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 […]
Wine Reviews
Wines and Spirits That Taste Good and Do Good
Click on the image above to play the video 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 […]
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 […]
Cheers to Canada! 5 Great Wines and Spirits to Celebrate the Long Weekend
Click on the image above to play the video On CityTV’s Breakfast Television, we chat about terrific Canadian drinks from coast to coast to celebrate Canada Day. Hey Natalie! Hey Meredith and Tracy, great to be back with you! Natalie, before we get started, we hear congratulations are in order. You’ve just been named the 2024 Canadian Wine Champion. Wine Growers Canada, representing 800 wineries across the country, voted to select the individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, commitment and passion for our homegrown industry. I’m proud to be on Team Canada when it comes to wine […]
Summer Smoked Cheese Platter Recipe Paired with Shiraz, Merlot
Pool-Side Pickers Backyard pool parties are the best. But staying in the sun all day can leave you and your guests fatigued and most of all, hungry. If you find yourself hosting or invited to a backyard bash, serve something that’s always a satisfying crowd pleaser: a delicious Canadian cheese platter. Of course, when preparing the perfect platter there are questions that arise, like which cheeses should you serve and which wine pairings work best with them? That’s why I’ve compiled a list of my summer go-to’s that will satisfy the most discerning palettes. So here it is, my list […]
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 […]
The Best Books & Bottles for Mother’s Day Gifts
Watch CTV News video here 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 The Sugar Bowl Feud by Halifax author Gina Brown is about four grieving siblings who inherit their mother’s house full of stuff. When the oldest chooses the sugar bowl as a keepsake, sparks fly. […]
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 […]
