Natalie MacLean's Blog, page 49

Wine Paired with Fast Food: CTV’s The Social Video

  We had so much fun pairing wine with fast food this past Friday on The Social, CTV’s new national talk show in the video. Think “The View”, but with smarter hosts and a much stronger social media angle. Hosts Melissa Grelo, Lainey Lui, Traci Melchor and Cynthia Loyst all have impressive backgrounds with other successful shows. I’m honoured to be their new wine go-to gal on the show. You can also watch our second episode where we do a novel take on the game show The Price is Right and talk about how wines are priced and more importantly, […]

Zinfandel Pairings, Magical AVAs and Yeast Secrets with Winemaker Kerith Overstreet

Introduction Would you like to discover some weird but wonderful food pairings for zinfandel? How can American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) help you find new wines to love? How does yeast have a profound impact on wine’s taste? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Kerith Overstreet, the winemaker at Bruliam Wines in Sonoma, California and a former medical doctor. 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 […]

The Best Gruner Veltliner Wines: How They Taste, How to Pronounce It + Food Pairings (Video)

Ah summer, we want to hang on to it as long as we can. What better way then with wines that are best enjoyed at this time of the year, especially Austrian Gruner Veltliner, as Natalie MacLean of nataliemaclean.com discusses on CTV.    You’ve picked a white wine for us today that some people may not be familiar with. Tell us about it. I have a bouquet of Gruner Veltliners from Austria for your summer sipping pleasure! Grüner means “green” and I think that’s fitting because it offers a lot of lime zest and green apple refreshment in the summer. […]

Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings August 13

    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 July 16th. 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. […]

Iconic Wisconsin Cheeses, Wine & Beta Readers with Author Joy Ribar

Introduction Why is Wisconsin the most famous state in the US for its cheeses and what do they produce? Which iconic, delicious Wisconsin cheeses should you try? What is a beta reader and why would you want to become one? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Joy Ann Ribar, author of the Deep Lakes Cozy Mystery series. 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 […]

Music and Wine Pairing: Cabernet in C Major

On CTV’s The Social yesterday, we had so much fun pairing wine and music. This was also the topic on CTV News with Leanne further below. MARCI Welcome back. Would you add heavy metal music to your playlist if someone told you it’d make your wine taste better? Well, our next guest says it’s something you should consider because a growing body of research suggests music may influence the way our brain interprets the flavour of wine. LAINEY Natalie MacLean is the editor of Canada’s largest wine review site and she’s here to put that theory to the test. Welcome […]

Chicken and Canadian Cheddar Sliders Recipe with Chardonnay and Riesling Pairings

  Hooray for summer weekends! Typically I like to do something low-key on the weekends, like get out of the city and go to a cottage with friends. But if you’re anything like me, planning the perfect cottage meal can be a challenge; it’s easy to resort to the standard hot dogs and hamburgers. To take a break from the regular cottage fare, try this recipe for Chicken and Canadian Cheddar Sliders with Cucumber Remoulade. They’re a refreshing change from the usual, with smooth Canadian Cream Cheese and yummy Canadian Cheddar. The cheese definitely taste delicious on their own, and […]

What’s Hot in the World of Wine? Latest Trends (Video)

The hosts of CTV’s The Social and I had great fun chatting about hot, new wine trends. Have you tried any of these wines? Let me know in the comments.   What’s heating up in the world of wine this summer? What should we be thinking—and drinking—when it comes to wine? Our next guest is here with the trends to look out for this summer. Joining us now is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com.   Let’s start with the first type of wine that’s trending right now: orange wines. What […]

Cozy Mysteries in Wine Country + Wisconsin Wines with Author Joy Ribar

Introduction Would you like to hear about some fabulous mystery books that are set in wine country? What is it about books that encourage deep connections with readers? Are you curious about Wisconsin wines? Why are the state’s wine region a beautiful place to visit? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Joy Ann Ribar, author of the Deep Lakes Cozy Mystery series. 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 […]

How to Choose Wine from a Restaurant List like a Pro

On CTV’s The Social yesterday, we chatted about how to choose wine from a restaurant list, including how to indicate how much you want to pay without saying it out loud and sending back a bad bottle. On Twitter, many folks asked which rosé I poured for Teddy. It’s the lovely Anew Rosé from Columbia Valley in Washington State. On Marci’s table is the Jackson-Triggs Cabernet Shiraz. Hope these tips help you through you next restaurant wine experience. Ask for help Find someone who should the wine list well, usually the sommelier, the bartender or your server. Tell your sommelier a few […]