‘Tis the season to get married or to celebrate an anniversary. If you’d like to give the happy bottle the gift of wine, how do you know which ones will age? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com Welcome, Natalie. First, let’s start with why wine makes a great wedding or anniversary gift? Wine is an ideal gift because one-size fits all, doubles are okay and it’s easy to re-gift if you don’t like it. I’d rather have two of the same bottles of bubbly than two […]
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The Grapes of Laugh: How to Host a Wine Tasting or Start a Wine Club
We had such fun on The Social yesterday chatting about how to organize an informal wine tasting party at home. There are many excellent reasons to host a wine tasting party—or even to form a wine club. For one thing, wine is a social beverage—one that’s meant to be shared with friends. And it’s more fun to drink than to buy Tupperware—unless, of course, you’re drinking from the Tupperware. The only goal is to enjoy yourself and perhaps find a new favorite bottle. Although wine does lend itself to serious technical analysis, that’s not really necessary. You don’t need […]
Pairing Canadian Wine with Salmon, Crab, Lobster (Video)
The long weekend is coming up, and you might be celebrating with a glass of Canadian wine or two, but what should you pair with your vino? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com So we’re going to start on the west coast Natalie. What do you recommend? We’ll start with this lovely, zesty Sauvignon Blanc from Red Rooster Winery, nestled high above Okanagan Lake on the Naramata Bench in the Okanagan Valley. It has crisp, fresh aromas of lime zest and lemon sunshine. Red […]
Pairing Canadian Wine with Poutine, Smoked Meat, Tourtiere
We’re back with more Canadian wines and dishes to help you celebrate your long weekend. Natalie, you’re taking us to Quebec next. What do you recommend? We can’t talk about Quebec wine and cuisine without talking about poutine. Few Canadian dishes are as iconic as this bowl of crispy fries and squeaky cheese curds with a generous ladling of gravy over it. I’d pair this dish with a Quebec Rosé that’ll cut through the wonderful richness of this dish and maybe even help clean out your arteries afterwards. This one from Domaine Pelchat in Quebec’s Eastern […]
Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Dad: Books and Bottles for Father’s Day
Father’s Day is this Sunday, and you might like to toast dad with a glass of wine or two, but what should you pair with your vino beyond BBQ? How about some terrific books? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. What do you recommend first? We’re starting with Dad Bod: Portraits of Pop Culture Papas by Almonte author and new dad himself Cian Cruise. This is a collection of funny essays about fatherhood depicted in film, television, and video games. Whether they’re spouting homespun […]
Father’s Day: Choosing the Best Books and Wines for Dad
Father’s Day is coming up, and you might like to toast dad with a glass of wine or two, but what should you pair with your vino beyond BBQ? How about some terrific books? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. What do you recommend first? Dancing with Robots: The 29 Strategies for Success In the Age of AI and Automation by Toronto author Bill Bishop. This is dad’s guide for how to survive and thrive in a world being taken over by robots and […]
Book & Bottle Pairings for Father’s Day
We’re back with more books and bottles for Father’s Day. What are we starting with this time? We’re starting with Ten Garments Every Man Should Own: A Practical Guide to Building a Permanent Wardrobe by Pedro Mendes. This is an accessible field guide to classic menswear, no matter what dad’s age or budget or the fact he still loves those painter pants from the 80s with all the side pockets. Each chapter covers an essential piece – shirt, jacket, hat, leather shoes, etc – in an entertaining way. Drea’s Wine […]
Bordeaux Wines, Politics and Wine, Monastrell & Spanish Food Pairings with Lori Budd of Exploring the Glass
Introduction What is it like to participate in the coveted en premiere tasting of the new vintage of Bordeaux wines in France while they’re still in the barrels aging? Which Spanish foods should you pair with the fabulous red wine Monastrell? How does politics influence wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with winemaker, writer and podcast host, Lori Budd who graduated from the prestigious UC Davis enology program. She and her husband own Dracaena Wines in Paso Robles. She’s also the host of the podcast called Exploring the Glass. You can find the wines we discussed […]
Mother’s Day Gifts: Pairing Books and Bottles (Wines & Spines)
Mother’s Day is coming up and you may be thinking about getting Mom a special wine. But why not pair that bottle with a great book? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean, who offers North America’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie. What’s the first book and bottle you recommend? I have Loving Large: A Mother’s Rare Disease Memoir by Ontario author Patti M. Hall, who discovers her teenaged son is diagnosed with gigantism, a condition that could make him grow uncontrollably, and shorten his life without aggressive treatment. She makes it […]
The 11 Best Wines for Easter and Passover This Year
Easter and Passover are right around the corner. That means it’s time for traditional holiday favorites like roast lamb and chocolate bunnies. But what are the best wines to pair with your celebrations? Wine expert Natalie MacLean is here with some tips. So when it comes to chocolate we need to have wine that’s sweeter, if we don’t do that, the wine will taste bitter by comparison. So the number one pick that I recommend for chocolate is port. I love a good tawny port like this one. It’s a fortified wine, meaning it has higher alcohol, so it’s […]
