Natalie MacLean's Blog, page 10

Exploring Piemonte Wines Beyond Barolo and Barbaresco with David Way

Introduction Are you curious about the wines of Piemonte in northern Italy? Why are Barolo and Barbaresco often compared with Burgundy? What makes Nebbiolo unique as a grape? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with David Way, author of the new book The Wines of Piemonte. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Giveaway Two of you will win a copy of his terrific new book, The Wines of Piemonte.   How to Win To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and let me know that you’ve posted a review of the […]

The post Exploring Piemonte Wines Beyond Barolo and Barbaresco with David Way appeared first on Natalie MacLean.

Toast to the Season: Choosing Wines for Every Celebration

    ‘Tis the season for holiday gift giving. What if you’d like to give someone a bottle of wine? How do you know which one to choose? Here to help us with that is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com   Welcome back, Natalie. So if choosing the right bottle is so tricky, why should we give wine or spirits as a gift at all?   When you give the gift of wine, doubles are fine unlike toaster ovens, there are no wrong sizes unlike that ugly sweater and regifting is so much easier compared […]

The post Toast to the Season: Choosing Wines for Every Celebration appeared first on Natalie MacLean.

Raise a Glass! The Best Bottles to Gift This Holiday Season

  ‘Tis the season for holiday gift giving. What if you’d like to give someone a bottle of wine or spirits? How do you know which one to choose? Here to help us with that is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com   Welcome back, Natalie. So if choosing the right bottle is so tricky, why should we give wine or spirits as a gift at all?   When you give the gift of wine or spirits, doubles are fine unlike toaster ovens, there are no wrong sizes unlike that ugly sweater and regifting is so […]

The post Raise a Glass! The Best Bottles to Gift This Holiday Season appeared first on Natalie MacLean.

Why We Struggle to Describe Wine Yet Keep Trying with Hugh Johnson

Introduction Why is it so difficult to describe wine? How did England pave the way for Champagne as we know it today? What do winemaking and gardening share beyond being plant-based? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Hugh Johnson. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Giveaway Two of you will win a copy of his marvellous memoir, The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson.   How to Win To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and let me know that you’ve posted a review of the podcast. It […]

The post Why We Struggle to Describe Wine Yet Keep Trying with Hugh Johnson appeared first on Natalie MacLean.

How Much do you Know About Champagne? Take the Pop Quiz

Got your champagne ready for New Year’s? Here are my Top 20 Champagnes to celebrate the New Year and which stores have them in stock now. Take the Pop Quiz below and you’ll have some trivia to drop this evening as you celebrate the New Year! Pop Quiz 1. Is all sparkling wine champagne? No. Only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France may be called Champagne. It’s a trademarked word. 2. Before the modern era of product placement in movies, which Champagne was the favourite of James Bond? Bollinger or as Bond would call it, Bolly. That was also in […]

The post How Much do you Know About Champagne? Take the Pop Quiz appeared first on Natalie MacLean.

The legendary Hugh Johnson, author of The World Atlas of Wine, on how you can improve your wine-tasting skill and pleasure

Introduction Are you curious what it would be like to ask for wine advice from legendary Hugh Johnson, author of The World Atlas of Wine, among many other books? What would he advise you on how you can improve your wine-tasting skill and pleasure? Why was Hugh initially against wine scoring and how has his perspective changed over the years? What makes a wine great in Hugh’s opinion? Why does Hugh now prefer English sparkling wines over his long-time favourite Pol Roger Champagne? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Hugh Johnson. You can find the wines we […]

The post The legendary Hugh Johnson, author of The World Atlas of Wine, on how you can improve your wine-tasting skill and pleasure appeared first on Natalie MacLean.

Game Snack Match: 4 Perfect Pairings for Game Night Nibbles

Click on the image above to play the video   It’s easy to pair a gourmet meal with wine, but what about our favourite game snacks? Here to help us is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com.   Welcome Natalie.   Great to be back with you! We’re going to drink outside the box with these unusual but delicious pairings.     Sounds good! We’re starting with popcorn – got a wine for that?   Yes, what would be better with popcorn than Bread & Butter?!         Bread & Butter Pinot Grigio California, […]

The post Game Snack Match: 4 Perfect Pairings for Game Night Nibbles appeared first on Natalie MacLean.

Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings November 30, 2024

    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 November 16th. These are just some of the benefits of supporting our 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. Curious […]

The post Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings November 30, 2024 appeared first on Natalie MacLean.

10 Best Cabernet Franc Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Cabernet Franc

    Cabernet Franc is one of the five grapes in Bordeaux blends, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. You’ll find my top 10 Cabernet Franc reviews and ratings here.   5 Surprising Facts about Cabernet Franc: 1. Cabernet Franc is a thin-skinned, early-ripening grape with a lighter body and acidity than the robust Cabernet Sauvignon, but is more susceptible to spring frosts. 2. Cabernet Franc, along with Sauvignon Blanc, is actually one of the genetic parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. 3. In France, which boasts the most vineyard acreage of Cabernet Franc in the world, several regions […]

The post 10 Best Cabernet Franc Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Cabernet Franc appeared first on Natalie MacLean.

What are the 4 Best Wines and Whiskies to Give as Holiday Gifts?

 Click on the image above to play the video ‘Tis the season for holiday entertaining and gift giving. What if you’d like to give someone a bottle of wine or spirits? How do you know which one to choose? Here to help us with that is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com     Welcome back, Natalie. So if choosing the right wine is so tricky, why should we give wine as a gift at all?   When you give the gift of wine, doubles are fine unlike toaster ovens, there are no wrong sizes […]

The post What are the 4 Best Wines and Whiskies to Give as Holiday Gifts? appeared first on Natalie MacLean.