You can access the 68 wines that I reviewed for October 25 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for October 11. 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 […]
Author: Natalie MacLean
Vegetarian Poutine with Miso-Mushroom Gravy Recipe
Vegetarian Poutine with Miso-Mushroom Gravy Recipe by: Courtney Flood This recipe has several of my favourite ingredients that I love to promote. They sound somewhat “exotic”, but once you know how to use them they are great ingredients to have on hand and all have a great shelf life. Nutritional yeast is high in protein and B vitamins and has a cheesy flavour that is a great vegan substitute for cheese. You can find it in bulk food stores. Miso paste is made from fermented soybeans and adds a great vegetarian umami flavour. It’s a live food that is rich […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews and Ratings: Vintages Release October 11
You can access the 102 wines that I reviewed for October 11 as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for September 27. 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 […]
Recipes from Wine Country: Warm Mushroom Salad with Reif Estate Cabernet Merlot
Warm Wild and Domestic Mushroom Salad Sponsored Post Falling for Cabernet Merlot Autumn is the perfect time for you to start living the Reifstyle, an ideal time to enjoy the bounty of the fall harvest with Reif Estate’s VQA wines. Chef Robin Howe from Wine Country Catering makes it easy with his warm mushroom salad that will pair expertly with a medium bodied rich red wine like Reif Estate Winery’s 2012 Cabernet Merlot. A perfectly balanced blend of two classic red Bordeaux varietals with black berry and sweet spiced oaky flavours on the palate. You can find this great recipe […]
Kim Crawford Wines: Small Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir
“Several Ottawa sommeliers and wine professionals, along with noted author Natalie MacLean, enjoyed a wine tasting luncheon October 4, with an informative presentation from Kim Crawford’s Chief Winemaker, Anthony Walkenhorst and a scrumptuous meal from Maxwell’s Bistro. We were treated to several of Kim Crawford’s finest wines and each plate was introduced by the chef. The New Zealand winery Kim Crawford was launched in 1996 with a virtual vineyard … the actual land for the vines came later! With an unusual start, and in a relatively short time, the winery has made New Zealand as famous for its wines as […]
Braised Lamb with Giant White Beans Recipe Paired with Cheval Noir
Sponsored Post Braised Lamb with Giant White Beans ACTIVE: 30 MIN TOTAL TIME: 3 HRS PLUS 8 HR FOR SOAKING THE BEANS SERVINGS: 6 Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 10 garlic cloves, 4 minced, 6 peeled 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, finely chopped 1¼ pounds dried giant haricots blancs or giant lima beans, soaked overnight and drained 2 large thyme sprigs, plus 1 tablespoon chopped thyme 1 quart plus 1 cup chicken stock 1 quart water One 6-ounce piece of slab bacon Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon minced parsley 4-pound boneless lamb shoulder roast, […]
Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Recipe Paired with Cheval Noir
Sponsored Post Pair this cool-weather recipe for Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken with the full-bodied Cheval Noir, a full-bodied, supple merlot from Bordeaux. Find this wine in your closest LCBO store now. Winemaker’s Notes: Cheval Noir has a fine, complex nose which combines ripe, red fruits with notes of grilled toast and spices. In the mouth it is rich, structured and powerful, perfectly balanced between fruit and tannins, with a long finish. TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN SERVINGS: 6 Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup dry bread crumbs 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon dried basil […]
How to Import Wine, Craft Beer, Spirits into Ontario
Industry veteran Steven Trenholme will guide you through the intricate process of importing & selling beverage alcohol in Ontario & Quebec. The morning will be focused on understanding the dynamics of the industry and have the know-how to organize private imports for your personal consumption. With this ‘taste’ of what is involved in importing beverage alcohol, you will have the fundamentals to embark on a new or part-time career as an importer. In the afternoon, Steven will highlight the various marketing and distribution channels available to agents in Ontario and Quebec including how to deal with the LCBO and SAQ […]
Canadian Wine Harvest 2014: BC, Ontario, Quebec, NS Winemakers Weigh In
Join us Friday morning on Global Television as we discuss how the Canadian wine harvest is going from coast to coast. In the meantime, here are reports from the field: winemakers from British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia give their impressions of how the 2014 harvest is looking so far. Tantalus Vineyards David Paterson, Winemaker, Tantalus Vineyards, British Columbia How is the 2014 harvest going so far? So far the 2014 harvest has been ideal. We are in the home stretch now and a couple more weeks of warm days and cool nights to finish off with will be […]
Hot Child in the City: Beckta Restaurants Ignite Ottawa Dining
Note: I’m finally posting this story online: it was originally published in Ottawa Magazine, the sister publication of Toronto Life, back in 2003 when Steve Beckta opened his first restaurant on Nepean Street. Why now? Two reasons. First, the story still gives you an insider peak backstage at a top-notch restaurant and what’s like to be in a small, hot, high-performance kitchen. Second, Steve is about to move from his original location on Nepean to Grant House at 150 Elgin Street, which was built in 1875 and is undergoing a $3.5 million renovation (pictured above) for a November 19 opening. […]
