Are you hosting a Canada Day party this year? Need a few tips on how to make it amazing? We went right to the source and got entertaining secrets from Chef Tim Mackiddie of Jackson-Triggs Estate Winery.

Hope you have a great Canada Day party this year with the following tips:

Enjoy what’s around you:

Summer is a great season for produce, so start with inspiration from what’s available at the farmer’s market. From blueberries to stone fruit, fresh, local and seasonal ingredients always taste better.

Keep it simple:

Pick simple flavours that pack a punch and can be used in a variety of ways. Even appetizers can be elevated with the addition of a great topping – salsas, jams, or sauces. Chef Mackiddie’s special wine-infused jams like the Sparkling Maple Bacon jam, Merlot and Blueberry jam and Sauvignon Blanc and Peach jam can add a variety of flavour to your dishes in unexpected ways.

Prepare ahead of time:

Do as much preparation as you can before the actual day – there’s no shame in reheating something you’ve made ahead of time.

Pair your wines:

Throw out the rule book that says white wine has to be paired with chicken or fish and red wine with red meats. Try different food and wine pairings that suit your tastes. Jackson-Triggs has a variety of wines we love and you will too. Wine pairings add a certain sophistication and harmonize the flavours in your food – it’s a win-win.

Put homegrown names on high rotation:

We have always supported Canadian music and it’s a big part of what we enjoy on a day out or at a party or while relaxing at home. We love to constantly jam along to our favourite local acts, shuffling between upbeat and chilled out tunes to suit the mood and the type of dishes we would be cooking. Each song and songwriter has a personality, just like each bottle of wine does.

When we asked the Chef to suggest some music that goes with the wine and food, he listed the following to be his all time favourites.

Chill out music

1. Pacing The Cage – Bruce Cockburn
2. Insensitive – Jann Arden
3. Leaving On A Jet Plane – Chantal Kreviazuk
4. Lost In The Light – Bahamas
5. Hang With Me – Dan Mangan
6. The Wire – Justin Rutledge
7. Sweet Jane – Cowboy Junkies
8. Hasn’t Hit Me Yet – Blue Rodeo
9. Your Rocky Spine – Great Lake Swimmers
10. Away – Kathleen Edwards

Backyard patio

1. Brother Down – Sam Roberts
2. Queen of Portland Street – Matt Mays
3. One Week – Barenaked Ladies
4. Fireworks – The Tragically Hip
5. The Walls Have Drunken Ears – Whitehorse
6. 1,2,3,4 – Alan Doyle
7. Poor Old Broken Hearted Me – The Trews
8. The Highway Patrol – Paul Brandt
9. Life Is A Highway – Tom Cochrane
10. Through & Through & Through – Joel Plaskett

Ready for a big night

1. Got Your Number – Serena Ryder
2. Shake – Jesse Cook
3. Miracle – The Darcys
4. Enemies – Cezar Nedelcu Remix – Hannah Georgas
5. Tough Love – Suzie McNeil
6. Leather Jacket – Arkells
7. No One Is Lost – Stars
8. Run Amuck – Lindi Ortega
9. Keep On Loving Me Baby – Colin James
10. Just Like That – Jarvis Church

With these great Tips and a happening “All Canadian” Playlist, you are now all set the have a blast at your very own Canada day party!