Leanne and I chat about how to find the right gift wine for everyone on your list on CTV News. Meanwhile, we’re chatting about the same topic with the Associated Press: Wine Gift-Giving Tips for Novice Vinophiles Trendy, tasty and one-size-fits-all, wine is a versatile holiday gift, whether you’re on your way to a house-warming or looking out for something for the in-laws. But navigating the world of wine can be a trial for the novice vinophile. Enter wine experts, who have a few tips on how not to send the wrong message in a bottle. Recon The […]
French Wine
Video: From Champagne to Napa Valley: Wine Stories with Tilar Mazzeo
Our guest this evening is an Associate Professor of English at Colby College in Maine and she has a winemaking certificate from the University of California at Davis. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling “oenobiography” The Widow Clicquot: The Story of the Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Built It, among other wine books. Five years ago she emigrated to British Columbia where she is the owner and winemaker at her family’s winery, Parsell Vineyard, in Saanichton. … and that’s where she joins me now live: Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club Tilar Mazzeo! […]
Getting Clearer on Glera, the Grape of Prosecco Sparkling Wine
By Greg Hughes Prosecco has become, possibly, the most sought after sparkling wine after Champagne. It showcases wonderful aromatics and freshness, as well as value. As one might imagine, there is still a fairly broad range of styles that this tiny northeastern appellation in Italy can offer. What makes Prosecco distinct from other sparkling wines are the well-preserved aromatics and the perceived “creaminess” the gentle carbonation creates on the palate. This distinctiveness is partially due to the obscure family of grape varietals used, but these flavours can only be harnessed so effectively because of the innovative production method behind Prosecco. […]
Wine Book and Bottle Pairings for the Holidays: CTV News at Noon
In the first of our two-part conversation, Leanne Cusack, host of CTV News at Noon, and I chat about six terrific book and bottle pairings that you can give as a gift set this holiday … don’t forget to treat yourself too! Here’s part two of our conversation, with more pairings, later today. Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage Champagne Champagne, France A.C. Notes of green apples, orange zest and white peach on the nose with toasty goodness through the core and finish. Try the ultra-shabby chic combo here between French Champagne and a bucket of KFC chicken. Why wait for New […]
Video: Clark Smith on Why Some Wines are Like Angelina Jolie
What a terrific chat with Clark Smith, Winemaker and Author! Click on the arrow above to watch the video. Our guest this evening has created a firestorm in the wine industry, dividing winemakers and wine lovers around the idea of wine manipulation. Clark will explain how some of the hottest new technologies help winemaking, and how splitting the atom changed the way we make wine and altered our perception of what a white wine is supposed to be. Clark Smith has spent four decades as a winemaker, author, inventor, musician, and professor to the wine industry around the world. […]
Travel the Wine World with Kevin Brauch (Video)
What a terrific chat with Kevin Brauch, Food Network TV Celebrity Host! Click on the arrow above to watch the video. Listen to Kevin’s stories about his adventures in the wine world. Discover more juicy tips that will make you wine smart. Cheers, Natalie Click on the Follow and Like buttons on this page to get notified when we go live. We’ll be simultaneously broadcasting on Facebook Live, YouTube Live Stream and Twitter Live Video via Periscope. Watch previous episodes of the Sunday Sipper Club (SSC) and find out who’s coming up next. Click […]
Gerard Bertrand’s Cool Climate Wines Blend in A Spiritual Component
By Melissa Pulvermacher Gérard Bertrand, a name we all recognize in the wine industry certainly has a diverse portfolio, but after sitting down with JP Turgeon, Canada’s Gérard Bertrand Portfolio Director, I was given the opportunity to taste the ‘cool climate’ options in our market. JP shared his story, his attempt at the gruelling Master of Wine exam and how he is incredibly proud to be working with this portfolio of quality wine from Gérard Bertrand. Gérard Bertrand is represented in Ontario by Family Wine Merchants and has several wines currently available here in the LCBO. The winery currently owns 650 […]
What is Wine’s Role in Modern Madness? Finding Our Humanity Drop by Drop
Editor’s Note: I wrote this magazine piece on wine and civility two months after 9/11. You can also listen to this as a podcast here. In Vino Civilitatis The trouble with moderation is that it’s hard to get excited about it. Until now. After September 11, moderation seems to be rarer than a California cult cabernet. Finding the moderate and the civilized in everyday life has become all the rage. Few things embody these values more than wine, and the food we eat with it. A river of wine flows through most of human history — from the ancient clay […]
Wine Tasting Hackathon: New Way of Social Wine Discovery
Our second team wine tasting yesterday felt like a family reunion. Sommeliers and wine bloggers from Toronto and Montreal flew or drove in to join those from the east to west ends of Ottawa. There was an instant camaraderie among those gathered here who recognized each other as fellow contributors to our online community. What I admire most about these reviewers is that although they have sterling wine credentials and training, they keep it real and conversational — with an effort to connect, not to impress. The tasting also struck me as the wine version of a hackathon. In the […]
Facebook Live Video Posts October 23, 2016
In this Facebook Live Video chat, we discuss the rising levels of alcohol in wines. You can click on the arrow above to play the video. If you’d like to read the comments, or make a comment yourself, visit: https://www.facebook.com/natdecants/videos/10154411500734845/ You’ll find the most recent live video wine tasting at the top of the timeline here: www.facebook.com/natdecants We taste every Sunday evening at 6 pm eastern so add us to your calendar and grab a glass of wine. Click on Follow, Like and Signup on the page above to get notified when we go live. […]
