Natalie MacLean's Blog, page 31

Wine Supertasters Live in a Neon Sensory World

Watch this CTV News video here   In her new book Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much, Natalie MacLean talks about being a supertaster. The book has just become a national bestseller and she’s here to tell us more about supertasters and how we can find out if we are one.   Welcome Natalie.   So what is a supertaster and why are women more likely to be one? Dr. Linda Bartoshuk, at Yale University School of Medicine, discovered the supertaster phenomenon in 1999. Women are more than twice as likely […]

The Secrets of Barbaresco, Barolo and Mourvedre with Andy James, Author of Bandol Wine and the Magic of Mourvedre

Introduction Why is Bandol the only wine region that leads with Mourvèdre? What would surprise you about the northern Italian grape and wine Barbaresco? What would it be like to spend a day picking grapes in a Sauvignon Blanc vineyard? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Andy James, author of Bandol Wine and the Magic of Mourvèdre. 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 […]

The Art of Austrian Wine: From Auslese to Zweigelt

By Alana Lapierre   If a question on the American game show Jeopardy! showcased the varietes Gruner Veltliner and Blaufrankisch, a contestant would surely respond promptly with, “What are two of Austria’s most well-known varieties?” They’d be correct of course, but that answer would also belie the great depth and variety of Austria’s terroir, one that I had the pleasure of tasting through following Austrian Wine’s June 2021 Ontario online tasting event that included wine samples, public seminars, and private video meetings with winemakers. Austria is known mostly for fresh, pure white wines and exceptional value for money in terms […]

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Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings September 9, 2023

  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 August 19th. 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 […]

Bandol Wine and the Magic of Mourvèdre with Author Dr. Andy James

Introduction How does Mourvèdre taste different from other southern French grapes that also produce full-bodied red wines? Did you know that Mourvèdre can age for up to 40 years but has stages where it shuts down completely? What would a 20-year-old Rosé taste like? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Andy James, author of Bandol Wine and the Magic of Mourvèdre. 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 […]

Sustainable Austrian Wine Goes Greener

  By Jenny Ratcliffe-Wright CWM For over two millennia, wine has been a part of Austrian culture, with the first findings of wine dating back to the Celts and Romans around 700BC. In fact, Austria’s flagship white grape, Gruner Veltliner, which covers 37% of Austria’s vineyards today, was created in the 10th century.   Today the wine growing area of Austria totals 113,000 acres and is farmed by 23,000 wine growers. Almost all of Austria’s fine wines are produced by small family wineries which have been doing so, in the same way, for centuries.  Today’s young winemakers are building on […]

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Austrian Grüner Veltliner’s Versatility & the Magic of Minerality with Terry Theise

Introduction Is minerality a taste, a texture, or something else when it comes to wine? Why is Austrian Gruner Veltliner more versatile than Riesling? How do you find a great grower Champagne? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Terry Theise, a much-respected expert on and importer of boutique wines from Germany, Austria, and Champagne. 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 […]

How a Wine Critic Chooses Wines for TV Segments

Watch this CTV News video here   Many of you are familiar with our resident bon vivant Natalie MacLean who recommends great wines for us, but how does she select those wines? She talks about this in her bestselling book Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much and joins us now to give us those behind-the-scenes factors that go into her decisions. Welcome, Natalie.   So you’ve been recommending wines to us for several years now. How do you choose which bottles you’ll suggest? First, I put on a blindfold, then I walk […]

Soul-Searching German Riesling with Terry Theise, Author of What Makes a Wine Worth Drinking

Introduction Are you curious about the soul-searching nature of German Riesling? Why is Riesling the best wine for tasters to train themselves to improve their skills? Why shouldn’t you approach a new glass of wine with anticipation? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Terry Theise, a much-respected expert on and importer of boutique wines from Germany, Austria, and Champagne. 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 […]

Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings August 19, 2023

  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 August 5th. 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 […]