It was a great way to start the day … at breakfast, I opened the Report on Business Magazine and saw that the new mobile wine app was featured. Yay! I am so thrilled that the app has had such a great response from media and wine lovers alike. I think this calls for a drink. Cheers, Natalie
Month: May 2010
New Wine Reviews
Number of Wines Recommended: 43 Review date: May 29, 2010 The highlights in this Vintages release include: – 15 wines under $20 – Best value white: A French Sauvignon Blanc for seafood, asparagus $13.95 – Favourite white: A rich, buttery California Chardonnay for roast chicken and corn dishes 93/100 – Best value red (tied): A black plum-rich Chilean Merlot for meat lovers pizza, hamburgers $14.95 – Best value red (tied): A Rhone Syrah for juicy steak or lamb $14.95 – Favourite red (tied): A stunning Italian Amarone to cellar 93/100 – Best Value Rosé: Bone-dry French Rosé for mild […]
Top 5 Tips: Choosing Wine from a Restaurant List
Here are my top five tips on choosing wine from a restaurant list in the latest issue of Canadian Business magazine. Of course, if you have my handy mobile app, it’s even easier :) What’s your top tip to choose wine from a restaurant list? Natalie
My fav wine & grilled grub pairings in Every Day with Rachel Ray
I was thrilled to contribute my favourite wine pairings for grilled and barbecue foods in the June issue of Every Day with Rachel Ray Magazine. I’m looking forward to many grilled delights this summer … as long as I also have a great glass of vino in hand! What are your favourite grilled grub wine pairings? Cheers, Natalie
Homegrown: Cheeses and Wine from the Annapolis Valley
In the Annapolis Valley, you can practically feel everything growing around you. Rich green forests border mile upon mile of farmland, orchards, tangled fields and lush vineyards. It’s the type of beauty that makes people invest heavily in picnic baskets. It’s understood that if you’ve never visited, you should call your travel agent immediately, but failing that, the right cheese and wine pairing can deliver a delicious little piece of this Canadian paradise. In a particularly green corner of the valley, next to a herd of grazing Holsteins you’ll find the Fox Hill Cheese House. Using milk from their own […]
New Wine Reviews
Number of Wines Recommended: 51 Review date: May 15, 2010 The highlights in this Vintages release include: – 17 wines under $20 – Best value white (tied): Floral Argentine Torrontes for shellfish and vegetarian dishes $13.95 – Best value white (tied): Tasty Chilean Viognier for cashew-chicken stir-fry $13.95 – Favourite white: Stunningly rich Burgundian Chardonnay for pork roast and lobster in butter 93/100 – Best value red: Full-bodied French Syrah for hamburgers, meat lovers’ pizza $11.95 – Favourite red: A silky, fleshy BC Pinot Noir for planked salmon 92/100 – Best Value Rosé: Classic French rosé for grilled Portabello […]
Summer Concerts Amid the Vines
During the spring, summer, and fall Tinhorn Creek Vineyards offers various events from relaxed barbecues to Shakespearean plays in an outdoor amphitheatre set amid the vines. No event is more anticipated by the locals than the Tinhorn Creek Canadian Concert Series. Every year for the past 10 years, we have brought in bands for both locals and visitors to enjoy. On the fourth Saturday of each month from May to August you will find the Tinhorn Creek amphitheatre packed with concert goers enjoying live music while sipping the award-winning wines of Tinhorn Creek. It is one of the best entertainment […]
New Wine App Featured in Canadian House & Home Magazine
Just got my June copy of Canadian House & Home Magazine, and was thrilled to see the new wine mobile app featured in this issue! I love the recipes and home decor ideas in this magazine, so it’s such an honor for the new food and wine mobile app to be included in it. Now I’m off to organize my closets, inspired by the serenity of everything in its place in the magazine! Cheers, Natalie
Star Sommelier Reveals Wine Pairing Secrets
Here’s my second profile of a star Ottawa sommelier from the current issue of Ottawa Magazine, the sister publication of Toronto Life. You can read about the first sommelier, Grayson McDermid here. Janet Fraser Allium Restaurant 87 Holland Avenue 613-792-1313 What made you decide to become a sommelier? I was lucky enough to get a job bartending two nights a week at Beckta Dining and Wine in 2005. I always had a great passion for wine and food. I realized quickly that I was completely out of my comfort zone and how much I wanted and needed to […]
Life is short. Enjoy it! Part 2
Some people collect fine wine. I can certainly appreciate cellaring certain bottles of wine for special occasions – but not everything. Some wines are made with the intent of them continuing to mature and gain complexity while being cellared. Most are not! Most wine is ready to consume as soon as it is bottled. If you want to try cellaring to see how it changes a wines’ complexity – then I suggest you purchase several bottles (or a case) of the same wine. Before you do this, consult with the staff at your local wine store, or do […]
