Natalie MacLean's Blog, page 38

How are Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable, Vegan and Vegetarian Wines Different?

With April being Earth Month, it’s the perfect time to get a lesson in environmentally-conscious wines. Today we’re raising a glass to Mother Nature with Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes. Welcome, Natalie! There are several ways that wine can be made in a more environmentally-conscious way. We’re going to focus on a few of them today, starting with vegan and vegetarian wine. Natalie, this is blowing my mind because I assumed all wine was vegan! What makes wine not vegan-friendly? · It’s all in the clarifying—the removal of the particles which create cloudiness. · Fining […]

4 Blockbuster Books and Bottles to Celebrate World Book Day

  World Book Day is April 23rd, and you might like to toast your love of reading with a great book and bottle pairing. Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean, who is the author of the upcoming memoir Wine Witch on Fire. Welcome Natalie. What do you recommend first?       I have Mary Soderstrom’s book, Against the Seas, which is about what we can learn about coping with rising sea levels from ancient times. As glaciers melt within a few decades due to climate change, sea levels around the world may rise and coastal cities could be […]

Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings April 15, 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 April 1st. 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 […]

Wine Etiquette in Different Cultures and at Festivals with Dr. Clinton Lee

Introduction How can wine help you to broaden your understanding of different cultures? Which stark differences in culture and decorum will you see in various wine regions? What’s the right way, etiquette-wise, to receive your tasting sample at a wine festival or show? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Dr. Clinton Lee, Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Wine and Spirit Institute. 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 […]

5 Terrible Wine and Food Pairings and How to fix Them

  We all know that a big red wine pairs well with a steak, but what about more difficult dishes like vegetables and sushi? Well here to tell us about 5 terrible wine and food matches, and how to fix them, is Natalie MacLean, the author of the upcoming memoir, Wine Witch on Fire. Let’s start with veggies, especially asparagus, why are they so difficult to pair with wine? Asparagus and artichoke have cynarin, an organic acid, that stimulates our taste buds’ sugar receptors and fools us into thinking that everything we eat or drink afterwards is sweeter than it […]

Wines for Easter Brunch and Passover Dinner

  CTV News anchor Natalie Piero an I chat about wines for Easter brunch, Passover and other holiday weekend wines. Also check out The Essential Hip-Hop Guide to Easter Wines, which includes pairing ham and wine, lamb and wine, vegetables and wine, and chocolate and wine.     Wines for Easter Brunch and Passover Dinner Natalie Piero: Passover starts tonight and of course Easter is coming up this weekend. So Natalie MacLean is here to talk about the best wines to pair with whatever meal you might be serving or having for the holidays. Natalie MacLean: Absolutely, we have a variety of […]

Diversity in the Wine Industry + Vermentino Food Pairings with Sommelier Tonya Pitts

Introduction Why is Vermentino such a great wine to pair with food, and which dishes pair best with it? What are the markers and nuances in wine that are tied to a specific place? How is the wine industry changing when it comes to diversity, and what still needs to be done? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Sommelier of the Year, Tonya Pitts. 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 […]

Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings April 1, 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 March 18th. 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. […]

Navigating Big Restaurant Wine Lists + Sommelier’s Key Role with Tonya Pitts

Introduction Are you curious about what it takes to manage a list of 500 different wine labels at one of America’s best restaurants? Why is wine so powerful in creating memories? What is the most important role of the sommelier? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Sommelier of the Year, Tonya Pitts. 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. […]

How to Review a Book on Amazon, Indigo/Chapters and Barnes & Noble Bookstores

  Review a Book on Amazon 1. Sign into your Amazon account. 2. Type the book’s title into the search bar at the top. TIP You can also use the magnifying glass at the top right to search.     3. When on the book’s page, click on it and scroll down until you see Customer Reviews. Click on the Write a Customer Review button to pull up the review page.     4. Give it a Star Rating out of five stars.     5. Add the title to your review, for example, “A Great Mystery Book” or “My Kids […]