For a full sensory experience try an aromatic white wine

 White wines can often get a bad rep, as something to just drink and forget about, while red wine gets all the swirling, sniffing and swishing clout. But reds aren’t the only fine wine to be savoured — aromatic whites offer a similar sensory experience. Yalumba Y Series Viognier, $13.95

A taste of France for the Covid-curfewed traveller

 For all us who would prefer to be meandering through the winding streets of some far away city, popping in and out of shops, stopping for a coffee or visiting a magnificent art collection but are instead stuck at home, we bring you recipes from France. Create these delicious treats

Dreaming of the ultimate white Christmas destination?

 We have all seen magical Christmas scenes in movies like home alone, and most of us have dreamt of experiencing a beautiful white Christmas, lights on the tree and snow outside the window. Sadly most of us live in places that don't experience snow at Christmas time. Still, there are

The Law That Canada Must Change: Wrongfully Imprisoned Sociology Professor Talks Extradition

 After his return from a 3 year and 2 month stint in solitary confinement in France, Professor Hassan Diab’s wrongful imprisonment is raising questions about Canada’s extradition laws. Lebanese-Canadian Professor Hassan Diab returned to Canada this past January after a French court dropped the charges laid against him for his

Top 5 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day Around the World

 Giving your significant other a box of chocolates and a dozen roses for Valentine’s Day may say you care, but a couples’ getaway in the middle of a harsh Canadian winter is truly the best way to say “I love you.” It’s time to turn up the heat by sailing

Revealed: 16 of The World’s Most Exclusive Bars

 Fancy rubbing shoulders with famous faces? It might cost a hefty entrance fee! Recent research reveals the world’s most exclusive bars and members clubs, illustrating what it takes to paint the town red like the rich and famous of the world. The ritzy social life of the global elite has

Culture Club Returns After 32 Years to Paint TD Place Red, Gold and Green!

 All photos by Andre Gagne. It's been 32 years and, while a Trudeau is once again in office, much has changed since the last time Culture Club played the capital. The decadence and flamboyance of the '80s resides mainly in music, movies, and memories. What was once the Civic Centre is now TD

Celebrate Winter with an All-Inclusive Adventure in the French Alps

 The 90s theme song “Hands up, baby, hands up…” may summon visions of shivering northerners fleeing to Club Med’s sun-soaked southern resorts — but did you know the company that began offering Mediterranean beach escapes also runs ski destinations? In fact, some of its most spectacular properties are found high

Ottawa Filmmaker Rick Harper’s Time in The Room

 Photos supplied by Rockhaven Pictures. Manos: the Hands of Fate, Troll 2, Birdemic: Shock and Terror, if you haven’t heard of these films you’re in the vast majority of cinema goers. Let me tell you, however, you’re missing out. Whereas some would describe the above listed films as the cinematic

Keeping Science Safe

 It’s time to close the gaps governing human participation in scientific research in Canada The disturbing announcement recently that a man died and four others were seriously harmed in Rennes, France as a result of participation in a research study is a timely reminder of the importance of protecting those

Fiddle Feast for your Ears

 Natalie MacMaster needs no introduction. Over a recording career now spanning 25 years, this Order of Canada recipient has released 11 albums that have notched sales of over 200,000 copies. She has won two JUNO and eleven East Coast Music Awards and been nominated for a Grammy. Starting tonight, she

The Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of Facing the “Flying Peril”

 In 1934, two decades after the outbreak of the First World War and five years before the onset of the Second, a prescient former British soldier and politician named Winston Churchill spoke about the threat posed to England by air warfare. Churchill remarked that, “The flying peril is not a

An Unwelcome Guest Returns to Formula One

 Jules Bianchi in his Marussia formula F1 car. This month, after a 21-year hiatus, an unwelcome guest returned to Formula One racing. Jules Bianchi's crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. At the rain-soaked 2014 Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, October 5, Marussia F1 driver, 25-year-old Jules Bianchi, a native

What Exactly is a Mustard Sommelier?

