The bookshelves in my kitchen long ago exceeded their maximum capacity. Nowadays, those shelves are stocked only with essential titles that come in handy when emergencies arise — like when I forget how to truss a moose or the best way to deodorize a durian. Most of my books about food and beverages are shelved with the rest of the library, a few feet away from the volumes of poetry and fiction, and fantasy — a category that includes the many dozens of tomes that promise to improve my golf swing. In case your holiday shopping list includes books about […]
Month: December 2011
The author has emerged as one of the most gifted, entertaining and downright funny wine writers – Dayton Daily News
If you have a wine enthusiast or two on your holiday gift list, but feel intimidated at the very thought of trying to find just the right bottle of wine to give them, give the gift of words instead. The 2011 vintage was a robust and satisfying one for wine books. There are some very fine reads available on bookstore shelves and online at various book-seller Internet sites, and the price is right. Your gift recipients can light a warming fire, pour themselves a sampling from one of their favorite bottles, snuggle into the couch and learn a thing or […]
I’m a sucker for good narrative, and I found it in Unquenchable Demystifying Wine Pricing in Relation to Quality – Serious Eats
I like Natalie MacLean’s entertaining and often cheeky writing about wine. Other wine writers might describe riesling as “refreshing in a world awash with vanilla, oak, and jam.” But how many of them would follow that up with this aside (“In life and in wine: too much foreplay is frustrating and too quick satiation is boring.”) without us collectively screaming “Nooo!! TMI!” But in MacLean’s writing, such sassiness works. She’s an everywoman of wine, and in her latest book, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines, MacLean turns her attention to “demystifying wine pricing in relation to […]
Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Best Drinks Book – Unquenchable
Just received news that Unquenchable was selected as the winner of the 2011 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Best Drinks Book. Off to get a top up now and continue the research …
Ideas for Holiday Gift Wines, How to Spot Bargains, Mobile Wine App to Help Shopping – CBC Ontario Morning
Why it pays to “go south” when hunting for wine bargains, what are sure bet gift wines and why go local is a delicious decision (not just the right one). Wines recommended include Huff Estates, Closson Chase, Inniskillin, Tawse and Le Clos Jordanne.
A Gifted Story Teller who Writes with a Humorous Bent – Huffington Post
Didn’t get all your holiday shopping done on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Not to worry, I’ve got a list of wine-inspired gifts, organized by the personality of the recipient. You can get most of these gifts online and in time to make it under the tree (if you start shopping now!). I can’t put down Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines by Natalie MacLean. She’s a multimedia wine personality, with a blog, videos and books. Natalie is a gifted story teller who writes with a humorous bent. No matter how much you know about wine, […]
More than Five Million Followers, Two Books and Christmas Wine and Food Memories – The Ottawa Citizen
It’s not surprising that many of Natalie MacLean’s holiday memories revolve around drink. The Ottawa sommelier has two books to her name, wine columns with more than five million followers and a shelf-full of awards. She was named the World’s Best Drinks Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia. “I beat them to a pulp with my liver,” chuckles MacLean, whose wit makes her a favourite at wine and food shows across the country. “I love what I write about. It’s a great honour to be invited into the kitchens of some of the world’s best winemakers.” When […]
3 Insider Tips to Buy Wine that’s Affordable and Awesome
If you’re heading out to do some wine shopping, you might find these 3 quick tips helpful to spot the wines that taste twice as expensive as they cost: 1. Look for wines from warm regions, like Argentina and Chile. Often the cost of production is cheaper because winemakers aren’t battling disease, rot and weather as much as cool climate producers do. Therefore, there’s less crop loss and lower costs for production. 2. Seek labels that have illegible gothic script and impossibly long names that are difficult to pronounce in the liquor store (or anywhere else). Few people can read […]
How to Choose a Gift Wine – Elle Magazine
I was happy to contribute some advice on how to choose a gift wine for the January issue of Elle Magazine… Natalie MacLean, author of Unquenchable, offers some tips for gift giving. Bringing the perfect bottle of wine to a dinner party can be tricky. Try selecting a wine that has a personal story to give your host. As in: “We toasted out first apartment with this wine; we hope it brings you as much luck as it did us.”
Signed copies of Unquenchable in Stores Now … lovely holiday gifts :)
I’ll keep this list current as I make my way across the country and sign more copies of Unquenchable (and develop cabernet carpal tunnel syndrome). I can’t believe how fast these signed editions disappear from stores, so get yours as soon as you can if you want one or several as gifts. Ottawa Gloucester Chapters 2401 City Park Drive, 613-744-5175 Rideau Chapters 47 Rideau Street 613-241-0073 Sparks Street SmithBooks 56 Sparks Street 613-236-0637 Bank Street The Book Company 128 Bank Street 613-238-7683 Kanata Chapters Kanata Centrum, 400 Earl Grey Drive 613-271-7553 Costco Kanata 770 Silver Seven Road 613-270-5550 Ottawa Airport […]
