Natalie MacLean's Blog, page 21

How to Buy the Perfect Summer Wine

In this episode of our wine education video series, we look at to buy a terrific summer wine, whether it’s for fresh seafood, barbecued meats or crisp salad. Also find out why you should take another look at rose wine this summer. What’s your favourite warm weather wine? Post with permission of Canadian Press (CP).   So, this summer I think it is a great time to crack open a bottle of Canadian wine. Whether you’re grilling meats on the barbecue or you’re having some fresh seafood this summer, or even field green summer salads, the range of styles here […]

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Wines for Summer BBQ, Picnics, Seafood: CJAD Radio

 Which wines to crack open for summer BBQs: big reds for meats and flavourful whites for seafood and veggies. Seven Deadly Zins, Menage a Trois, Innsikillin Riesling, St. Nicholas Cider and Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc. Do you have to pay much a lot for good wine? No, and here’s why. We chat about this and other tasty topics on CJAD radio, one of the largest morning talk shows in the country. Wines for Summer BBQ, Picnics, Seafood: CJAD Radio Barry: 7:41 summer’s here, although it’s kind of tough to tell this morning, but summer is here. So what wines go […]

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Summer Wines and Seafood, Barbecue, Picnics – Sommelier Sheila Person

In this interview, I chat Sheila Person who at the time was sommelier and manager at Eight Wine Bar in Toronto. Sheila has since moved back to Calgary, Alberta, where she shares her passion for wine at Crowfoot Wine and Spirits. We chat about spring and summer wines, including great bottles for the cottage and pairings for her favourite books. Fun! What first got you interested in wine? Growing up in small town Alberta, I wasn’t exactly immersed in wine culture.  Sure, my parents drank it, and my dad even made fruit wine, but it was actually the tools that […]

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Heroic Italian Wines & the Future of Italy’s Wines with Marc Millon

Introduction What is a heroic wine? Which emerging trends will shape the taste of Italian wine in the next decade? How has Italian art and architecture directly influenced its wines? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with author Marc Millon. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Giveaway Three of you will win a copy of Marc Millon’s terrific new book Italy in a Wineglass: The Story of Italy Through Its Wines..   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 […]

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Wine and Egg Pairing: Does it Work?

  This story by Shawna Wagman originally appeared on Ottawa Magazine. Eggs are not an ideal mate for wine but mimosas do the trick. For MacLean, eggs are a stomach-filler needed for drinking. The Eater: Natalie MacLean is Canada’s best-known wine writer and self-styled “wine cheapskate”. She is the author of Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines, which was recently awarded a Taste Canada food writing award for the best English-language culinary narrative. The Place: I learned my lesson dining out with MacLean a few months ago at Brothers Beer Bistro; for her food is an […]

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4 Wines (and Reasons) to Celebrate National Wine Day

Watch the CTV Morning Live video here   This Saturday is National Wine Day and here to help us celebrate is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com.   Welcome, Natalie. Wine has a long and rich history, doesn’t it? Yes, ancient clay jars containing wine residue dating back to 6,000 BCE have been found in the country of Georgia. Egyptians were among the first to document the winemaking process in tomb paintings around 2500 BCE. The ancient Greeks and Romans not only improved winemaking processes, but they also spread wine culture […]

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How Wildfires Are Changing the Landscape of Wine Country

Watch CTV News video here   I’ve been reporting on the economic and environmental impact wildfires have on the wine industry. My hope is that this raises awareness among consumers for both the importance of fire safety in wine country and the need to support these wineries as they struggle to recover from these events. Here’s the latest segment on CTV News with anchor Mutsumi Takahashi.   Wildfire season has already begun and it’s hit Alberta and British Columbia hard. Last year, wildfires were also hard on B.C.’s wine country. So what do the wildfires mean for Canada’s wine industry […]

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Italy in a Wine Glass: The Story of Italy Through Its Wines with Marc Millon

Introduction Which almost-forgotten grape Italian varieties deserve more recognition? What might surprise you about the stories and wines from Campania? What makes wine such a great narrative vehicle throughout history? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with author Marc Millon. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Giveaway Three of you will win a copy of Marc Millon’s terrific new book Italy in a Wineglass: The Story of Italy Through Its Wines.   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 […]

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Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings May 25, 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 May 11th. 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. Curious […]

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Mixing Business and Pleasure; Authenticity and Forgery in Art and Wine with Bianca Bosker

Introduction How are innovators making art and wine more engaging and accessible? What is it about the art and wine worlds that makes business and pleasure often one and the same? Is authenticity in art and wine important? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with author Bianca Bosker. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Giveaway Three of you will win a copy of Bianca Bosker’s terrific new book Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See.   How to Win […]

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