Wine Paired with Ham for Easter and Beyond

One of the classic Easter dishes is ham. Most hams are wet-cured with brine or saline solution and then smoked. Popular finishes are a sweet glaze of bourbon and brown sugar or maple syrup or orange marmalade. This gives the meat a glistening finish and an appetizing salty-sweet taste. The dish is often accompanied by tangy dressings such as cloves, dried fruit chutney or apricot preserves. All those powerful fruit and spice flavors are delicious, but they’re tough on many wines. What works best is usually a zippy white with a touch of sweetness, such as an off-dry Canadian or […]

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10 Best Moscato d’Asti Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Moscato d’Asti

Moscato d’Asti is a fragrant and slightly fizzy DOCG dessert wine produced in the Northern Italian region of Piedmont. You’ll find my most recent Moscato d’Asti reviews and ratings here. Surprising Facts about Moscato d’Asti: Moscato d’Asti is produced from the Moscato Bianco (white Muscat) grape in and around the town of Asti. The hub of Asti production being the tiny village of Canelli. Moscato Bianco is the fourth most planted grape in Italy and perhaps the first cultivated vine in Piedmont. Moscato d’Asti is often mentioned in the company of its relative wine Asti. The two have many differences. […]

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Wine and Cupcake Pairing: Best Matches Video

This video is all about pairing wine and cupcakes, yes cupcakes! Husband and wife Bill McGuiness and Claudia Arimendi, owners of Ottawa’s Cupcake Lounge should know. They take cupcakes to a whole new level: dark Belgian chocolate, Madagascar bourbon vanilla, sweet butter cream, 50 flavours, hand iced. As if their cupcakes weren’t enough on their own (and they are), we talk about how to pair them with different styles of wine depending on the cupcake flavour. Have fun with friends and a tasting party.     Natalie: Ottawa’s Cupcake Lounge takes cupcakes to a whole new level. Think dark Belgian […]

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