southern Italy (Puglia, Sicilia, Basilicata) and red grapes you don’t know (Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola, Aglianico). You will be amazed at the concentration and it will cost less than your standard Aussie Shiraz. Or rather than drinking Barolo, drink the wines the people of Piemonte keep for themselves. Barbera is a rich, chocolatey red grape that coats the mouth with flavour. It is much less expensive and easier to drink than the average Nebbiolo-based wine from this region. Delicate whites from the Cortese (in Gavi) or Arneis grapes can also make stunning and inexpensive wines. One region that remains terribly neglected is the Douro in Portugal, the home of port. Dry table wines are now being made from port grapes such as Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and many others you can’t pronounce. They are rich with fruit, have deep tannins and a great balancing acidity; worthy of the cellar or a big meal.

Lesser known areas in Spain can offer great value, too. Abadia Retuerta sits just a few miles outside the famed Ribera del Duero. It is about half the price of estates within, but their geographical misfortune is our gain. They make great Tempranillo-based wines (the noble red grape of Spain), with fruit and earthy power not associated with traditional dried-out Rioja. Neglected regions such as Toro, Rueda and Jumilla offer Monastrel (Mourvedre), Garnacha (Grenache), Tempranillo and even crisp white Verdejo wines at a fraction of their worth.

Even in France, there are excellent wines at keen prices. Look for the wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon or consider Beaujolais. This is red Burgundy, but made with the fruity and aromatic Gamay grape rather than its more admired neighbour Pinot Noir. Here grapes from great ‘cru’ such as Morgon or Fleury make wines of excellence. Elegant Beaujolais Villages can be great with or without food.

Beaujolais Villages from producers such as Louis Jadot are available in most provinces for under $20.

Les vins du Vieux Continent

Read this post in English

Chers bons vivants, je sais que vous attendiez un billet sur le vin, eh bien le voici! Puisque c’est un sujet que je ne prends pas à la légère, j’ai pensé me diriger tout de suite vers notre expert en la matière, Nick Keukenmeester. Nick écrit non seulement des articles sur les vins pour notre magazine, Ensemble Vacances, mais il est aussi dans l’industrie vinicole depuis des années et possède l’emploi dont tout bon vivant rêve, directeur des ventes aux particuliers pour Lifford Wine Agency à Toronto.

Les vins du Vieux Continent
Par Nick Keukenmeester

J’entends souvent les gens se plaindre de ne pouvoir trouver de bons vins européens à prix raisonnable. Pourtant, il suffit d’aller voir du côté des régions et des producteurs qui sont davantage négligés par les consommateurs d’ici pour parfois dénicher un excellent cru à prix avantageux.

Surveillez les productions du Sud de l’Italie, notamment des Pouilles, de la Sicile et de la Basilicate et les vins rouges que vous connaissez moins, comme le Negroamaro, le Nero d’Avola et l’Aglianico. Vous serez étonné par leur richesse de concentration, d’autant plus qu’ils vous coûteront moins cher que les traditionnels Shiraz d’Australie. Plutôt que de choisir un Barolo, essayez des vins de table du Piémont que les habitants du coin se réservent pour euxmêmes. Le Barbera est riche en texture, avec une pointe de saveur chocolatée très plaisante au palais. Il est beaucoup moins cher et se boit plus aisément que la moyenne des vins de cépage Nebbiolo qu’on trouve dans cette région. Les vins blancs délicats, produits avec le cépage Cortese (à Gavi) ou Arneis sont à la fois surprenants et très abordables.

Une région terriblement négligée est celle du Douro au Portugal d’où provient le porto. Ses vins de table sont réalisés à partir de cépages tels que le Touriga Nacional, le Tinta Roriz et plusieurs autres. Riches en fruit, leurs tanins sont profonds et leur acidité plutôt équilibrée. Vous pourrez facilement les conserver quelques années ou les boire sans plus attendre pour agrémenter un grand repas.

