Relaxing with a view at Nalu Retreat. Photo: Darla Hoffmann
Travel journalist and certified sommelier Darla Hoffmann joins us on Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Podcast with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), taking us to Nova Scotia — and she brought two completely different kinds of getaway with her!
Watch the episode below or download/listen to the episode on Podbean.
First up: glamping at Nalu Retreat, a geodesic dome tucked into the North Shore, about 15–20 minutes from the nearest grocery store and worlds away from everything else. Think a full bed, a kitchenette, a lofted living space, a private hot tub, and a fire pit — plus hiking trails and kayaking right around the corner, and a seven-course dinner from Lupin Dining & Pantry waiting in the fridge on arrival.
Muir, right on the boardwalk in the Queen's Marque District. Photo: Darla Hoffmann
Then it's fifty minutes down the road to Halifax, and an entirely different experience: five-star luxury at Muir, right on the boardwalk in the Queen's Marque District. Darla walks us through the rooms, the knock-to-enter BKS speakeasy, the on-site restaurant Drift, and just how little you need once you're checked in — she turned her rental car in and never needed it again.
Along the way, Darla shares what Nova Scotia wine actually tastes like — crisp Tidal Bay whites from the Annapolis Valley, and a standout red from the Lucie Kuhlmann grape at Gaspereau Vineyards — plus a taste of local food, from buttery Wolffish to a proper Halifax donair. We also get into the city's history, from Citadel Hill to the 1917 Halifax Explosion, and how a passion for wine first led Darla into travel writing in the first place.
And there's news on the horizon: Darla's multi-year project pairing a wine with a signature dish from all fifty states is finally becoming a book, expected by the end of the year.