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 […]
Author: Natalie MacLean
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 […]
Top 100 Wine Sites > New Rankings: Who Made the List?
My Twitter feed lit up last night with good wishes from various parts of the planet … I clicked through to the link in one tweet and discovered that this site had just been ranked #2 in the Top 100 Wine Sites in the world. On the list: Jancis Robinson, editor of the Oxford Companion to Wine; Dr. Jamie Goode, author of The Science of Wine; James Suckling, former editor of The Wine Spectator magazine; Steve Heimoff, former editor of The Wine Enthusiast magazine, Alice Feiring, columnist for the New York Times; and Tim Atkin, columnist for the UK’s Observer […]
Win $500 Wine Pack with Casas del Bosque Wines on Instagram
Enter the #hotandcool Photo Contest to Win a $500 Wine Pack Featuring the wines of Casas del Bosque, Chile Some like their wines from cool regions and others like them hot. From the vibrant tropical and citrus notes of Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc (Cool Casablanca Valley) to the dark fruit, chocolate and cooking spice flavours of the Casas del Bosque Reserva Carmenère (Hot Rapel Valley), these wines suit your every mood. What do I win? The grand prize winner of this contest will receive a $250 gift certificate to the LCBO and matching his and her Casas del Bosque […]
Holiday Gift for Wine Lovers: Give the Gift of Great Wines Year Round
Wondering what to give the wine lovers in your life? How about a guarantee that they’ll enjoy every bottle they open? With a gift subscription to my wine reviews, they get exclusive access to my best value and top rated wines: red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert wines from around the world at all price points. They’ll discover wines they’ve never heard of that go amazingly well with a wide variety of dishes: bottles they would never have pulled off the shelf based on the label alone. No more disappointing bottles, no more paying too much for too little taste […]
Prosecco Wine Video Reviews for a Sparkling Night
On our Sunday Sipper Club via Facebook Live Video, we tasted a variety of Prosecco Italian sparkling wines. The discussion was lively, insightful, and many times, humourous :) You can read the 50 comments (!) here and even post one yourself. Prosecco wines were also part of our year-end big team tasting. Jennifer MacDonald Havers Wine Columnist, Ottawa Citizen Santa Margherita Brut Valdobbiadene Superiore Prosecco Veneto D.O.C.G., Italy Matt Steeves Wine Expert, CTV Morning Live Tenuta Lovia Conegliano Valdobbiadene Proseco Superiore […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings November 26
You can access the 164 wines that I reviewed for November 26 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for November 12. 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 […]
Balderson Cheese and Olive Nuggets Recipe
A Tasty Look on any Serving Plate with Cheddar Flavour Baked Right In ¼ lb (125 g) shredded Balderson Royal Canadian 2 Year Old Cheddar Cheese ¼ cup (50 mL) softened salted Lactantia butter ¾ cup (175 mL) all-purpose flour 8 oz (250 g) pimento stuffed olives (1 jar) 1 tbsp (15 mL) celery or poppy seeds Prep Time: 20 minutes Baking Time: 15 minutes Makes about 3 dozen Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Blend shredded Balderson Royal Canadian 2 Year Old Cheddar Cheese with butter, stir in flour and knead well to form dough. Drain jar of olives and […]
Pairing Balderson Vintners Cheddars and Wine
Tips for Serving Wine As a rule of thumb, plan on a half bottle of wine per person. White wines should be chilled for two hours (no longer) before being served. Red wines should be opened and allowed to breathe at room temperature for two hours before serving. If you’re serving several wines, start with the lighter whites, move through more robust reds and end with a port or sherry. If possible, use the correct stemware for each of the wines. The right glass does make a difference. You could win one of three Balderson Gift Baskets valued at […]
