Calzone with Artichokes, Ham, Ricotta, and Parmesan Paired with: Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon By: Karl Wente, Fifth Generation Winemaker As we head into the winter months, I always start looking towards some heartier dishes and the wines to match with them, especially after the yearly exhaustion of harvest. One wine that I’m incredibly proud of and often turn to at this time of year is the Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has plump aromas of blackberry, cherry, currant and cinnamon toast, and is an incredible value as it is all estate grown from sustainable vineyards. […]
Month: November 2011
Closson Chase Chardonnay, Trapiche Malbec, Mitola Cabernet among the best wines in the Vintages Release November 12
This week’s wine reviews and value picks cover all price points, styles and regions: I’ve recommended a total of 86 wines. You can add my Top Wine Picks to your custom shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. Natalie [table id=21 /] You get all of my wine tasting notes and scores when you subscribe to my wine reviews for $2.10 a month, the cost of less than two litres of gas in return for memorable wine paired meals.
Insider Tips for Buying the Best Value Wines Plus Alamos Malbec, Goats do Roam, Quails Gate Riesling, Sumac Ridge Tribute Sparkling Wine
I love chatting with Fanny Kiefer on her show Studio 4. She’s considered Canada’s Oprah for good reason: she asks smart and provocative questions. We talking about wine, the book and bargain hunting.
Unquenchable Wine Book Tour: Raise a Glass with Me!
I am so excited about meeting you, my fellow wine lovers, this fall! Come out and raise a glass (or three) with me during the tour for my second wine book Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines.
Cellars Wines from France, Spain, Italy and Argentina from the November 12 Vintages Release
TRAPICHE FAUSTO ORELLANA DE ESCOBAR SINGLE VINEYARD MALBEC 2007 – $39.95 On the edge of being GPCi worthy (a bit too expensive for the years it can be cellared). Trapiche is an outstanding and a consistent producer. Their single vineyard is especially good. If you want to treat yourself and see the difference between a $15 and a $40 Malbec, this is a good opportunity. You don’t need to be an expert to taste the difference. D’ARENBERG THE DEAD ARM SHIRAZ 2007 – $54.95 I really like D’Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz, but the reviews were not as […]
Ratatouille Recipe Paired with Bordeaux Chateau Des Moines 2008
Ratatouille by: Shari Goodman Throw the word “Ratatouille” (rat-a-too-ee) into a conversation these days and people tend to think of the 2007 Oscar winning, computer-animated movie produced by Pixar. In this movie, Remy the rat, dreams of becoming the best chef in Paris, and not to spoil the movie if you are among the few who have not seen it, the French dish, Ratatouille plays a significant role. Ratatouille is not only beautiful to behold, it is a perfect dish for this time of year when Farmer’s Markets are still offering vegetables fresh from the gardens. And the good news […]
Unquenchable is the Hilarious and Informative result of…
When I heard Natalie MacLean had released a new book, she of the famous title Red, White and Drunk All Over, I knew I wanted to read it. Unquenchable is the hilarious and informative result of years of research proving that bargain wines don’t always have to leave you with a bargain taste. In the book, the author revives her gift of humorous storytelling (just wait until you meet Wolf Blass of Wolf Blass Winery in Australia, you won’t soon forget him) with her gift for picking a good wine. In Unquenchable, the book provides plenty of facts and history […]
Mushroom Risotto with Butternut Squash Recipe Paired with San Michele A Torri Chianti Colli Fiorentini
Mushroom Risotto with Butternut Squash Paired with: SAN MICHELE A TORRI CHIANTI COLLI FIORENTINI 2009 By: Shari Goodman I’ve been tentative about risotto. Not about eating it. Who doesn’t love a plate full of starch? But about making it. Though I love it, I’d never made it before. And it turns out to be easier to make than I had thought; it just requires attention now and then. Not constant attention as some people may think. Just the occasional, prevent-from-sticking kind of stirring. Use Italian Arborio rice for the best results. This short-grain rice retains a creaminess and slight chew. […]
The Energizer Bunny of the Wine World has Sampled 15,267 Wines in 8 Countries on 5 Continents – Sharon’s Wine Line
Sharon’s Wine Line On her journey searching for some of the planet’s best bargain wines, Natalie MacLean sampled an astounding 15,267 wines at 312 wineries in 8 countries on 5 continents so you don’t have to. You can just sit back in your favorite chair and read her book and learn and enjoy and laugh. The only drawback: You’ll have to supply your own wine. MacLean’s an accredited sommelier, a “lover of both bargains and grapes.” She’s extraordinarily accomplished. Among her citations: four James Beard Foundation Journalism awards, six Bert Green Awards for excellence in food journalism and the 2009 […]
Demystifying the relationship between wine price and quality – Sommelier Journal
Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines Demystifying the relationship between wine price and quality, MacLean travels the world in search of wine values, sharing tales of the eccentric personalities and scenic surroundings she discovers along the way. You can read more reviews of my new wine book Unquenchable here.
