Sparkling wines made outside of Champagne, France, may not be called Champagne as it’s a trademarked term. However, they often use the same methods and/or grapes used in Champagne. 5 Surprising Facts about Sparkling Facts: 1. Bubblies made in Burgundy, France, are called Crémants de Bourgogne while those from Alsace are Crémant d’Alsace. 2. Spain makes Cavas (“cave”), Italy makes either Prosecco (lightly sparkling) or Spumante (fully sparkling and sweet), Germany makes Sekt or Deutscher. 3. Those from New World regions, such as Canada, California, Australia and elsewhere, are simply called sparkling wine. 4. Drink bubbly from a flute glass […]
Author: Natalie MacLean
Gourmet Spreadable Cheese Recipes and Wine Pairings
Gourmet Spreadable Cheese Terrine with Toasted Pecans Recipe Ingredients 8 oz. Rondelé® by Président® Garlic & Herbs Cheese Spread, room temperature 8 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature 3/4 cup Toasted Pecans, chopped 2 tbs Parsley, chopped 1 tsp Orange Zest Instructions Line a small loaf pan completely with plastic wrap, allowing several inches of overhang. Blend Rondelé® by Président® Gourmet Spreadable Cheese with cream cheese in food processor until completely combined. Layer in pan: 6 tablespoons pecans, half of cheese mixture, parsley, orange zest, remaining half of cheese mixture, finishing with 6 tablespoons pecans. Wrap over-hanging plastic wrap over […]
Chili n’ Cheese Cornbread Muffins Recipe Paired with Pinot Blanc
Chili n’ Cheese Cornbread Muffins This November all I want to do is curl up by the fireplace with a good book, cozy sweater, and some comfort food – specifically cornbread. These little cornbread muffins are full of cheesy goodness and pack a punch with slow-cooked chili. So get ready to turn the heat right up with these Chili n’ cheese cornbread muffins. I like to start with quality ingredients made locally, like creamy Canadian Provolone cheese, which tastes like heaven when melted into these muffins. That’s best washed down with a fresh and crisp Niagara white wine, like the […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings October 31
You can access the 140 wines that I reviewed for October 31 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for October 17, 2015. 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 […]
Pairing Wine with Helicopter & Quail at Malivoire Winery
On a recent visit to Niagara, I was fortunate to spend time with Martin Malivoire of Malivoire winery, a producer of spectacular Pinot Noirs. We arrived at his gravity-flow winery by helicopter along with Magdalena Kaiser-Smit of the Ontario Wine Council. This gave us a terrific overview of the region (though I was glad to be on firm ground again when we landed) We tasted through a range of his lovely Pinots, both from the estate vineyard and from the coveted Moire Vineyard. You’ll find my reviews of the current and past vintages here. Then we went on […]
Pumpkin, Chocolate and Cheddar Muffins Recipe Paired with Torres Moscatel
Take a Trick or Treat Break Things are getting pretty spooky around here and in just a few days the kiddies will be lining up for yummy treats! I love seeing them all dressed up in their Halloween garb and can’t wait to give them the assortment of candy I bought. I especially can’t wait to whip up and enjoy a little trick or treat of my own. This great recipe for Pumpkin, Chocolate and Cheddar Muffins is the perfect mix of salty and sweet, with a surprising combination of chocolate and Canadian cheese – my two favourite […]
Undercover Sommelier
Unless you count the time I handed out plates at a church supper, I’ve never worked as a waiter. Of course, that hasn’t stopped me from commenting on the service in restaurants—particularly the wine service—as if I knew exactly what I was talking about. Now, to stopper my leaking credibility, I’ve decided to work in a restaurant for a night. Only the best would do, so I selected Le Baccara, an award-winning restaurant in Québec that offers haute French cuisine, with classic service. That would be just perfect for me, I thought—until I realized that as a […]
Villa Maria Wine Tasting Reveals Regional Surprises
In the video above, Villa Maria Winemaker Josh Hammond shares an amusing story about his quest to pair ever more fresh scallops with his wines when diving for them with his brother. Click on the arrow to play the video. Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in our nation’s capital for an extraordinary tasting of New Zealand’s Villa Maria wines recently at The Shore Club. They share their insights and recommendations here. Cherie Cole Accredited Sommelier & Wine Blogger Gracing us with his knowledge and passion for wine, along with a great sense of humor, fifth generation winemaker, Josh […]
Wolf Blass Wines: Here’s to the Chase Video
Sponsored by Wolf Blass Wines Triumph doesn’t just happen. It comes about because we, as humans, boldly chase it. A chase we proudly celebrate. So here’s to it. Here’s to the chase. Follow more videos and wine tips on Twitter at the hashtag: #HeresToTheChase Share this post on social media with the hashtag above and copy @WolfBlassWines. Enter the Contest You can also enter to win one of 100 Wink Home Hub Systems, retail value of $100. You can enter this contest here on CBC’s site for the Next Generation Dragon’s Den television show. Fill out the form and submit […]
Eat, Drink and be Wary: The Prose & Cons of Wine Shows
The Ottawa Wine and Food Show is the opposite of the Betty Ford Center: lots of booze and free advice, but no beds. (Why isn’t there a napping booth?) It arrives just in time to launch my fall re-toxification program: I come from a long line of hard drinkers, and a summer of sound sleep, diet and exercise has made me irritable. In the exhibit hall, gastronomic gusts waft up and over me from different corners — some carrying alcohol laced with spicy meatballs, others sweat and cheese, new leather and yeasty crackers, perfume and vanilla waffle cones. Sounds, too, […]
