Harvest in the Flavours This Season Fresh fruit abounds this summer. So when I came across this light and refreshing recipe for Grilled Fruit Salad with Bocconcini and Mint, I knew I had to try it. Jam-packed with juicy fresh fruits and fresh Canadian Bocconcini cheese, your mouth will water just thinking about it. A fruity recipe like this calls for a fruity wine. Rossignol Estate Iced Liberty Blossom is a sweet wine from Prince Edward Island that is made with three different kinds of apples. Another great match is Clos de Caveau Fruit Sauvage, a sweet, yet […]
Author: Natalie MacLean
Best Wines: Sterling Chardonnay, J Lohr Cabernet LCBO July 20
Here are my top wine picks from the July 20 Vintages Release. Full Members can access all 79 wines that I reviewed as a text shopping list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches and the stock for each bottle in their closest LCBO stores. (Stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two before the release based on the LCBO doing so.) They can also add my wine picks to their custom shopping list with one click and access that list on their smartphone. This is one of the benefits of becoming a Full Member. The […]
Wine of the Week: Cousino-Macul Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile
“A bargain is anything a customer thinks a store is losing money on.” – Kin Hubbard, American humourist and writer, 1868-1930 While I doubt that the LCBO loses money on anything it sells, this robust, delicious red is quite a deal at this price. Cheers, Natalie Sale Ends: July 21, 2013 Sale Price: $13.95 | Save: $2.00 (Usually $15.95) Natalie’s Score: 88/100 Cousino-Macul Cabernet Sauvignon Chile An amazing value on the liquor store shelf! Full-bodied and smooth with classic aromas of cassis, blackberry and blackcurrant. A nice smoky finish. Pair with grilled steak or hamburgers. Drink: Now LCBO Code: 212993 […]
Sommelier Program Graduates: Algonquin College
Although those who enroll in the Algonquin Sommelier Program are primarily from the National Capital Region, the program also has graduates who have traveled from other regions, provinces and the United States for the express purpose of taking the program, a testament to the Algonquin Sommelier Program’s wide reach and respect. Veronique Rivest, pictured above, is the double winner of ‘Canada’s Best Sommelier’, winner of ‘The Best Sommelier of the Americas’ 2012, top-12 finalist ‘The Best Sommelier of the World’ competition 2007 and 2010 and second in the 2013 ‘The Best Sommelier in the World Competition’. Véronique is also a […]
The Making of a Sommelier: Who Makes the Cut?
Algonquin College Wine Tasting Lab There’s been lots of debate lately over the definition of a sommelier: Is it someone who has taken a few courses? Graduated from a recognized program? Works full-time in a restaurant? It’s a great discussion, and one that was prompted recently by a National Post article on wine critics and their expertise in tasting wine. The Algonquin College Sommelier Program in Ottawa has played an important role in training many sommeliers, however you may define that role. The Program is the first, and still the only, sommelier program in the province sanctioned by the Ministry […]
Best Wine Bloggers Conference Ever: Penticton, BC 2013
The Wine Bloggers Conference is sort of a cross between a press junket, MacWorld and summer camp. It involves some work with a lot of play and often serves as the kick-start to a summer vacation. Some people leave their families at home for WBC. The majority of bloggers attend every year, so it gets quite old homey with the all the alumni and veterans hugging and kissing. To encourage fresh blood, though, the conference offers a scholarship fund to those who can’t afford the $95 “citizen blogger” fee. What citizen bloggers get is 2.5 days of wine tastings, wine […]
National Post on Wine Writers + Competitions: Critiquing the Critics
National Post drinks columnist Adam McDowell penned an excellent, thought-provoking editorial in the weekend edition of the paper on wine critics and competitions entitled “Are wine critics fooling us into buying pricier bottles?” He opens with the classic Roald Dahl short story Taste, in which a stockbroker makes a bet with his wine snob dining companion, to correctly identify a wine in a blind taste test. (Dahl is also the author of the bestselling children’s novels Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach: clearly a man who loves food and drink, but mercifully doesn’t take it, […]
Smoky Stuffed Eggplant with Mozzarella and Feta Recipe
Summer Entertaining Made Easy The season every hostess longs for is finally here: Summer Entertaining Season. But along with the many hostess woes (What should I wear? Will the weather be good? What date works for everyone?) comes the most difficult questions of all: what should I make? Luckily, I have a recipe that will put the pickiest hostess at ease. This recipe for Smoky stuffed eggplant with Mozzarella and Feta contains the best elements of summer in one self-contained bowl. Healthy vegetables? Check. Garden-fresh herbs? Check. All-natural Canadian cheese? Check. Now that you know what to make, you can […]
Red Wine and Cupcake Pairings: Red Velvet and Chocolate Guinness Meet Their Match
In our second video, we chat about pairing red wines with cupcakes: think red velvet, chocolate chocolate and chocolate Guinness (Belgian dark chocolate dipped in Guinness beer). Even lighter and drier red wines, such as pinot noir, have a place beside cupcakes. Discover some great combinations with the owners of Ottawa’s Cupcake Lounge. You can also watch part one of our chat where we pair carrot, butterscotch bourbon and maple cinnamon cupcakes with white wines and sparkling wines. The research never ends ;) Natalie: We are back with Claudia Arizmendi and Bill McGuiness, owners of Ottawa’s Cupcake Lounge. We are […]
Steve Bird Sauvignon Blanc, Templarios Cabernet, Dr L Riesling: Best LCBO Wines Vintages July 6
Here are my top wine picks from the July 6 Vintages Release. You can also get all 68 of my Best Value Wines and Top Rated Wines for red, white, rosé and sparkling wines that encompass many price points, styles and regions. Full Members can access all 68 wines that I reviewed as a text shopping list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches and the stock for each bottle in their closest LCBO stores. (Stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two before the release based on the LCBO doing so.) They can also add […]