 OLM chats with Maille mustard sommelier, Harry Lalousis “Sommelier comes from the ancient Gaelic word for ‘someone who knows’ or ‘someone who has knowledge of,’” explains Harry Lalousis, Maille’s mustard sommelier. Although we usually associate the word with wine, Lalousis explains that the term can apply to a variety of

The NAC’s Needles and Opium Mesmerizes

 Photo credit: National Arts Centre Spectacular is the only way to describe Robert Lepage’s reproduction of his 20-year-old play Needles and Opium, currently playing at the NAC. Photo Credit: NAC The play centres around three characters. Jean Cocteau shares his thoughts and impressions on his first visit to the U.S.

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Profile: Ken Read

 2015 marks the Year of Sport and the 60th anniversary of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. In recognition of these important milestones, OLM will be featuring Honoured Members of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in a weekly Profile piece. Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame aims to share the stories and

Publisher’s Message: Wrong

 In January 2013, Ottawa Life Magazine featured Kathleen Wynne on its cover with the headline A Few Good Women. Wynne was running for the provincial Liberal leadership which she would end up winning later that month. Today, she is Ontario’s first female Premier and the first openly gay Premier in

Magnifique Martinique: So Much More than a Simple Beach Vacation

 The idyllic, beautiful island of Martinique sits just north of St. Lucia in the Caribbean Sea. The Dutch, English and Portuguese all wanted this tiny island, but it was the French who prevailed. Consequently, French is spoken everywhere. Words do not fly off the tongue quite as quickly as they

FIFA Women’s World Cup: An Ottawa Team Story

 All photos courtesy of FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 and Canada Soccer The weather outside was frightfully cold. The weather inside was delightfully toasty. Still, Thailand women’s national team soccer coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian had her fluffy brown winter jacket zipped up tight as she answered questions following a training site

’Tis the Season for Handel

 More than 250 years after its completion, George Frideric Handel’s joyous Messiah continues to be appreciated by audiences around the world. Coming to the capital region this holiday season, Finest Moments from Messiah will be presented by the combined effort of the Ottawa Classical Choir and the New World Philharmonic

Have You Had a Glass of this Year’s Beaujolais Nouveau?

 The third Thursday of November is a milestone date in the wine world – wine stores have a special delivery of Beaujolais Nouveau wine. What is all the fuss about? Beaujolais Nouveau or ‘first wine’ is wine made from grapes that were picked in the most recent harvest.  By the

The Never Forgotten National Memorial

 The inspiration for the Never Forgotten National Memorial (NFNM) came from a single gravestone. T. Truskoski was laid to rest at the age of 17 in the Canadian War Cemetery in Moro, Italy. Toronto businessman Tony Trigiani came across the young man’s gravestone while taking a detour on a business trip in

Pilar’s Picks: Young Magic

 Unique, fresh and innovative -- that's what describes this new band. Young Magic consists of Australian producer Isaac Emmanuel and Indonesian vocalist Melati Melay. They are a Brooklyn-based group with an unparalleled electro-indie sound. Breathing Statues is Young Magic’s second album, which was released on May 6. They collaborated on

OLM Book Review: Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

 Author Esi Edugyan’s eloquent prose pays a worthy homage to the blues, as it is often considered the simplest yet most difficult music to play. The beginning of World War Two has The Hot Time Swingers on the run. This Blues band, along with their prodigy trumpet player, Hieronymus Falk

Cultural Life of Kazakhstan: Preserving the Past to Create the Future

 by Ambassador Dr. Konstantin Zhigalov Kazakhstan has a long and culturally-rich history. Thanks to its geographical location in the heart of the Eurasian continent, it was at the crossroads of many historic events. These include the arrival of the horse-mounted nomads at Eurasia; the bright and dramatic fate of the