Crisp cool climate chardonnay and Ontario whitefish is a classic pairing, enhanced by the rich leek and potato gratin. Meet On the Twenty Restaurant’s Chef Romano where he will present more delicious fish dishes at the Fins, Fowl & Flint Luncheon at Cave Spring Cellars on July 21. Tickets on sale at coolchardonnay.org. Serves 4 4 – 6 oz portions Ontario white fish (skin on optional) 4 pounds Yukon potato (peeled) 1 pound leeks (washed and sliced thin) bottoms only 1 liter cream 2 garlic cloves 2 pounds spinach ½ cup Cave Spring Juice 1 lemon 1 tbs poppy seeds […]
Food & Wine Pairing
Crab Cakes, Corn, Fennel Recipe with Inniskillin Chardonnay
Crab Cakes with Corn & Fennel A tasty summer dish where the corn and fennel enhances the natural sweetness of the crab. The richness of the crab and the toasted notes from the panko crust is enhanced with the balanced characteristics of cool climate Chardonnay. Explore the versatility of cool climate chardonnay with your favourite summer foods at the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration July 20-22. Tickets on sale at www.coolchardonnay.org. Serves 4 1 lb Jumbo Lump Crab Meat (or Backfin) 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter ½ cup Fresh Corn Kernels (or frozen) ½ cup Fennel, finely […]
Live Video Wine Tastings: From Sommeliers to Screwcaps
You won’t want to miss our live video chat with ! Join us Sunday, January 21 at 6 pm EST right here (click on this link below): www.nataliemaclean.com/live Click on the “Follow” and “Like” buttons on this Facebook page to get notified when we go live. Click on the arrow above to hear her story about obtaining the prestigious title of Master Sommelier. Watch previous episodes of the Sunday Sipper Club (SSC) and find out who’s coming up next. Upcoming Video Wine Tastings and Topics Elyse Lambert, MS January 21 […]
How Oyster Bay Tamed Prickly Pinot Noir in New Zealand
By Greg M.P. Hughes Winemakers who specialize in Pinot Noir are some of the hardest working viticulturists on the planet. This grape’s thin skin makes it extremely vulnerable to diseases, makes colour extraction torture to get right, and yields are minuscule (not a tremendous ROI compared to Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz). Pinot Noir’s idiosyncrasies are enough to make even hardened pro winemakers tear their hair out. That is why Pinot Noir is one of the most misunderstood selections that wine experts explain to their audiences. Most people understand it as byword for a quality wine, but have no idea what […]
Canadian Wine and BBQ Food Pairings Video
Leanne and I chat about the great Canadian wines nominated to pair with grilled food in The Great Canadian Wine Match: BBQ Edition. Find out why these wines are great matches for barbecued chicken, pork, beef, seafood, vegetables and dessert. The wines hail from all of Canada’s major wine producing wine regions, including: Okanagan Valley, BC Niagara, Pelee Island, Lake Erie and Prince Edward County in Ontario Eastern Townships in Quebec Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia Just 4 days left to vote for your favourite Canadian wines! Hashtag #GCWM Canadian Wine and BBQ Food Pairings Video […]
What is Wine’s Role in Modern Madness? Finding Our Humanity Drop by Drop
Editor’s Note: I wrote this magazine piece on wine and civility two months after 9/11. You can also listen to this as a podcast here. In Vino Civilitatis The trouble with moderation is that it’s hard to get excited about it. Until now. After September 11, moderation seems to be rarer than a California cult cabernet. Finding the moderate and the civilized in everyday life has become all the rage. Few things embody these values more than wine, and the food we eat with it. A river of wine flows through most of human history — from the ancient clay […]
The Godfather of Zin: Tasting Zinfandel of Ravenswood Wines with Joel Peterson
Last night, we were joined by special guest, founder and winemaker, Joel Peterson of Ravenswood Winery, discussing the history of Zinfandel. Click on the arrow above to watch the video. Listen to Joel’s witty stories about winemaking. Learn about the fascinating history of Zinfandel. Discover the best pairings for Zinfandel. If you’d like to read the 42 comments for this tasting, or make a comment yourself, visit: https://www.facebook.com/natdecants/videos/10155095648434845/ P.S. Want to know when we go live next Sunday with our special guest Rudi Rabl of Austria? Tune in here for our Facebook Live Video Wine Tasting: www.nataliemaclean.com/live Click […]
Mother’s Day Gifts, Wines and Pairings
By Natalie MacLean How to thank Mom for all those kisses, compliments and band-aids? Try a great bottle of wine with Mother’s Day gift, brunch or dinner pairing. As a mother myself now, I call my glass of wine at 5 p.m. “Mommy’s little helper.” Here’s to you Mom! 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. Try these wines that I recommended on the Conde Nast site Epicurious.com or more choices on Canada AM and in More Magazine: Veuve Clicquot Champagne France […]
Getting Nutty at Alvear Montilla-Moriles Fortified Wine Tasting
Greg Hughes Wine Writer & Sommelier For 18 generations, (nearly 300 years) the Alvear family have been making wine. These wines use a similar production method as do the wines of Sherry, and therefore also have a similar style, yet they are unique. They are made from Pedro Ximenez grapes from Montilla Moriles instead of the traditional Palomino Fino grapes. We had the chance to taste the wines and discuss them with Maria Auxiliadora; the winemaker responsible for their continued quality. Pedro Ximenez (Pronounced Peh-droh ee-MAY-neth) is a small grape with a thin skin. The Pedro Ximenez grapes are […]
Salmon Dill Crepe Recipe Paired with Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
Salmon Dill Crepes Paired with Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc By: Shari Goodman When you need a break from the busyness of the holiday season, it’s nice to catch up over a delicious but deceivingly simple make-ahead brunch. I used to think crepes were too difficult to make home. I thought of them as something special to be ordered when dining out. But I’ve discovered that although the first crepe often ends up in the garbage, a batch of crepes is easy to make and impressive to serve guests. You can make the crepes ahead of time and store them layered […]
