Natalie MacLean's Blog, page 12

Dry January, Not Dull January: Low-Alcohol Wines to Whet Your Whistle

  As we kick off the new year, many of us are looking to make healthier choices. There’s a growing trend called Dry-ish January for those who want to moderate their alcohol intake without giving up on flavour.   Joining us today is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie!   Great to be back with you! I’d like to invite viewers to take the Dry-ish January Challenge and try one of these new low-alcohol and low-sugar wines each week.   How big is this trend?   Market research shows that 46% of […]

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Dry January, Not Dull January: 4 Wines That Taste Great

  As we kick off the new year, many of us are looking to make healthier choices. There’s a growing trend called Dry-ish January for those who want to moderate their alcohol intake without giving up on flavour.   Joining us today is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie!   Great to be with you, Paul! I’m excited to share these wines that prove less can be more with wines of elegance rather than power.     How big is this trend?   Market research shows that 46% of Gen Z participated in […]

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Yes, You Can Drink Wine During Dry January … Here’s How

  As we kick off the new year, many of us are looking to make healthier choices. There’s a growing trend called Dry-ish January for those who want to moderate their alcohol intake without giving up on flavour.   Joining us today is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie.   Great to be with you! I’m excited to share these wines that prove less can be more with wines of elegance rather than power.     How big is this trend?   Market research shows that 46% of Gen Z participated in Dry […]

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Shaking Up Dry January with Terrific Low and No-Alcohol Wines

  As we kick off the new year, many of us are looking to make healthier choices. There’s a growing trend called Dry-ish January for those who want to moderate their alcohol intake without giving up on flavour.   Joining us today is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie!   Great to be with you, Bindu!   How big is this trend?   Market research shows that 46% of Gen Z participated in Dry January last year, with Millennials and Gen X at about 20%. Even more are choosing “Dry-ish” or “Damp” […]

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How to Survive (and Thrive) This Dry January: Wines That Make it a Breeze

  As we kick off the new year, many of us are looking to make healthier choices. There’s a growing trend called Dry-ish January for those who want to moderate their alcohol intake without giving up on flavour.   Joining us today is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie!   Great to be back with you! I’m excited to share these wines that prove less can be more with wines of elegance rather than power.     How big is this trend?   Market research shows that 46% of Gen Z participated in […]

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Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings January 4, 2025

  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 December 14th. 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 […]

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Flute or White Wine Glass for Champagne, Serving Tips and Styles with Chris Ruhland

Introduction Should you drink Champagne from a white wine glass or a flute? What is the ideal temperature range for serving Champagne? What might surprise you about the technical side of Champagne production? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Christopher S. Ruhland, author of Press for Champagne: A Guide to Enjoying the World’s Greatest Sparkling Wine. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Giveaway Three of you are going to win a copy of his terrific book, Press for Champagne: A Guide to Enjoying the World’s Greatest Sparkling Wine.   How to Win To […]

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Dom Perignon, Grand Cru Champagnes and Marketing Myths with Chris Ruhland

Introduction Did the Benedictine monk Dom Perignon invent Champagne? Why is Grand Cru Champagne not necessarily the best Champagne? What makes Champagne so versatile and food-friendly? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Christopher S. Ruhland, author of the award-winning Press for Champagne: A Guide to Enjoying the World’s Greatest Sparkling Wine. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Giveaway Three of you are going to win a copy of his terrific book, Press for Champagne: A Guide to Enjoying the World’s Greatest Sparkling Wine.   How to Win To qualify, all you have to […]

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Piemonte Sparkling Wines, Roero Nebbiolo and Visiting Alba with David Way

Introduction In northern Italy,  Alba, Barolo and Barbaresco have become wine tourist destinations. How can you make the most of your visit to these regions in Piemonte? Why should you try a Nebbiolo wine from Roero? Why is there so much excitement about the sparkling wines of Piemonte now? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with David Way, author of the terrific 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 […]

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Festive Wines for Every Budget and 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 […]

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