Certaines régions d’Espagne encore méconnues du grand public offrent également des vins d’excellente valeur. Le domaine Abadia Retuerta se situe à quelques kilomètres de la célèbre région vinicole de Ribera del Duero. Les vins qu’il produit se vendent à la moitié du prix de ceux qui proviennent des vignobles avoisinants, tout simplement parce qu’ils ne peuvent tirer profit de la renommée de la région voisine. Ils produisent pourtant d’excellents vins à partir du cépage Tempranillo, ce noble raisin typique à l’Espagne, fruité avec un côté végétal qu’on ne retrouve pas dans le classique Rioja. D’autres régions ignorées comme le Toro, le Rueda et le Jumilla produisent des vins de qualité à une fraction du prix de leur valeur réelle en utilisant des cépages comme le Monastrel (Mourvedre), le Garnacha (Grenache), le Tempranillo et même le Verdejo, donnant un vin blanc tout en fraîcheur.

Même en France, on trouve d’excellents vins à prix abordable. Recherchez les vins du Languedoc-Roussillon et ceux du Beaujolais, un vin rouge de Bourgogne fruité et aromatique qui est produit à partir du cépage Gamay, contrairement à ses voisins qui utilisent le Pinot Noir. Ici, les grands crus, comme le Morgon ou le Fleury se révèlent des vins d’exception. L’élégant Beaujolais Villages est aussi délectable à prendre avec ou sans repas.

On trouve un Beaujolais Villages de la maison Louis Jadot pour moins de 20 $ presque partout au Canada.

Where do you stand on truffles?

August is here and so is the truffle hunting season in Italy. When it comes to truffles, most people either adore them and salivate at the thought of a nice risotto or they think they smell like a musty basement. I personally cannot stand the smell or the taste, but my Cuban husband who had no idea what truffles were until he arrived in Toronto thinks truffle oil makes everything, and I mean everything, taste great so he liberally drizzles over most of his food, even the sacred Cuban black beans and rice. So when we went to Italy, of course we had to go and hunt for truffles. We were in Piemonte, one of the best regions in Italy to hunt for the precious mushrooms. Unlike most mushrooms, truffles grow underground, so you need an expert hunter or a trifolau, to help you find them. And of course they grow in dense forests so the hunt is always a dirty and exhausting venture but if you are lucky enough to find one it’s like finding gold so it’s worth every moment even if you come out of the journey full of scratches and insect bites.

Truffle hunting season starts in August and ends in January. The winter months can be very wet so be ready for lots of mud and dampness. The three regions in Italy known for truffles are Piemonte, Umbria and Tuscany. Most people include truffle hunting as a part of a food and wine tour so that you can also discover the other culinary treasures Italy has to offer. The mountains in Piemonte are dotted with wineries which produce a variety of wines including the Dolcetto. Umbria is home to the Orvietto wines, Perugina chocolates and produces some of the best olive oils. And of course Tuscany is the embodiment of Italian culture and cuisine. So if you love food Italy is the place to be, and if you are there in the fall and winter, then you may want to trek in the woods looking for truffles. But if you prefer savouring to trekking, then you will have to settle for a drizzle and a whiff.

Tell us - where do you stand on truffles? Do you love them? Or are you like me and hold your nose when someone drops the oil onto their food?

Summer's Big Dilemma: Cup or Cone

I don't know how the weather has been in your corner of the world lately, but in Toronto, we've been blessed with some beautiful sunshine, and it just makes me so happy. But as great as it feels to be enjoying the city and the warmth of the sun on my skin, one thing makes it even better: ice cream!

The variety of frozen treats out there is unbelievable and this season, I've been doing my best to give them all a shot. From the waffle bowls at Dairy Queen, the mint chocolate chip cones at the ice-cream parlour down the street and the chocolate dipped soft serve cones from the ice cream truck that taunts me just outside my office, I'm finding a good home for frozen products of all sorts!



