Natalie MacLean's Blog, page 50

Why Open That Special Bottle Tonight + Smell’s Role in a Full Life with Jim Duane

Introduction Why should you open that bottle of wine you’ve been saving? What makes Icewine such a difficult and expensive wine to produce? Why is the sense of smell such an important part of living a full life? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Jim Duane, winemaker and host of the Inside Winemaking Podcast. 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. […]

6 Best Boxed Wines, Canned Wines, Tetra Pak Wines (Video)

Gone are the days of thinking good wine has to come in a bottle. And taking your vino on the go has never been easier with the latest innovations in packaging. Here with some of her favourite canned and boxed sippers is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes. We’re excited to get tasting but before we start sipping the specific wines you’re recommending, tell us what’s driving the shift in these packaging trends?   There are three big reasons. First, convenience. All three formats are much easier to open than a bottle: no corkscrew required. You can […]

What’s the Right Temperature for Your Wine? (Video)

Part of relaxing at the cottage is often enjoying a glass of wine on the deck or the dock, but which wines, and how do we keep them cool when temperature soars? That’s what we chat about on Global Television’s Morning Show.     Let’s start with the sparkling wine you’ve selected for us, tell us about it. Nothing’s more refreshing than a glass of bubbles in the summer heat. However, when you’re at the cottage, you’re not going to crack open a bottle of Dom Perignon Champagne. You want something affordable and delicious. That’s why I’ve picked Relax Bubbles, […]

7 Best Wine and Book Pairings: What to Drink While You Read (Video)

Alex and I had so much fun chatting about pairing bottles with books on CTV’s morning show. What’s the first pairing you recommend? We’re starting on the west coast with The New York Times bestselling memoir, Wild, by Cheryl Strayed. After Cheryl loses her mother to cancer and her own marriage is destroyed, she decides to hike the Pacific Northwest Trail, more a thousand miles, from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State alone and without any training. It’s a deeply moving story of how this young woman heals through this treacherous journey     I’d pair […]

Pairing Quebec and Nova Scotia Wine with Books (Video)

We’re back with more Canadian books and bottles to help you celebrate your long weekend. You can watch our previous segment with BC and Ontario books and wines here. Natalie, you’re starting with Quebec. What do you recommend?   I have a zesty sparkling wine from Domaine Pelchat in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, with aromas of freshly baked bread and green apples. Domaine Pelchat Lemaître-Auger La Noce Sparkling Wine Quebec, Canada It would pair well with shellfish, spicy dishes and La Belle Bête (Mad Shadows), written by Marie-Claire Blais when she was just twenty years old.         It […]

Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Online Exclusives Vintages Release Ratings July 30th

  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 June 30th. 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 about […]

Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Online Exclusives Vintages Release Ratings July 28th

  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 June 30th. 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 about […]

Wine Stories, Food Pairings, and Canadian Wines with Inside Winemaking’s Jim Duane

Introduction What is it really like to be a wine industry insider? How can stories help you to learn? What makes Riesling one of the most food-friendly wines? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Jim Duane, winemaker and host of the Inside Winemaking Podcast. 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. I’ll be jumping into the comments as we watch it […]

Best Barbecue Wines: Pairing Wine with Your Grilled Grub (Video)

Now that we’re officially into barbecue season, you may think of having beer with your grilled grub, but wine can also work. Whether you love BBQ seafood, veggies, chicken or beef, there’s a wine for that. Here with her tips for you is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com/class. Welcome Natalie! Let’s start with lighter fare like grilled veggies and seafood. Which wines work well with those?             Loimer Grüner Veltliner Kamptal D.A.C., Austria                 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling […]

Cracking the DaVino Code with Wine Economist, Mike Veseth

Introduction Did you know there’s a triple crisis in the battle for the soul of wine right now? Why do you need to master the DaVino Code? What makes some of the claims on “better for you” wines misleading? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with author and editor of The Wine Economist newsletter, Mike Veseth. 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 […]