By Natalie MacLean Last night’s startling discovery: there are more adjectives for drunkenness than there are Inuit words for snow. And I’m not just talking about being intoxicated or inebriated, or even blotto, blasted or bombed. There are well over 3,000 descriptors—just looking at the list makes me feel tipsy. What’s more interesting is the difference between the words used for men and women, young and old, bodily and behavioural effects—and how expressions vary across cultures and languages to reveal both positive and negative views. I had lots of help researching this subject from friends who came up with a bandwagon […]
Author: Natalie MacLean
The Wrath of Grapes: How to Cure a Hangover
Do your eyelids creak when they open? Has your tongue been scrubbed with sandpaper? Is the Little Drummer Boy playing on your cerebral cortex? At this time of year, we make merry in haste and then repent in waste, the next day. Thousands of years ago, man discovered alcohol; the next day he discovered the hangover. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about what causes hangovers but not what cures them. Their effects are as immutable as Newton’s law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Of course, the only way to avoid a hangover is not […]
Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Canadian Wine Pairing Contest
You can read the 85 comments from our interactive tasting on Facebook. Savour your holidays with these terrific Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Canadian wine pairings. Congratulations to the winners of the Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Wine Pairing contest! It was a fierce race for 10 days … Lori Kilmartin Sommelier & Blogger Lynn van der Linde Certified Sommelier and Event Planner Donna Hargrove Wine Blogger & Tasting Group Leader Which Balderson Cheddar & Wine Pairing Gets Your Vote? This poll closed on December […]
Wine Tasting Hackathon: New Way of Social Wine Discovery
Our second team wine tasting yesterday felt like a family reunion. Sommeliers and wine bloggers from Toronto and Montreal flew or drove in to join those from the east to west ends of Ottawa. There was an instant camaraderie among those gathered here who recognized each other as fellow contributors to our online community. What I admire most about these reviewers is that although they have sterling wine credentials and training, they keep it real and conversational — with an effort to connect, not to impress. The tasting also struck me as the wine version of a hackathon. In the […]
Are Expensive Wines Always Better? Are Screwcap Wines Always Plonk? Busting 7 Sacred Wine Myths
On CityTV’s Breakfast Television, we chat about six wines in three different price ranges, all of which offer terrific value: Dr. L Riesling, Torres Syrah, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Wente Cabernet, Burrowing Owl Chardonnay, Masi Amarone. Insider tip: go south for better bargains, such as Sicily in Italy rather than Tuscany or Provence rather than Bordeaux in France. They taste twice as expensive as they cost! Meanwhile, Canadian Press (CP) published this story below this week in newspapers across the country … Putting a cork in wine myths December 15, 2016 Everyone who really enjoys wine […]
Balderson Cheddar Cheese and Canadian Wine: A Natural Pairing
Leanne and I chat about pairing Balderson Cheddar Cheeses with Canadian wines on CTV News. You can discover more terrific wine pairings for Balderson. Posted with permission of CTV
Col Solare Winery Takes Wine to the Top of the Mountain in Washington State
Several of Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers met recently with Darel Allwine, chief winemaker at Col Solare Winery based in Washington state. Jane Staples Wine Columnist, Ottawa Wedding Magazine Sitting down with a winemaker to discuss his winemaking techniques is always a special experience. Winemakers are like artists, who combine both creativity and science with complete focus, to achieve their unique products. They are working with Mother Nature too, so every vintage can vary. I recently had the chance to discuss winemaking with Darel Allwine, winemaker at Col Solare. The name “Col Solare” means “Shining Hill”, […]
Ontario Sparkling Wine for New Year’s and All Year
On CBC’s Metro Morning we chat about terrific Ontario sparkling wines for New Year’s Eve, plus one splurge-worthy Champagne. More sparkling wine chats here. Plus, why is sparkling wine the most food-friendly wine on the planet? Shabby-chic pairings, from potato chips to buttered popcorn. Natalie MacLean, editor of Canada’s largest wine review site, picks her favourite sparkling wines for New Year’s Eve: Henry Of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Blancs De Blanc Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada Zesty, refreshing and balanced Niagara sparkling wine with crisp notes of green apple and baked bread. Superb quality. Great persistence of beaded […]
Find Your Holiday Gift Wine from Our Team Tasting Top Picks
Our last big team tasting for the year had 150 bottles on the tables, along a variety of Balderson Cheddar Cheeses in preparation for our pairing contest. . You can watch the video reviews below of our team’s favourite discoveries. Matt Steeves Wine Expert, CTV Morning Live Jennifer MacDonald Havers Wine Columnist, Ottawa Citizen Rachelle O’Connor Wine Blogger & Judge Photo by Cherie Cole Cherie Cole Restaurant Wine Consultant Sharon […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings December 10
You can access the 139 wines that I reviewed for as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for November 26. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two […]
