Wachau Valley By Brigitte Hasbron of The Food Tease Known for its picturesque natural and cultural landscapes around the world, the Wachau Valley is a region where wine enthusiasts and aficionados want to immerse themselves in all things liquid and gold. A wine lover’s place to be. Being a food blogger and seeing how food and wine are synonymous with the perfect marriage, it was fitting that I was invited to two well-known vintners in Lower Austria, specifically in the famous Wachau Valley. The sites of the Danube River and the enchanting towns that we drove through to reach our first vineyard were postcard worthy… even on […]
Food & Wine Pairing
Fontanafredda Makes a Barolo for Every Palate
Fontanafredda Vineyard Priya & Alex, A Vine Romance It was a whirlwind visit for Danilo Drocco, winemaker at Fontanafredda in Barolo, Italy. He swept into Toronto for a lunch and dinner, only to rush back to the vineyard the following morning as they are deep into harvest season and as he said, “My job is to talk about Nebbiolo, but more importantly, to make Nebbiolo.” Alex was especially thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with Danilo as the 1974 Barolo was the first ‘big’ (read “expensive”) bottle of wine he had ever purchased as a gift for his father. […]
Mrs. Beachley’s Mulled Wine: A Heart-Warming Holiday Drink
Sponsored Post While Mulled Wine is known by many names and enjoyed the world over–the Swedes call it Glogg; the Chileans Candola and the Dutch Bisschopswijn–this heart and tummy-warming beverage is best known for its British heritage. Mrs. Beachley’s Mulled Wine pays homage to the 1861 classic “Beeton’s Book of Household Management“, the go-to manual for how to run a home in Victorian England. In that book and in the 150 years since its publication, a wealth of usage occasions and mulled wine pairing ideas, have emerged. Whether you enjoy Mrs. Beachley’s out of a thermos at the outdoor rink […]
Mulled Wine: Christmas in a Glass
By Tania Thomas There is nothing that welcomes your guests and says Christmas like soul-warming aromas of slowly simmering red wine with sliced oranges and mulling spices; cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and cloves, star anise, cardamom, and ginger. Considered as a traditional holiday treat in the Old World countries, mulled wine has been warming people’s hearts for centuries. Very first mentions date back to the Roman times. Apparently, Cesar liked his wine heated and spiked with herbs and exotic spices. Mulled wine become especially popular during the Middle Ages warming up long winter evenings, especially around Christmas time. Mixing it with […]
Festive Wine and Cheese Pairings with Janet Fletcher Video
Click on the Follow and Like buttons on this page to get notified when we go live. We’ll be simultaneously broadcasting on Facebook Live, YouTube Live Stream and Twitter Live Video via Periscope. Watch previous episodes of the Sunday Sipper Club (SSC) and find out who’s coming up next. If you’d like to read the comments for this tasting, or make a comment yourself, visit: https://www.facebook.com/natdecants/videos/10155625565449845/ Here’s a sampling of our lively discussion from our Janet Fletcher Video Chat: Anne-Marie Chivers · 41:19 What about goats cheese with sparkling?? Acid plus acid makes the cheese taste more creamy and the wine more fruity?? […]
Frothy Tales from the Vino in Villa Festival: A Primer on Prosecco
By Jacky Blisson In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Prosecco sales skyrocketed internationally. The popular explanation was that Champagne drinkers were trading down to accommodate shrinking wallets. This may have been a key factor spurring the initial upswing, but Prosecco sales continue to soar, unmatched by other non-Champagne sparkling wines. Many attribute Prosecco’s long term success to its vibrantly fruity and uncomplicated style. Others suggest that the refreshingly low alcohol, typically a modest 11 to 11.5%, is the main appeal. Yet this seems an to be over simplistic analysis. It fails to take into account the incredible expression […]
Prosecco with Lemon Sponge Cake, Lemon Curd and Raspberry Ice Cream
Bottles & Bites by Shari Goodman Natalie’s Challenge: Find a bottle. Pair with bites. My Goals: Bottle must be under $25. Bites must be delicious. Lemon Sponge Cake, Lemon Curd and Raspberry Ice Cream Sun meets bubbles in this pairing of bottle and bites. With a light but refreshing drink and dessert combination, this is sure to cool you off in the middle of a heat wave. I love bubbles in the summer. And Prosecco was made for summertime sipping. This Italian sparkling wine (Santa Margherita Brut Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, $18.95) is a light, refreshing and affordable alternative to French […]
Video: Pairing Wine & Spicy Dishes from Vij’s Restaurant
How do you pair spicy foods with wine? What happens to the taste of wine when you turn up the heat in a dish? That’s exactly what we’re going to learn from our guests who join us live from Vancouver. Our guests this evening work together to create one of Canada’s best restaurants, renowned for both food and wine. Celebrity Chef Vikram Vij is the author of numerous best-selling cookbooks, has been on hit shows such Chopped, Top Chef and Dragon’s Den. He’s also the first Indian chef to earn a sommelier degree. Head sommelier Sean Nelson became Western Canada’s […]
Video: Unusual Wine and Cheese Pairings that Work with Laura Werlin
Our guest this evening is one of the planet’s most authoritative writers on cheese, and cheese and wine pairings. She’s won six James Beard awards, that’s like the Oscars for the Food and Wine world, for her books and she also was a regular instructor at the Cheese School of San Francisco and she joins me live right now from her home in San Francisco Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club Laura Werlin. Click on the “Follow” and “Like” buttons on this Facebook page to get notified when we go live. Watch previous episodes and find out who’s coming […]
Tasting Trapiche Wines from the Mountaintop to the Skytop
Recently, Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in the nation’s capital for a portfolio tasting with Sergio Case, head winemaker with Trapiche Winery in Argentina. Not only did he take us through a spectacular lineup of upcoming releases, but the event was also hosted at Ottawa’s newest event space, the glass-encased ballroom in the sky on the 22nd floor of the Westin Hotel. It’s a 3,200 square foot ballroom with a 270 degree view of downtown Ottawa, the Parliament buildings, the Ottawa River, and the Gatineau Hills, with the leaves starting to turn colour. You can watch the entire […]
