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 […]

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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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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 […]

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Climate Change Impact on Wine? It’s Not What You Think (Video)

Recently, I worked with TVO on the impact of climate change on wine. Is it simply a matter of wine regions getting warmer and therefore, wine styles getting bigger? No. With this weekend’s cool climate chardonnay event in Niagara, this issue is not just timely, but also important to all wine lovers who value a nervy energy in their wine.   My thanks to Daniel Speck, Henry of Pelham Winery, and to Paul DeCampo, Southbrook Vineyards, for their expert guidance on this subject. Notes: Ontario has grown grapes for wine for over 150 years, and and winters were colder back then Adapting to […]

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Holiday Hosting with Wines & Spirits (Video)

As the holidays approach, we look forward to entertaining friends and family. What’s a good drink to serve to guests when they arrive?   Well first, I think that nothing says celebration like a sparkling wine and the first one I’m going to recommend is a Quebec sparkler from Domaine de Lavoie.  An added bonus, this winery will ship directly to your home and it’s a great way to support local.         Domaine de Lavoie Brut Sparkling 2020 Monteregie, Quebec, Canada                   Flat Rock Twisted Sparkling 2020 Ontario V.Q.A., […]

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Holiday Wines and Spirits Plus Hosting Tips (Video)

As the holidays approach, we look forward to entertaining friends and family. On CTV’s Your Morning we chat about terrific wines and spirits for the holidays.   Welcome Natalie.   What’s a good drink to serve to guests when they arrive?   Sparkling wine is the drink of celebration, especially at this time of year. I’d recommend two from Nova Scotia:         Avondale Sky Winery Benediction Sparkling Wine Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada                   Blomidon Crémant Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada         Both are zesty and […]

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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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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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