Austrian Wine: A Sommelier’s Food Pairing Delight

June 10, 2024October 2, 2024 Jennifer Wright Leave a comment

By Jenny Ratcliffe-Wright CWM With the holidays upon us, the topic of food, wine and their symbiotic relationship of pairing, is front of mind. There is often a gentle war between chefs and sommeliers about which comes first: food or wine, while many serious diners agree they are both just as important – as long as they complement each other well. Andre Simon (1877-1970) is widely considered to be the father of food and wine matching and is known for his contribution to the subject with his book the Art of Good Living. He is the founder of […]

Summer Wines and Seafood, Barbecue, Picnics – Sommelier Sheila Person

June 5, 2024June 12, 2024 Natalie MacLean Leave a comment

In this interview, I chat Sheila Person who at the time was sommelier and manager at Eight Wine Bar in Toronto. Sheila has since moved back to Calgary, Alberta, where she shares her passion for wine at Crowfoot Wine and Spirits. We chat about spring and summer wines, including great bottles for the cottage and pairings for her favourite books. Fun! What first got you interested in wine? Growing up in small town Alberta, I wasn’t exactly immersed in wine culture. Sure, my parents drank it, and my dad even made fruit wine, but it was actually the tools that […]

Best Sommelier Questions and How the Shape of Wine Acidity is Revealing with Vanessa Price

Introduction Why do the wines change when you’re pairing them with kale versus other greens? Why should you avoid storing wine in the fridge? What’s the best question you can ask a sommelier in a restaurant? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Vanessa Price, the author of Big Macs and Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World and the wine expert for The TODAY Show. You can find the wines we discussed here. Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm […]

Beer versus Wine Tasting, Cicerones versus Sommeliers with Mandy Naglich, Author of How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life

Introduction What’s the difference between tasting wine and beer when you want to identify specific aromas and flavours? What are some of the similarities and differences between a Cicerone or beer sommelier and a wine sommelier? How do retronasal aromas give you a different, deeper sense of the aromas of both beer and wine? In this Unreserved Wine Talk podcast episode, I’m chatting with author Mandy Naglich. You can find the wines we discussed here. Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, […]

Diversity in the Wine Industry + Vermentino Food Pairings with Sommelier Tonya Pitts

Introduction Why is Vermentino such a great wine to pair with food, and which dishes pair best with it? What are the markers and nuances in wine that are tied to a specific place? How is the wine industry changing when it comes to diversity, and what still needs to be done? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Sommelier of the Year, Tonya Pitts. You can find the wines we discussed here. Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on […]

Navigating Big Restaurant Wine Lists + Sommelier’s Key Role with Tonya Pitts

Introduction Are you curious about what it takes to manage a list of 500 different wine labels at one of America’s best restaurants? Why is wine so powerful in creating memories? What is the most important role of the sommelier? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Sommelier of the Year, Tonya Pitts. You can find the wines we discussed here. Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. […]

Wine Sommeliers v Beer Cicerones and Tasting Techniques with Drinks Adventures’ James Atkinson

Introduction What’s the difference between a wine sommelier and a beer sommelier or cicerone? Which glass is best for properly appreciating great beer? What can you expect from Arizona as an up-and-coming wine region? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with James Atkinson, drinks journalist and host of the Drinks Adventures podcast. You can find the wines we discussed here. Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I’ll be jumping […]

Salt in Wine, Oyster Pairings + Real Talk with Your Sommelier

Introduction Is food and wine pairing the ultimate goal of every dining experience? Is it okay to tell sommeliers if you don’t like the wine they recommended? What’s it like serving famous captains of industry like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Seattle-based wine writer, educator and sommelier, Zach Geballe. You can find the wines we discussed here. Watch Party Join me for the debut Watch Party of the video of this conversation that I’ll be live-streaming for the very first time on Zoom on Wednesday, June 9th […]

How to Pair Wine and Chocolate with Chocolate Sommelier Roxanne Browning

Introduction Where can you find the best chocolate? What’s the difference between candy and real chocolate? How can you pair wine and chocolate? What does Fair Trade mean and what should you look out for? Where can you find the best chocolate? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with New York Chocolate Sommelier Roxanne Browning. You can find the wines we discussed here. Highlights Why should you consider a trip to the Ecuadorian rainforest? What parallels can you find between wine and chocolate? In which regions can you find the best quality cacao? What […]

Wine Tasting and Pairing Tips from Master Sommelier Bruce Wallner

Introduction Is being a sommelier as glamourous as it seems? Why is it sometimes difficult to differentiate between certain New and Old World wines? How does terroir play a key role in a blind tasting? What’s it like being in a sommelier competition? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Bruce Wallner, Master Sommelier at Sommelier Factory. You can find the wines we discussed here. Highlights What un-glamourous truth might you be surprised to learn about being a sommelier? What intangible joy can you get from being a sommelier? How should you view the […]