There's something special about ice-cream, gelato and even popsicles, that just seems to make me feel like a big kid. It reminds me of bike rides with Dad and time spent in cottage country where a cone was the ultimate way to end the day. You know, the kind of feeling only summer vacations can inspire.

I love trying to re-live that feeling, whether it's during a weekend stroll in the city, the freezer case at the convenience store or while I'm actually on a real, no-imagination-required vacation. My favorite frozen treat vacation memory is from a few years ago in Vienna. I hadn't realized that gelato would be so popular there, but everywhere I turned, there it was, calling my name. And I answered. Several times a day.

I had a blissful affair with lemon gelato on that trip, but I can't help but think that I should expand my horizons a little the next time I travel. There are apparently a few tricks to finding good gelato, and limiting yourself to one flavour is not one of them! Have a read through this article and feel free to practice your Italian ordering technique aloud - I know that I did! Now to practice in person at the gelateria down the street...

Special Note: I happen to have quite a few extra copies of Ensemble Vacations magazine, in which our latest Bon Vivant brochure was included. I'll send a copy to anyone who emails us at vacations@ensembletravel.ca before this Friday, July 17. There's a catch though - you have to tell me what your favorite ice cream flavour is. You know, so I can try something different next time. Our legal department will also want me to throw in that this offer is valid while supplies last.

Tapas Therapy

I'm feeling the post-vacation blues. Not even a month ago, I spent a week on Canada's beautiful East Coast, eating fresh lobster (with the proper technique shown to me by a very handsome Maritimer) and hunting down local delicacies. It's only been a few weeks, but I have to say - I'm ready for another vacation!

If you're feeling like me, you might want to take a minute to check out our contest. You could win a trip for two to Spain. A good reason to finally book that week off? I think so.

If you need something to tide you over a little longer, visiting a tapas bar could be a good bet. Those little bites of tastiness and some sangria always put a smile on my face. After coming across this link though, I must say that I'm tempted to actually throw my very own tapas party. However a party does imply the sharing of food, and if you've had a look at my bio, you'll see it's not something I'm very good at (yes, à la Joey from friends). Well I guess there's only one way to get over it - tapas party therapy, here I come!

Confessions of an Artisan Adventurer

I have a bit of a confession to make. You know the quiz I asked you to take in my last post? Well, I made up all the answers to it. Not as in, I cheated and got a fake result, but I really made up the answers that you all get to choose from. Hey - it's a job, and someone has to do it. Honestly, I kind of jumped on it - it's my weird idea of fun.

The questions themselves came from our friends at Gravitas - a very cool game that you can play around the dinner table, living room, campfire - anywhere you can gather a group of people who will take turns answering random, intriguing questions. Yup - my kind of thing!

It came as no surprise to me when my result in the quiz came up as Artisan Adventurer. I mean, I could have feigned a bit of surprise, but I was sitting alone in my office, so it would have just been a waste of an Oscar-worthy performance.

Although we do describe the Artisan Adventurer as one who likes to venture off the beaten path, forgive me for a moment as take a trip down the oh-so-travelled memory lane, and reminisce about one of the highlights of my last European vacation, and a display of typical Artisan Adventurer behavior: the hunt for the perfect cheese sandwich. Forget that I travelled through four countries, witnessed breathtaking scenery and shopped for what seemed like an entire summer wardrobe. No - the cheese sandwiches are what I will always remember. My mission at lunch time, each and every day, was very simple: scour the streets of whichever city I happened to be in to find the most tasty looking cheese sandwich. And I was never disappointed! Not only did I discover plenty of great architecture, shops and all-around cultural coolness, my efforts were always rewarded with a yummy sandwich. Once I had scarfed it all down at the very civilized sort of speed at which famished people eat, I could focus my thoughts elsewhere. Like what pastry I would hunt down to have with my afternoon coffee...

Now that I've regaled you with my wonderful tale of dairy pursuits, I'd like to know all about yours. They don't have to be about cheese, milk or anything related, but just for today, let's make it about food. Oh, who am I kidding - it's always about food!