5 Tips to Pick Wines for Thanksgiving

No other holiday celebrates the gift of wine like Thanksgiving. Wine is a taste of the harvest along with all the delicious dishes on the table. But actually choosing a bottle can feel like a thankless task, especially with so many flavours to match. Relax. Have a drink. And try some of my suggestions for great wines to pair with Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings that Leanne and I chat about in the video above. You can also watch our first video on fall wines here. In my free online matching tool, you can click on “turkey holiday dinner” […]

read more …

Read More

German-Speaking Wines and Biodynamic Winemaking with Valerie Kathawala

Introduction Are you curious about German-speaking wines and which ones you should try? Why is biodynamic winemaking particularly important for viticulture? What’s the real difference between natural wine and biodynamic wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m interviewing journalist and co-founder of TRINK magazine, Valerie Kathawala. 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 comments as we […]

read more …

Read More

Perfect Pairings for Thanksgiving with Quails’ Gate Wines

  The post is sponsored by Quails’ Gate Winery Nothing says harvest season like giving thanks over a large gathering of friends and family. This Thanksgiving we at Quails’ Gate Winery are thankful for a rich harvest from our vineyard and for you! To celebrate the season, we’ve compiled a list of perfect harvest pairings. These pairings can be your guide as you begin to plan and enjoy gatherings, feasts and being together. Below are 12 harvest-inspired meals and their corresponding wine pairings. Together these perfect food and wine experiences will have you satiated, satisfied and maybe even surprised! Pairing […]

read more …

Read More

Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings September 24

  You can access the wines that I reviewed as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. You can also see my wine reviews for September 10th. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two before the release based on the LCBO doing so. […]

read more …

Read More

Wine Temperatures and Tasting Tricks with Wines to Find Sandy Dawkins and Michelle Lester

Introduction Are you drinking your wine at the wrong temperature? Which wine gadgets will help you explore new wines without overindulging? Why should you breathe out through your nose after sipping wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m interviewing by Sandy Dawkins and Michelle Lester, hosts of the Wines To Find 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 […]

read more …

Read More

Horizontal and Vertical Tastings with Wines to Find Sandy Dawkins and Michelle Lester

Introduction What’s the single best thing you can do to improve your tasting skills? How can you discover some unusual but delicious food and wine pairings? How does music change the taste of wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m interviewing by Sandy Dawkins and Michelle Lester, hosts of the Wines To Find 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 […]

read more …

Read More

How to Choose the Perfect Anniversary Wines?

  Cyn: Anniversaries are a time to celebrate and reflect on memories made along the way. So today we’re going to do that through wine! We’re raising a glass to season 10 with the wine expert who’s been with us from the beginning. Mel: Here to help us pick out awesome anniversary bottles is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes. Welcome, Natalie! Jess: We’re going to take a walk down memory lane with you, Natalie, to see if we can recall the wine wisdom you’ve shared with us over the years. But first, you’ve brought us […]

read more …

Read More

6 Great Niagara VQA Wines to Drink + Visit

As we enter fall, there’s never been a better time to explore local wines and wineries. Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean who offers North America’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com.   Welcome Natalie.   First tell us why it’s a great time to explore Niagara wines.   – Delicious and pair well with fall dishes – Fall harvest is beautiful time to visit the region – Support local producers, Every bottle of Canadian wine made from Canadian grapes contributes about $80 to the economy versus $18 for an import. $11.6 billion to the economy with spin […]

read more …

Read More

Detecting Wine Aromas with Candy + Go South for Value with Lori Budd

Introduction Which candy-based trick can you use to teach yourself new flavors and aromas? What makes discovering a bargain wine more exciting than luxury wine? What does the tip “go south” mean when it comes to hidden values in wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Lori Budd, winemaker, writer and host of the Exploring The Wine Glass 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 […]

read more …

Read More

How do You Choose a Wine Class or Course? (Video)

On CTV’s The Social, we chat about how to choose a wine tasting class or course. Click the arrow above to watch the segment. You can join me in my free online video class here that also tells you more about my full course, with food and wine pairing. Cheers, Natalie   JESS I’ve been known to host some pretty epic wine nights – just ask anyone here! Not to brag, but it’s probably because I have a certificate in Italian wine which I got when I worked in the restaurant industry. And I found that after I started learning […]

read more …

Read More