Mark Moffatt, wine director at Bosk restaurant in Toronto’s Shangri-La Hotel. What was your most memorable wine experience? While I was working as a sommelier at The Fairmont Palliser Hotel, we created a display of an entire vertical of Château Mouton Rothschild from 1945 to 1994. Learning about each of these bottles, and the stories behind them, motivated me to learn more about wine. What would you be doing if you weren’t a sommelier? I would be an Extreme Sports athlete in winter skiing. I have always loved skiing, and I haven’t yet met a jump, cliff or ledge that […]
Best Wines
SAQ Wines of the Week – CJAD Morning Show
This morning, during one of our regular chats on Andrew Carter’s CJAD Morning Show in Montreal, we talked about great wines in the SAQ for your weekend. Not only can you create a custom shopping list, but we’re the first wine site and mobile app that allows you to see which of your closest SAQ stores have that wine in stock right now (and how many bottles of it). Enjoy! Natalie CJAD Wines of the Week Kim Crawford Pansy! Rose Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand This Rosé has an almost neon pink hue, and is just as vibrant […]
Best BC Wines Shine in the LCBO Vintages Jan 18
BC wines take the spotlight in the LCBO January 18, and among my best wine reviews and ratings for this release. The range of wineries in British Columbia is astonishing, as is the breadth of their wine styles. Both new and established producers are represented in this release of wine, from sparkling wine to robust reds and ethereal whites. Now’s your chance to try the best BC wines on offer here. This just a sampling of wine ratings, the most quoted Canadian source of reviews in the Vintages Magazine. VIP Members can access all 88 wines that I reviewed […]
Submitting Wine Samples + Updating Bottle Shots
Here are some short videos, each only about 2-3 minutes, to help you update your wines on our site quickly. Please e-mail me if you need help. 1. Agencies & Wineries: Update Bottle/Label Shot for a Wine on the Site: 2. Agencies & Wineries: Add a New Vintage for a Wine Already on the Site: 3. Agencies: Add a New Wine to the Site: 4. Wineries: Add a New Wine to the Site: Here are details on my wine tasting and review process. E-mail me (natdecants at nataliemaclean.com) if you wish to send samples or want gold […]
Wine Reviews: Smart Buy Bottles and Value Wine Ratings: LCBO Vintages Jan 4
The best wines in January are priced under $20, the the smart buy value wines that help us tighten our belts and wallets. The LCBO often features bargain-priced wines at this time of the year, right after the holidays when we’ve blown our budget with champagne and expensive gift wines. What is value when it comes to wine? That’s subjective, but many of these bottles hit above their price-point in quality. Even types of wines that are usually more expensive like pinot noir, chianti and port are represented well in this release. Here’s a sampling of my best wine […]
Get Out of Your Wine Rut in 2014: Try These Wines
What are the best wines to try in 2014? Want get out of your wine rut? That’s our wine topic on the CTV News video clip above. We looked at great wines to try based on what you already like, similar to how Amazon recommends books: if you like this one, then you might like that one. Let me know about a new wine that you discovered this year in the comments below. Get Out of Your Wine Rut in 2014: Try These Wines News Anchor: And now back to Leanne Cusack with a little more on the good […]
Ontario Wines Coming to Farmers Markets
The new law allowing Ontario VQA wines to be sold at farmers’ markets is our topic of discussion in the CBC Metro Morning clip below. The change affords Ontario VQA wines greater awareness among new customers, access to new markets and new streams of revenue. Click on the arrow above to listen to the clip. Access to farmers’ markets is especially important for the 100 smaller wineries that currently do not have wines sold in the LCBO liquor stores because they don’t produce enough to meet the requirements of that retail channel. Currently, the can only sell their wines at […]
Gorgeous Wine Book Maps Wine Regions and Grapes
Want to learn about wine without falling asleep? Want to engage your visual senses while you taste wines from around the world? The Wine Lover’s Coloring Book is a great place to start. In the video above, author Louise Wilson and I chat about how she conceived the idea while taking the International Sommelier Guild courses. While the book may sound like it’s for children, don’t be deceived (or have preconceived notions). It’s part of next evolution of wine books that engage our senses. Really? Yes. Currently, a scratch and sniff wine book by a master sommelier is #11 on […]
Whistler Cornucopia Wine Festival: BC Wines and Beyond
British Columbia Wines at the Cornucopia Wine Festival By Tania Thomas Early November is a perfect time to head to Whistler, a majestic resort town nestled in the Coastal Mountains of beautiful British Columbia, and take part in Cornucopia; an 11-day annual Fall Celebration of premier food and wine. This great event, 17 years running now, offers a great variety of interactive seminars, delectable winery dinners, gala wine tastings and those famous after-parties. It is an epicurean extravaganza not to be missed for locals and visitors alike. Friday events started with the BC Wine Institute’s, VQA Trade Seminar “Unmistakably Ours,” […]
Gnarly Head Zinfandel, Cave Spring Cabernet Franc, Benjamin Bridge Nova 7: LCBO Vintages Wines December 7
Here are my top wine picks from the December 7 Vintages Release, the most quoted Canadian source of reviews in the magazine. VIP Members can access all 103 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. 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 VIP Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two […]
