Book & Bottle Pairings for Father’s Day

We’re back with more books and bottles for Father’s Day.   What are we starting with this time?         We’re starting with Ten Garments Every Man Should Own: A Practical Guide to Building a Permanent Wardrobe by Pedro Mendes. This is an accessible field guide to classic menswear, no matter what dad’s age or budget or the fact he still loves those painter pants from the 80s with all the side pockets. Each chapter covers an essential piece – shirt, jacket, hat, leather shoes, etc – in an entertaining way.           Drea’s Wine […]

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Mother’s Day Gifts: Pairing Books and Bottles (Wines & Spines)

Mother’s Day is coming up and you may be thinking about getting Mom a special wine. But why not pair that bottle with a great book? Here with her tips is Natalie MacLean, who offers North America’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Welcome, Natalie. What’s the first book and bottle you recommend?         I have Loving Large: A Mother’s Rare Disease Memoir by Ontario author Patti M. Hall, who discovers her teenaged son is diagnosed with gigantism, a condition that could make him grow uncontrollably, and shorten his life without aggressive treatment. She makes it […]

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Finding Bargain Wines and Regions with Janina Doyle of Eat Sleep Wine Repeat

Introduction Why does Italy make such a fantastic wine destination to visit? Which underpriced wines for their quality should you try next? How can you successfully navigate the walls of bottles in a wine shop? Which simple technique can you use to improve your tasting skills and learn more about wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Janina Doyle, host of the Eat Sleep Wine Repeat 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 […]

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Ground-Breaking Report for Making, Buying & Selling Wine with Cathy Huyghe & Andrea Smalling

Introduction How have major events like the pandemic and the wildfires affected the way we buy wine online? Do younger generations, such as Gen Y, Gen Z and Millenials, have different criteria for buying wine? What impact does storytelling have on wine sales? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Cathy Huyghe and Andrea Smalling, authors of the WineDirect x Enolytics 2021 Direct-To-Consumer Impact Report: What Wineries Need to Do Now. 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 […]

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Southern Italy’s Wine, Food & Flavour in Robert Camuto’s South of Somewhere Book

Introduction Are you curious about the hidden wine gems in southern Italy? Who are the colourful characters and winemakers who create them? What are the sumptuous flavours of the region and how well do they pair with wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with author and journalist, Robert Camuto. 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 into the […]

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Tech is Transforming Wine with the Wine School Dropout’s Tanisha Townsend

Introduction What makes wine and technology such a perfect pairing? Why should you try online wine classes? How is technology empowering wine consumers? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Tanisha Townsend on her podcast, Wine School Dropout. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar:     Highlights How did I go from high tech to wine writing? Why do I find the pairing of wine and tech to be fascinating? What has […]

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Girly Drinks with Mallory O’Meara on the History of Women and Alcohol

Introduction Did you know that the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra has her own, private wine club and that it was used against her to bring down her empire? Are you curious about the first people to make beer? They were women called alewives, but the church didn’t like that. Did you know that the first bars were created for women? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Mallory O’Meara, the author of the just-published Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook […]

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Pairing Books & Bottles, Organizing Wine Tastings

Introduction What do great books and great wine have in common? Why does it feel like the wine changes when you taste the same vintage years later, apart from it maturing (and possibly you as well)? How can you pair books and bottles? How can you organize an informal wine tasting with friends or your book club? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Sam Hiyate on his podcast, Agent Provocateur. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Highlights Which Niagara wine pairs well with haunting books that stay with you long after you finish them? […]

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Restaurant Wine Lists, Poutine, Niagara & Pairing Tips

Introduction What are my top tips for choosing a bottle from a long restaurant wine list? What are the best wines to pair with extremely rich dishes like poutine? What would surprise you about the Niagara-on-the-Lake wine region and why should you visit? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m being interviewed by Scott Greenberg, on his podcast, The Vine Guy. He also hosts the “Wine of the Week” show on WTOP radio in Washington, DC. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Highlights How have I incorporated my love of tech into my wine career? What […]

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You Had Me At Pét-Nat: Gripping Wine Memoir by Rachel Signer

Introduction How are natural wines different from raw or clean wines? Why do natural wines provoke furious debates in the wine world? Why will you want to read our guest’s new memoir that’s hot off the press (pun intended)? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Rachel Signer, who has just published a gripping, addictive memoir, You Had Me at Pet-Nat. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Watch Party Join me for the debut Watch Party of the video of this conversation that I’ll be live-streaming for the very first time on Zoom on […]

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