On Global Television yesterday, we discussed the Canadian Icewine harvest. Here’s a sneak peak at some of the wines that we’ll be featuring, along with reports from the field. Fun Facts: The Upside of the Deep Freeze Our deep freeze recently turned out to be bonus for Ontario icewine winemakers. The sustained cold snap and arctic temperatures allowed them to harvest grapes in an unusually short time. Who makes the most Icewine? Ontario produces about 80% of Canadian icewine, with the remainder mostly in British Columbia though some is also made in both Quebec and Nova Scotia. About […]
Ontario Wine
Video > Best Wines Under $20 Plus Food Pairings
CTV host Marci and I chat about the best wines under $20 that are in liquor stores now. You can click on the arrow above to watch the video. Here are the wines we featured: Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc Cathedral Cellar Kwv Cabernet Sauvignon Trapiche Fincas Las Palmas Malbec Henry of Pelham Winery Baco Noir Henry of Pelham Winery Family Tree Sibling Rivalry Pink Remy Pannier Sevre & Maine Sur Lie Muscadet Pascual Toso Malbec Santa Alicia Tierra Sur Brut Sparkling Santa Alicia Reserva Carmenere You can watch us play wine version of The Price is Right on CTV’s The Social. […]
Back to Wine School: The Best Wine Courses (Video)
It’s that time of the year, back to school for the kids. But what about the adults? If you have a thirst to learn more about wine, you might be considering taking a wine course. But how do you choose which one is right for you, and what exactly will you learn? On Global Television’s Morning Show, Carolyn, Jeff and I chat about how to choose the right wine course for you and what you’ll learn. First off, tell us why we wouldn’t just surf the web to learn about wine? – There’s lots of free content online but it […]
Pairing Wine and Tomato Dishes (Video)
In the video clip above, Jeff and I chat about pairing wine with different types of tomatoes and tomato dishes. What’s your favourite pairing? Jeff: Stores and Farmer’s Markets are lush right now with colourful products including tomatoes of every colour ripe off the vine or cooked up in a sauce. Nothing can complement a tasty dish like a great glass of wine. And here with her picks for perfect pairing is wine expert Natalie MacLean, nice to see you. Natalie: It’s great to see you, Jeff. Jeff: Now listen, before we get to the tomato, which, to me, […]
Fancy Farm Girl Sue-Ann Staff Makes Down-to-Earth Wines (Video)
Our guest this evening is a fifth-generation grape grower who grew up on the largest privately-owned vineyard in Canada, the Sue Ann Staff Estate Winery. Today, she is one of Canada’s top winemakers, winning more than 500 national and international wine awards, including being twice recognized by the International Wine and Spirits Awards of London, England as one of the top four “Women in Wine” in the world . And she joins me live now from her winery: Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club Sue-Ann Staff! What was the exact moment when you realized that you wanted to make wine? […]
How Are Family-Run Wineries Different? Henry of Pelham Video
Our guest this evening, Daniel Speck, is one of three brothers who, as children, shovel planted the modern-day vineyards that became Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery in Niagara’s Short Hills Bench. The Speck brothers founded the winery with their parents, a family venture which began in 1984. After Daniel graduated from philosophy, math and science at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, he returned to work on the farm/winery. After fourteen vineyard-years he migrated from the farm to the marketplace and today is Vice President of Sales and Marketing. And he joins me live now from the winery: Welcome […]
Mark Oldman: The Wine World’s Greatest Showman Video
What a terrific chat with Mark Oldman author of How to Drink Like a Billionaire! Click on the arrow above to watch the video. Listen to Mark’s stories about adventures in the wine world. Discover more juicy tips that will make you wine smart. Cheers, Natalie P.S. Join us next Sunday, August 6, at 6 pm eastern right here with Ann Sperling, Winemaker Southbrook Vineyards: www.nataliemaclean.com/live Want to know when we go live next Sunday with Ann Sperling? Click on the Follow and Like buttons on this page to get notified when we go live. We’ll be simultaneously broadcasting […]
Henry of Pelham’s Paul Speck on Cool Climate Chardonnay
By Melissa Pulvermacher To kick off the annual International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) in Niagara, Ontario, I visited Paul Speck of Henry of Pelham Winery on the Short Hills Bench in St. Catharines. The Henry of Pelham winery has been owned by the Speck family since 1988. While tasting the wines, we explored this concept of cool climate viticulture. Ontario’s weather can be somewhat unpredictable from year-to-year, which is why our local wines tend to have a lot of vintage variance. Beginning with some of my favourite Niagara bubbles, the Cuvee Catharine Carte Blanche had me salivating right […]
Niagara Wine Pioneer Reif Estate Winery Video Tasting
Last night, we were joined by special guest Klaus Reif, Head Winemaker and Owner of Reif Winery, who chatted about making wine in Niagara and his vision for Ontario wines. Click on the arrow above to watch the video. What an amazing conversion last night! Klaus’ audio is fixed after 4 minutes, so hang in ;) Klaus shared some wonderful stories about when he first made #wine at age 10 and (hid the bottles behind some bottles in his father’s winery), and then at age 24 making a new style that upset his uncle and then won an award at […]
Ontario’s Best Sommelier to Compete for National Title
Last night, we were joined by special guest Emily Pearce-Bibona who has just been named Ontario’s Best Sommelier in a gruelling day-long competition. Click on the arrow above to watch the video. We went behind the scenes with Emily to chat about what it was like to compete (and win) in this competition hosted by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. Plus, she shared her expert tips on tasting and enjoying wine, including how to choose a great bottle from a restaurant list, with the help of your sommelier, of course ;) You can read 69 comments here and […]
