Tasteless
There is no accounting for taste. In 2006, 10-year-old Québécois Jérémy Gabriel debuted his singing career. The boy’s voice was not remarkable— rather, it was his disability, Treacher Collins syndrome, affecting the structure of his skull and leaving him hard of hearing, which caught public attention. In 2010, shock comedian Mike Ward added Jérémy to […]
Bread and circus
We have taken comfort, in Ontario, that we enjoy the strongest alcohol control system in Canada. But is this just a catch phrase for monopoly and price-setting? Are beer, cider and wine in grocery stores being made available for our benefit, or is this market being opened for the potential tax windfall? As of October […]
Chemin de fer
Just so happened that I was bound for western Ontario on the weekend and decided that going by train would be the thing: it was that and more. I have had the opportunity to travel the rails extensively throughout my life’s work. The train became a connecting metaphor for many of the places I have […]
A candidate for exile
By the time you read this column, and unless the result is a cliffhanger in the tradition of George W. Bush and Al Gore, we’ll all know who won the U.S. presidential election—and who lost. After such a bitter battle, the loser will be especially downbeat and will take intense criticism from all quarters. So […]
Awesome
By the time this hits the street a new President will have been elected in the good ole US of A. It has been a very stressful, hate-filled time for many people. This US election has been the WWE of elections. It is because of all this bullpucky I’ve decided to focus this column a […]
A changing world
Despite the naysayers, climate change has already impacted the traditional wine regions of the world. The wine regions throughout the world are, in some form or fashion, being affected either in quality or quantity. As early as 2012, volatile weather brought about the smallest French grape harvest in 40 years, with production down by 20 […]
A winning combination
You may have read that Roots Canada is using County locations as the backdrop for its Christmas season catalogue and that a visit to the County will be the grand prize in the company’s international scratch and win contest. Mayor Robert Quaiff has been all superlative in announcing the relationship: “The ability to reach over […]
Of buckets and time
How the H E double doubles did it get to be November? And, while I’m at it, what happened to 2016? Why wasn’t I told the older I get the quicker time passes? Where is the 25-year-old me? When I look in the mirror, she’s not there. This year, more than any other, I’ve felt […]
Not appropriate
Hallowe’en has come and gone, and despite a fear of creepy clowns, it passed happily, without incident. That is, with the exception of the inevitable celebrity-wearing-an-offensive-costume controversy. This time it was former Disney star Hilary Duff and her boyfriend, Jason Walsh, who went out as Thanksgiving—she as a pilgrim and he as a native American, […]
A rich heritage
From the very beginning, winemakers have always endeavoured to improve the quality of their wine. We have examined many examples of these efforts in previous articles. Today, however, we examine the work and impact of one of greatest scientists of France. As a prominent member of Napoleon’s government, Jean-Antoine Chaptal became responsible for modernizing the […]