The Guy With The Dog

We learned this week that our team was a TOP 1% DONOR last year for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. The foundation is Canada’s largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women’s shelters and violence prevention and education programs. We were happy to be amongst the 31 people/teams that make up the top 1% and we look forward to helping the foundation support abuse victims in our community in the coming years.

Here is how the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation describes their work on their webpage:

Because we believe in the importance of giving back to the community, Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company to have our own charitable foundation. All of the administrative costs of the Shelter Foundation are underwritten so that 100% of every dollar donated goes directly to helping our cause.

Royal LePage real estate agents and their clients are working to create safer homes and safer communities by contributing more than $10 million since 1999 to help women and children across Canada. Through donating a portion of their commission on the purchase or sale of your property, our agents are helping bring hope and provide shelter for those who need it most.

Our brokers, agents and staff also provide volunteer time and in-kind goods, and hold special community events to help raise funds and awareness to end family violence for more than 30,000 women and children who take refuge in a shelter each year.

To read brave stories of hope from families whose lives have been touched by abuse or to learn more about domestic violence, please visit us at www.shelterfoundation.ca.

 

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We have been noticing a trend of dogs being incorporated into the brands of popular wines at the LCBO lately. Here are two of them; Longue-Dog and A Dog’s Life. For the uninitiated Longue-Dog wines come from the same makers that brought you Chat-en-Oeuf. The name is a play of words on the Languedoc region in France. The design and packaging have won numerous awards.

The white is made from a blend of Colombard and Chardonnay while the red is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. We have yet to taste both but will soon. If any of you get the chance, have already had the opportunity, please tell us what you thought on our Facebook page. In the meantime here is the background from the winery for each wine:

This dry white wine was reared in vineyards near the Etang de Thau, an extensive lagoon in the heart of the Languedoc, made famous by the plentiful oysters and mussels. Made up of a blend of cool-fermented Colombard with a dash of Chardonnay. Fruitiness streaked with fresh, zingy citrus characters on the nose and palate and rounded off by a zesty flourish on the finish.

This red wine is made from specially selected parcels of grapes sourced from the Gard region in the Languedoc. This blend of Grenache and Syrah is at once intensely fruity, warmingly southern and slightly aromatic on the nose. The palate is plump and juicy with a luscious texture and subtle twist of warming spice. It’s a very easy, fruit-driven style brimming with blackberry flavours, yet underpinned with a backbone that hints at something more serious.

The other wacky pup loving wine that we have come across is A Dog’s Life. They produce a cab soave, chardonay, merlot, sauvignon blanc, and a reserve “rescue” red. To see the entire available line, visit http://www.adogslife.net.

What makes this particularly cool is the ability to customize the label with a photo of your own pooch (or perhaps that of the recipient of a bottle as a gift). We hear the wine is good too!

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There is a sweet, little shop in Westboro called Truffle Treasures, and if you haven’t been there, you’re missing out. This week, and the next couple are the best time to check out this shop because of mother nature’s conflicted opinion on the season. Some days are warm and sunny, and we all carry our jackets rather than wear them. Somedays are still close to the freezing mark and we are cursing ourselves for leaving our mittens at home. Flip flops, touques, flip flops, touque – what are we to do?

When you arrive inside the welcoming door, take your time to look around at their incredible collection of specialty chocolates made by hand in the store. As you near the back, you will see the gelato counter to your right and the hot chocolate counter to your left. This is where the tough decisions come in. Let the weather be your guide.

If you are pulled to the left for a hot cup of cocoa, we can not recommend enough the peanut butter hot chocolate! But then, you have to decide if you would prefer it made with milk chocolate or dark. We choose the milk each time but that is a personal preference. Note: one is rich and heavy enough to be shared!

If you are drawn to the gelato counter, you will not be disappointed. They have at least 8 flavours to choose from that are not always the same each time – so don’t get hooked on just one flavour! It seems to already be a little known fact that they indisputably have the best gelato in our city. But you need to try it for yourself. Then, grab one of the comfy overstuffed chairs in the window and do some people watching as all the busy westboroites go past on Richmond Road.

Truffle Treasures – Westboro Village, Ottawa – 314 Richmond Road 613-761-3859
AND they have another location in the Glebe
Truffle Treasures – The Glebe, Ottawa – 769 Bank Street 613-230-3859

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