When it’s festive and you’re shopping for Champagne and sparkling wines, there’s “good,” there’s “great” and then there’s “good enough.” File under great: Veuve Clicquot typically has notes of apple, vanilla and bread dough and while it’s delicious, I can’t bear to part with $80 a bottle, especially at this cash-strapped time of year. And while I have an amateur palate, I draw the line at Baby Duck. Thus have I been on the hunt for other, less-expensive fizz. There’s no shame in that, as Natalie MacLean elaborates in her recent book Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best […]
Month: December 2011
I resolve to read more wine books like Unquenchable: Learn, Chuckle and Maybe Even Guffaw – Gainesville Times
I’m kicking off 2012 with a pair of resolutions. And these I intend to keep, unlike those in previous years to lose weight, buy a winning lottery ticket and get taller. Strangely enough my resolutions center on wine and related matters. Surprised? No. 1. I resolve to read more wine books like “Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines” by Natalie MacLean. This is a well-written, wry and occasionally LOL piece of writing. It follows precisely my philosophy about wine, summed up in the title of my wine courses, Wine Without Pretense. MacLean is a woman who […]
Stalking Value Wines in the Great White North – Mark Oldman Drink Bravely
Canadian wine star Natalie MacLean’s fine and self-deprecating prose reaffirms my penchant for all things Canadian. Her new book details her adventures in locations both far-flung and within the Great White North, stalking value wines and winding up in helicopters over the Niagara Peninsula and in a car zooming down the Autobahn. The reader gets to ride shotgun with her and learn about Malbec, German Riesling, South African wine and other key wine values. Her chapter-ending “Field Notes from a Cheapskate” provide a satisfying summary of these types. A must for those seeking to learn about affordable wine through the […]
Duck Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella, Roasted Butternut Squash and Sauteed Mushrooms Recipe – Paired with Kaesler Stonehorse Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre 2008
A swanky pizza with smoky, sweet and savoury flavours. Choose a wine with the same bold flavours such as Kaesler Stonehorse Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre 2008. The wine’s bright, concentrated fruit and hint of spice works well with this recipe. Leftover smoked duck or BBQ duck would be a great substitute. Makes four 6-inch or one 12-inch pizza pizza dough, purchased or homemade (recipe below) 1 whole head garlic 5 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 ½ cup butternut squash, peeled and diced 3 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces 2 cups mixed mushrooms (cremini and shiitake), sliced 1 duck breast […]
Around the Wine World in 7 Days; A Wine for Each Day of the Week – The Chronicle Herald
Natalie MacLean likes to drink wine every day, and she figured the same must be true of her readers. That was the inspiration for her newest book, Unquenchable, which describes MacLean’s travels to eight of the world’s winemaking regions and, at the same time, suggests a wine for each night of the week. “I wanted to have a narrative arc, if you will, to put a fancy term on it, something that would pull you through but also there’s the practical aspect of suggesting a bottle for this evening, for this day of the week,” said MacLean, a Nova Scotia […]
One of the best wine books I’ve read; wonderful characters and incredible meals – Forbes Magazine
One of the best wine books I’ve read is Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines by award-winning Canadian writer Natalie MacLean. In it, she writes about her travels to eight world wine regions in search of the best value wines, along the way meeting wonderful characters and eating incredible meals (you can find a lot of the recipes on her website). I enjoyed it so much I read it in an afternoon—and then rushed right out and bought several of her suggested wines. I recently spoke with her about the book and her thoughts on how […]
Washington Post Wine Columnist Picks Top 3 Wine Books of the Year
Excerpt from Dave McIntyre’s column … With the holidays approaching, it’s time to recommend books to give the wine lovers on your list. Here are my top three picks from among wine books released this year. The economic downturn has spawned a genre of wine books designed to reassure us that it’s okay to drink cheap wines, and that any wine is good so long as it’s cheap. Canadian writer Natalie MacLean takes another perspective in her new book, “Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines.” To MacLean, bargain means high value at a reasonable price, not […]
Her book took me to countries and vineyards that I could only dream of visiting – Chic galleria
Loved reading Natalie’s new book! She had me at the opening chapter with her witty comments about why she enjoys her profession. I’m admittedly a novice when it comes to choosing wines and Natalie’s book helped me realize that it’s OK to leave the decision making to the experts! Her book took me to countries and vineyards that I could only dream of visiting. Unquenchable is not only educational, but extremely entertaining. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves the study of wine as well as consuming a fine glass. You can read more reviews of my […]
Bright Sense of Humour, Charming Anecdotes and Nose for a Bargain – The Calgary Herald
In the world of wine, Natalie MacLean, with her bright sense of humour and nose for a bargain, is a breath of fresh air. The author of two books — the second, Unquenchable, just out on shelves now — MacLean has travelled the world to visit myriad wineries, sipped a wine that retails for $2,000 a bottle and met the winemakers behind their eponymous labels. But, she is quick to point out, people who feel they need to be experts before they can make a choice on what to order from the wine list just need to take a page […]
