It’s easy to pair a gourmet meal with wine, but what about our favourite game snacks? Here to help us is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome Natalie. Great to be back with you! We’re going to drink outside the box with these unusual but delicious pairings. Sounds good! We’re starting with popcorn – got a wine for that? Yes, what would be better with popcorn than Bread & Butter?! Bread & Butter Pinot Grigio California, United States But here’s the twist, when […]
Wine Ratings
10 Best Cabernet Franc Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the five grapes in Bordeaux blends, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. You’ll find my top 10 Cabernet Franc reviews and ratings here. 5 Surprising Facts about Cabernet Franc: 1. Cabernet Franc is a thin-skinned, early-ripening grape with a lighter body and acidity than the robust Cabernet Sauvignon, but is more susceptible to spring frosts. 2. Cabernet Franc, along with Sauvignon Blanc, is actually one of the genetic parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. 3. In France, which boasts the most vineyard acreage of Cabernet Franc in the world, several regions […]
What are the 4 Best Wines and Whiskies to Give as Holiday Gifts?
Click on the image above to play the video ‘Tis the season for holiday entertaining and gift giving. What if you’d like to give someone a bottle of wine or spirits? How do you know which one to choose? Here to help us with that is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com Welcome back, Natalie. So if choosing the right wine is so tricky, why should we give wine as a gift at all? When you give the gift of wine, doubles are fine unlike toaster ovens, there are no wrong sizes […]
Wines and Spirits That Taste Good and Do Good
We’re all becoming more conscious of the impact of our purchases, and that includes what we pour into our glasses. Many wineries and distilleries are leading the way, combining exceptional taste with sustainability and community support. Joining us today is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie. Great to be back with you! I think of these wines and spirits as drinking with a conscience — we get to feel virtuous and tipsy at the same time. That’s the best kind of indulgence. So, where are we […]
10 Best Grenache Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Grenache
Grenache or Grenache Noir (pronounced gren-aash) is also known as Garnacha in Spain, and as Cannonau in Corsica and Sardinia, Italy. You’ll find my Top 10 Grenache reviews and ratings here. 5 Surprising Facts about Grenache: 1. The best Grenache grapes come from old vines and low yields and they are generally blended with other varieties such as Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Tempranillo and Cinsaut. It is usually in a blend, rather than a single varietal wines, because Grenache lacks tannin, colour, and acid. However, the exception to this is the Sardinian D.O.C. wine Cannonau di Sardegna, which is by law 99% […]
10 Best Syrah Wines to Buy Now + 5 Surprising Facts about Syrah
Today, July 25th is International Syrah Day #internationalsyrahday #syrahday Syrah is a dark-skinned red wine grape grown throughout the world, used primarily in the production of red wine. Syrah is one of the most noble and most fashionable red wine grapes in the world. You’ll find my Top 10 Syrah reviews and ratings here. 5 Surprising Facts about Syrah: 1. In 2004, Syrah was the 7th most planted varietal in the world. Today it is estimated that Syrah is now 5th most planted wine grape in the world. 2. Syrah has a long history in the Southern Rhone region of […]
BBQ Bliss: 4 Caymus Wines to Impress Dad this Father’s Day
Father’s Day is Sunday and BBQ season is in full swing, so why not toast Dad with wines that pair well with the grill? But which wines work best? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome Natalie. Great to be with you, Mona! Tell us about this first wine. The first wine is the coveted Caymus Napa Cabernet, made by the Wagner family who are celebrating the 50th anniversary vintage of this wine. It’s just arrived in stores. The […]
4 Wines (and Reasons) to Celebrate National Wine Day
This Saturday is National Wine Day and here to help us celebrate is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie. Wine has a long and rich history, doesn’t it? Yes, ancient clay jars containing wine residue dating back to 6,000 BCE have been found in the country of Georgia. Egyptians were among the first to document the winemaking process in tomb paintings around 2500 BCE. The ancient Greeks and Romans not only improved winemaking processes, but they also spread wine culture in the countries they explored and […]
Wine Review of the Week: Long Weekend Wine for Victoria Day
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 […]
Sip & Read: Uncork the Perfect Mother’s Day Wine & Book Gifts She’ll Love
Mother’s Day is this Sunday. You might like to toast mom with a glass of wine or two, but what can you pair with wine beyond flowers? How about some terrific new books? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com What are you recommending first? I have Blank: A Novel by Zibby Owens. Pippa Jones is a 40-something writer whose first book was an instant bestseller. Now she can’t think of what to write as she faces a blank page. Her son suggests handing in […]
