Inventive Food & Wine Pairing and Buying Tips with Guy Bower of The Good Life Show

Introduction What exactly makes the sense of smell so evocative? How can you play with food and wine pairing to discover new flavours? What can you do to de-risk your exploration of new wines? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Guy Bower, host of The Good Life 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 into the […]

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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 […]

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Canadian Wine: New Regions, Hot Trends, What’s Next > CBC TV

In the CBC TV interview above with Amanda Lang and Kevin O’Leary, anchors of the national news program The Lang & O’Leary Exchange, we discuss the Canadian wine industry from the perspective of Canada’s largest wine site: Which new wine regions are emerging across the country? How is climate change affecting traditional regions and wine styles? Will Canada ever have completely open borders across the country to ship wines? What’s next for the Canadian wine industry? Here are my latest reviews of Canadian wines.     Posted with permission of CBC   Amanda: The wine industry is flexing new muscle […]

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What You’ll Learn in Online Wine Classes and Courses

Back to Wine School Now that the kids have headed back to school, let’s chat about how the adults have changed the way they learn about wine, especially with online courses. It’s a virtual world of wine learning at your fingertips. Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com.   Welcome, Natalie Great to be here!   First, tell us why online wine courses have become so popular? Online courses offer the best of both worlds: they’re accessible to everyone no matter where you live, they’re more comprehensive than a one-off […]

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Wine Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe Paired with Hester Creek The Judge

Created by Terrafina Restaurant chef Adair Scott, this recipe is chock full of savoury flavours and easy to source ingredients. The wine braised lamb shanks are so deliciously tender, they melt right off the bone. Serve them on a bed of cous cous with roasted vegetables with our rich and refined Judge. A beautifully structured wine, that pairs wonderfully with this flavourful and hearty dish. INGREDIENTS 6 lamb shanksSea salt and fresh ground pepper to evenly coat2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil2 onions, chopped3 large carrots, chopped10 cloves garlic, minced3 bay leaves1 bottle Hester Creek Estate Winery Judge2L beef broth5 […]

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Pairing Movies & Wines: Video Tasting

  You can still purchase the Ontario or B.C. wines (or both!) with the time-limited discount here (stock up for holiday entertaining and gift-giving):   Get the Ontario Wines Here Get the B.C. Wines Here     Join me for my next online tastings:   Scary Great Pairings October 21 Holiday Hosting December 2 Chocolate and Wine Pairing February 10             Thirty Bench Small Lot Pinot Noir 2019 Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada                   Trius Distinction Baco Noir 2020 Ontario V.Q.A., Canada       […]

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Pairing BC and Ontario Wine with Books (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 beyond BBQ? How about some Canadian books?   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’re starting with Nk’Mip Cellars (pronounced in-ka-meep) Winemaker’s Series Talon, the first Indigenous-owned winery in North America. Nk’Mip means “Bottomland” because the vineyards are planted at the southern tip of the Osoyoos Indian […]

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Summer Barbecue Wine Tasting

18:51:02 From  Christian Boyer : Hello from LaSalle, QC!18:52:01 From  Joann Dnistransky : Bonjour Christian!  Joann from Amherst NS18:52:54 From  Catherine Yuill : I’m logging in from Calgary, AB18:53:01 From  Christian Boyer : Bonjour Joann! I am going close to NS this summer :) 18:53:11 From  Joann Dnistransky : As long as you are not breaking bottles!!!18:53:29 From  Joann Dnistransky : Christian, where are you travelling to?18:54:29 From  Jo-Ann Mellon : Hi Natalie, Jo-Ann from Mont Saint Hilaire Quebec here.  Love the music again :).18:54:54 From  Christian Boyer : Travelling to the Magdalen Islands, passing through NB and PE18:55:36 From […]

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The Connected Table with Melanie Young and David Ransom

Introduction How did my first sip of “fancy wine” jump-start my thirst for wine knowledge and experiences? Why is this a perfect time for you to take an online wine course? Why is it hard to pair certain vegetables, like asparagus, with wine? What juicy, behind-the-scenes insights will you read in my upcoming third book? What’s it like being a woman in the wine world? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed on The Connected Table with Melanie Young and David Ransom. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Highlights Why did my first […]

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Nova Scotia’s Secret Star Wine Power with Benjamin Bridge’s Jean Benoit Deslauriers

Introduction Where can you find one of the Canadian wine industry’s best-kept secrets? How does the dynamic Bay of Fundy impact the flavours you taste in wines from the Gaspereau Valley? Which Benjamin Bridge wine will you find on Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant wine list? Why do regional pairings of food and wine work? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Jean Benoit Deslauriers, Head Winemaker at Benjamin Bridge. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Highlights Where can you find one of the Canadian wine industry’s best-kept secrets? How does the climatic dynamic […]

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