Pairing Canadian Wine with Poutine, Smoked Meat, Tourtiere

We’re back with more Canadian wines and dishes to help you celebrate your long weekend. Natalie, you’re taking us to Quebec next. What do you recommend? We can’t talk about Quebec wine and cuisine without talking about poutine. Few Canadian dishes are as iconic as this bowl of crispy fries and squeaky cheese curds with a generous ladling of gravy over it.         I’d pair this dish with a Quebec Rosé that’ll cut through the wonderful richness of this dish and maybe even help clean out your arteries afterwards. This one from Domaine Pelchat in Quebec’s Eastern […]

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7 Mouth-Watering Comfort Food and Wine Pairings

As the weather cools, we enjoy heartier dishes, including comfort food. But which wines should you pair with them? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com.   First off, are there such things as comfort wines?   After much research on this topic, I concluded there were no “uncomfortable wines” since I found them all of great comfort. However, I found that certain wines tend to pair better with comfort food than others.   Great! Tell us about your first pairing.   Comfort food tends to have rich, robust flavours. […]

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Wine for Sex and the City, Casablanca, Bridget Jones, Sideways

What can make watching your favourite movie even more fun? A great bottle of wine. Here with her tips and sips is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com Welcome Natalie Hello Bob!   You’re going to share some of your favourite wine moments in the movies, then suggest a pairing. What are we looking at first? In Best Supporting Role, I’d like to nominate this Cupcake Light-Hearted Chardonnay from California, with just 100 calories.         Cupcake Vineyards Light Hearted Chardonnay California, United States         So I’d raise a […]

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Pairing BC and Ontario Wine with Books (Video)

The long weekend is coming up, and you might be celebrating with a glass of Canadian wine or two, but what should you pair with your vino beyond BBQ? How about some Canadian books?   Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com   So we’re going to start on the west coast Natalie. What do you recommend? We’re starting with Nk’Mip Cellars (pronounced in-ka-meep) Winemaker’s Series Talon, the first Indigenous-owned winery in North America. Nk’Mip means “Bottomland” because the vineyards are planted at the southern tip of the Osoyoos Indian […]

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Wine and Comfort Food Pairing: Revel in Your Rut

Yes, I know that I’m supposed to be forward-looking to spring with a chirpy article about zesty white wines to pair with fresh vegetables, but it’s so cold outside … and I’m tired of writing seasonally-appropriate editorial content. So let’s make wallowing fun, and turn to comfort wines paired with comfort food. In our continuing video series with Canadian Press, we look at quick tips on pairing those old favourites, from braised meat to pasta in cream sauce with wine. It’ll make you (almost) care what time of year it is when you have bottled sunshine. Here are my favourite […]

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Risky Business: Breaking the Rules of Wine & Food Pairing

By Rebecca Meïr-Liebman of Chef & Somm I’m not a follower of hard and fast rules. Charts and wheels are fun, but the best experiences I’ve had have been when I broke the rules. Applying the rules to wine and food pairing will deliver a decent experience, but for an exceptional pairing, it’s all about risks. Most charts insist that Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine for beef. But is it really? Always? But charts don’t reflect our actual dining habits. Most guides list a single ingredient – chicken, beef, duck, etc. – but how often is there just one ingredient […]

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Canadian Wine and BBQ Food Pairings Video

Leanne and I chat about the great Canadian wines nominated to pair with grilled food in The Great Canadian Wine Match: BBQ Edition. Find out why  these wines are great matches for barbecued chicken, pork, beef, seafood, vegetables and dessert. The wines hail from all of Canada’s major wine producing wine regions, including: Okanagan Valley, BC Niagara, Pelee Island, Lake Erie and Prince Edward County in Ontario Eastern Townships in Quebec Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia Just 4 days left to vote for your favourite Canadian wines! Hashtag #GCWM       Canadian Wine and BBQ Food Pairings Video   […]

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Slow-Basted BBQ Ribeye Recipe Paired with Slow Press Cabernet Sauvignon

SLOW-BASTED BBQ RIBEYE Thick-cut boneless ribeyes are seasoned with cocoa, sea salt and ground pepper, then basted in a Slow Press Cabernet Sauvignon BBQ sauce for juicy taste and smoky-sweet-savory flavor. PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK TIME: 15 minutes PORTIONS: 4 SERVING SIZE: 1 beef ribeye steak INGREDIENTS: ½ cup Slow Press Cabernet Sauvignon4 12 oz. boneless ribeye steaks½ cup smoky style BBQ sauce2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper2 tsp. sea salt METHOD: Prepare the Slow Press Cabernet Sauvignon BBQ sauce: Place Slow Press Cabernet Sauvignon and bbq sauce in a mixing bowl and whisk to […]

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Pairing Wine & Charcuterie with Jennifer McLagan

Introduction In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Jennifer McLagan, an author and expert in charcuterie. Sometimes, I think we’ve become so paranoid about fat in our diets that we forget that not all fats are alike. Jennifer talks about those that are good for us, and together, we discover some terrific wines to pair with them. Enjoy!   Highlights When did Jennifer realize she wanted to write about food? What is Jennifer’s favourite failure? How does Jennifer respond to people who are concerned about “healthy eating”? What was the best moment of Jennifer’s career […]

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Bottle of the Sexes: Women versus Men on Wine

Introduction Are men from Bordeaux and women from Burgundy? In my 20 years of studying and writing about wine, I’ve encountered a lot of differences in how men and women approach the subject. There are also several studies that show the same thing. In honour of International Women’s Day this week, I’m diving deep into “women’s wines”, whether they’re actually any good and how wines marketed to women are affecting the industry.   Highlights Are the “chick wines” on the market any good or are they simply marketing gimmicks? What are my thoughts and tasting notes for three of the […]

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