It’s my pleasure to introduce you to three women who blend friendship and fun in their approach to wine: Lynne Everatt, Deb Mangolt and Julie Smethurst. The three met when they worked at the same multinational company in Canada years ago, and all decided to pursue their passions instead. In the meantime, they’ve written a book together that has lots of ideas for girlfriend get-togethers, always of course, involving wine. You can buy their book in print or the the electronic edition on their web site Drink Wine and Giggle or from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Indigo/Chapters. Here are […]
Books: Wine
Huffington Post Wine Column
I’m excited to be starting a new weekly wine column for the Huffington Post. This online newspaper has a broad reach and so it’ll be great to share my passion for the grape with new readers. Let me know if you have suggestions for future columns. Here’s the second one … Here’s the full text of the article… Top 5 Wine & Book Pairings for the Holidays By Natalie MacLean I’m already savouring the books I plan to dive into this holiday season as much as the wines I’ll enjoy. Just for fun, I’ve paired some of this season’s bestsellers […]
Drinking Diaries: Women Serve Their Stories Straight Up
Why did you start a blog and then publish a book about women and drinking? It all started with a night of…drinking. We are neighbors, friends and fellow writers who often enjoy sharing a bottle of wine (or two) over dinner at home with our husbands and children. The other thing we share is that both of our mothers have struggled with alcoholism. Yet we both love to drink wine. This contradiction seemed ripe for digging deeper, and we found that—other than descending into a church basement—there was no forum for women to share their stories. So we started one. […]
Decanter Magazine Review of Unquenchable
Peter Mayle is named by Natalie MacLean in the same sentence as Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges as one of her influences. I approached Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Bottles with caution, but MacLean is actually excellent company. Brought up in poverty, the last in a long line of alcoholics and a former competitive highland dancer, she rollicks around the world’s vineyards flirting with Wolf Blass, gaping at the slopes of the Mosel, chuckling with growers in Provence, reminding us every few pages of how much she likes to drink. There are useful gobbets of history […]
Tasting Pinot Noir, Tips for Writers Wine and Otherwise with Sideways Author
We continue our conversation with the author of the mega-hit wine book and movie Sideways, Rex Pickett, in the video below. Rex shares tips for aspiring writers who want to get published and we taste the famous Hitching Post Pinot Noir from the movie together. You’ll find part one of our conversion on the Sideways Wine Book and Movie here. You may also enjoy these video chats: Biodynamic and organic wines: do they taste better? Healthier? We chat with winemaker Ann Sperling, Southbrook Vineyards Social Media & Wine: Part 1 of Vintank’s Paul Mabray […]
Best Food (and Wine) Writing Story Collection
The editor of the annual anthology Best Food Writing got in touch yesterday to say that an excerpt from Unquenchable will be published in this year’s edition. The book collects the best food (and occasionally wine) writing of the year from magazines and books, such as Anthony Bourdain (Kitchen Confidential), Ruth Reichl (Gourmet Magazine), Gabrielle Hamilton (Blood, Bones & Butter), Frank Bruni (New York Times), Alan Richman (GQ), Madhur Jaffrey (Indian Cooking), and Colman Andrews (Saveur). It also includes food-related writing from “non-food” writers such as Calvin Trillin (New Yorker), Michael Lewis (Moneyball, Liar’s Poker) and Barbara Kingsolver (Poisonwood Bible). If […]
Sideways Wine Book and Movie: Pinot Noir, Rex Pickett and Yes Merlot
In this exclusive video interview below with Rex Pickett, author of the mega-hit wine book Sideways that was made into an Oscar-award-winning movie, we chat about his journey to publishing the book, how he learned about wine and why he loves pinot noir (not f****** merlot, as his character Miles would shout). Sideways is more than just a buddy road trip through California wine country with Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church. It touches on themes of love, friendship, career disappointment, loyalty, loss and of course, pinot noir. But before the movie, there was the book. A bestseller, Sideways […]
Food Lover’s Guide to Wine – Meet the Authors (also What to Drink with What You Eat)
You can meet Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg at the Ottawa Book Launch of The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine at Play Food and Wine restaurant. Come help celebrate the exciting release of their latest book with the New York-based, two-time James Beard Award Winning Authors. The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine Named “#1 Wine Book of the Year” as chosen by 195 ‘Best Of’ lists (including The Chicago Tribune, LA Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle and The Wall Street Journal) Monday, April 9, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. / $50 per person, plus HST includes: 1 signed copy of the book […]
A boldly irreverent approach expertly crafting a pleasing concoction of seamless storytelling and voluptuous food and wine writing – The Globe and Mail
By Kate Parsons In this ambitious and thoroughly entertaining book, Natalie MacLean chronicles her travels to five continents and eight countries in search of quality wines at good prices. Along the way, she meets the quirky personalities behind the wine and picks up a wealth of practical information about where they’re made, what to pair them with and how to find out more on your own. Like some of the winemakers profiled, MacLean is a master blender, expertly crafting a pleasing concoction of seamless storytelling, voluptuous food and wine writing and easy-to-use punch lists. This book is also part personal […]
3 Tips for Buying the Rosés of Provence + Pair with Salmon, Roast Chicken, Asian Dishes and Salads
The last chapter of my new book Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines is about the lovely rosés of Provence. I was fortunate not only to sample many mouth-watering, bone-dry, food-friendly rosés, but I also cooked a multi-course meal with one winemaker and met the rosé-drinking donkey of another. (You’ll just have to read the book : ) Here are my top tips for finding great rosés in your local liquor store, no matter where you live. Cheers, Natalie My Top 3 Insider Tips to Finding Tasty Rosés Forget those notions of pink wine being sweet: […]
