The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak in just a few days so we thought we’d uncork some stellar wines for this star-gazing event. Here with her cosmic wine picks is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com Natalie, great to see you again! Thanks for having me! I’m over the moon to be here with you 😉 Tell us a bit about the meteor shower and how we can celebrate it with some stellar wines. The Perseids are one of the brightest meteor showers of the year. They […]
Wine Picks
From Altitude to Attitude: 3 Reasons to Love Cool Chardonnay
The rebirth of cool is kicked off today in Niagara, as the world’s top cool climate chardonnay producers gather together with wine lovers to celebrate the grape. 2024 is the 15th Anniversary of the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) Since 2011, 271 + wineries have participated, from 85 cool climate wine regions and over 1168 different Cool Climate Chardonnays and Sparkling/Blanc de Blancs have been poured. Some 66 wineries are from Ontario alone. There’ll be tastings, brunches, dinners and fun events such as “Flights” of Chardonnay at the Niagara airport, The School of Cool and do other crazy […]
Toast to Dad: Perfect Father’s Day Wine and Book Gifts
Father’s Day is Sunday, so why not toast Dad with wines that not only pair well grilled favourites, but also with some terrific new books? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome Natalie. Great to be with you, Crystal! What are you recommending first? I have Farmhouse Vegetables: A Vegetable-Forward Cookbook by the award-winning chef Michael Smith from PEI. This collection of vibrant recipes is inspired by the culinary bounty of his farm at the Inn at Bay Fortune. […]
The Ultimate Father’s Day Gift Guide: Wine and Book Pairings
Father’s Day is Sunday, so why not toast Dad with wines that not only pair well grilled favourites, but also with some terrific new books? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome Natalie. Great to be with you, Rosey! What are you recommending first? I have Daniel Ricciardo: In Pursuit of Greatness by Nate Sanders. Daniel is a superstar in the Formula One racing world. In fact, he competed in the Montreal Grand Prix this past weekend with […]
BBQ Bliss: 4 Caymus Wines to Impress Dad this Father’s Day
Father’s Day is Sunday and BBQ season is in full swing, so why not toast Dad with wines that pair well with the grill? But which wines work best? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome Natalie. Great to be with you, Mona! Tell us about this first wine. The first wine is the coveted Caymus Napa Cabernet, made by the Wagner family who are celebrating the 50th anniversary vintage of this wine. It’s just arrived in stores. The […]
Barbecue Wines for Father’s Day: Best Bottles for Grilled Grub
On CTV’s The Social, we chat about great wines for BBQ fare on Father’s Day. Nat, some dads are just not wine guys, they’re more beer guys. But are you saying these selections you’ve brought today can change that? It’s mostly a perception that wine is for fancier occasions than beer, but that’s just not true. Anytime you think of having a beer, you can probably substitute it with a bubbly. I’m not talking Champagne, but value-priced sparkling wines from other regions. They’re both frothy and fun, like our first wine here. Great segue! Tell us about the first […]
4 Wines (and Reasons) to Celebrate National Wine Day
This Saturday is National Wine Day and here to help us celebrate is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie. Wine has a long and rich history, doesn’t it? Yes, ancient clay jars containing wine residue dating back to 6,000 BCE have been found in the country of Georgia. Egyptians were among the first to document the winemaking process in tomb paintings around 2500 BCE. The ancient Greeks and Romans not only improved winemaking processes, but they also spread wine culture in the countries they explored and […]
Rocky Road Cream Cheese Fudge with Port or Icewine
Make the festive season even more festive The calendar has flipped to December and you know what that means. Parties. Lots and lots of parties. And while we all look forward to going out and having a good time with friends and family, it’s not always easy to think of a nice gift to bring the hosts. Until now. This week I’m happy to share the recipe for Rocky Road Cream Cheese Fudge, which, I have to tell you, is as good as it sounds. Featuring Canadian Cream cheese, this particular recipe has a lot going for it. Yes, it’s […]
Wine Review of the Week: Long Weekend Wine for Victoria Day
Sommelier Astrid Young has selected our Wine Review of the Week to celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend. Contrary to appearances in the prim picture to the left, Queen Victoria adamantly opposed abstinence from alcohol, calling it a “pernicious heresy.” Her majesty’s favourite tipple? A tumbler filled half with red wine and half with whisky. No wonder why she reined so long; she was completely “preserved.” Astrid, an International Sommelier Guild (ISG) graduate and candidate for Master of Wine, has a much more modern and palatable suggestion for the long weekend, especially if grilled grub is on the menu. Astrid […]
Mother’s Day Brunch Wine and Champagne Pairings
Jeff and I had such fun chatting about wines for Mother’s Day gifts on Canada AM, especially champagne for brunch. There’s even a “live action” shot with uncorking a sparkler. (Okay, not so much.) Here are my Top 20 Wines for Mother’s Day, either made by women or named for them. Often the latter were originally made by women. You’ll also find more suggestions in my Mother’s Day wines for Epicurious as well as for More Magazine. Jeff: It’s Mother’s Day, of course, on Sunday, and if you are planning on taking her out for brunch, you might want to […]
