Sommelier Astrid Young has selected our Wine Review of the Week to celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend. Contrary to appearances in the prim picture to the left, Queen Victoria adamantly opposed abstinence from alcohol, calling it a “pernicious heresy.” Her majesty’s favourite tipple? A tumbler filled half with red wine and half with whisky. No wonder why she reined so long; she was completely “preserved.” Astrid, an International Sommelier Guild (ISG) graduate and candidate for Master of Wine, has a much more modern and palatable suggestion for the long weekend, especially if grilled grub is on the menu. Astrid […]
Wine Picks
Mother’s Day Brunch Wine and Champagne Pairings
Jeff and I had such fun chatting about wines for Mother’s Day gifts on Canada AM, especially champagne for brunch. There’s even a “live action” shot with uncorking a sparkler. (Okay, not so much.) Here are my Top 20 Wines for Mother’s Day, either made by women or named for them. Often the latter were originally made by women. You’ll also find more suggestions in my Mother’s Day wines for Epicurious as well as for More Magazine. Jeff: It’s Mother’s Day, of course, on Sunday, and if you are planning on taking her out for brunch, you might want to […]
Wine Sulphites, Mindful Drinking and Marketing Alcohol on The Erica Diamond Podcast
Introduction Should you avoid wine with sulphites? What are some of the important differences in the way wine is marketed to men versus women? How can you practice mindful drinking without giving up the wine you love? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Erica Diamond on The Erica Diamond Podcast. You can find the wines we discussed here. Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I’ll be jumping […]
Spicy Food & Wine Pairings: Cinco de Mayo, Tex-Mex, Indian Food Matches
On Global Television’s Morning Show today, we chatted about wine and spicy food pairings than to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. What better time to explore these than on May 5, the day in 1862 when a rag-tag Mexican army defeated the far larger French forces under Emperor Napoleon III. Sure, you could toast with a cerveza or tequila, but which wine? The growing Mexican wine industry is gaining respect, particularly the region of Baja California, and among the leading producers is L.A. Cetto, creating exceptionally well-priced red wines. But let’s broaden the field, and look at wines from around the […]
How are Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable, Vegan and Vegetarian Wines Different?
With April being Earth Month, it’s the perfect time to get a lesson in environmentally-conscious wines. Today we’re raising a glass to Mother Nature with Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes. Welcome, Natalie! There are several ways that wine can be made in a more environmentally-conscious way. We’re going to focus on a few of them today, starting with vegan and vegetarian wine. Natalie, this is blowing my mind because I assumed all wine was vegan! What makes wine not vegan-friendly? · It’s all in the clarifying—the removal of the particles which create cloudiness. · Fining […]
Wine and Lamb, Brisket, Asparagus, Chocolate – Readers Digest Magazine
I imagined all those thirsty readers in doctors’ and dentists’ offices when I wrote my first column for Readers Digest Magazine in April. I hoped that by thinking about wine as they waited for a root canal or a vaccine they would be a little distracted with thoughts of a mouth-watering wine for lamb or brisket. I love the approach of this magazine: practical, short sips of info you can use now. I guess that’s why it has more than 7 million readers. They’ll drink to that! […]
Books & Wines With Great Structure & Finish
We often chat about pairing wine and food, but what about pairing bottles with books? You can also watch part two of our book and bottle pairings from CTV yesterday. What’s the first pairing you recommend? We’re starting with one of my favorite wine books, The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil. It’s sold more than a half a million copies worldwide and is a go-to reference book that’s also engagingly well-written. Karen lives in Napa Valley, so I’d pair this book with this full-bodied, complex Cabernet Sauvignon from Charles Krug, Napa Valley’s oldest winery […]
Will AI Replace Writers and Winemakers? Conversation with Ellen Clifford of The Wine Situation Podcast
Introduction Why don’t I think that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace human writers any time soon? What are some tips you can use for maintaining a healthy relationship with wine? What are some of the challenges women in the wine industry still face? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Ellen Clifford on The Wine Situation podcast. You can find the wines we discussed here. Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or […]
Malbec Day: A Tale of Tango and Taste
World Malbec Day on April 17 (#MalbecWorldDay) reminds me of both a recent Argentine tasting with the Opimian Wine Club as well as a trip I took to Buenos Aires several years ago. The tasting featured a terrific range of Latin American wines. It was an evening of Latin music, food, friends, and yes, tango! We gathered at a local restaurant, El Gusto Mazzola, where the husband-and-wife owners, Elena Mazzola and chef Victor Mazzola treated us to an authentic Argentine tapas dinner paired with the Malbec and other wines. Rounding out the feeling of an Argentine bistro, Réjean Simard and Diane Clément offered superb demonstrations of the three forms of […]
Candid Wine Conversations with Scott Sexsmith of Up Close & Personal and Matt Cundill of You May Also Like
Introduction How do you choose the best wine pairings for dessert? When should you summon the sommelier? How can you improve your smell vocabulary and learn to distinguish between different aromas? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Scott Sexsmith of Up Close & Personal and Matt Cundill on You May Also Like. You can find the wines we discussed here. Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live […]
