Can wine work on quick-service menus? More restaurants are finding that, in fact, it can. There is a scene in “Sideways,” the 2004 film about an oenophile and his friend road tripping through California’s wine country, where the protagonist, Miles, visits a fast-food restaurant. Having recently suffered humiliations including the rejection of his novel and advances toward the woman he loves, Miles, played by Paul Giamatti, unceremoniously drinks his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc from a plastic foam cup over a burger and onion rings. Had he chosen the establishment more carefully, Miles could have saved his precious bottle for […]
Food & Wine Pairing
Food & Wine 19
It wasn’t long ago that I decided to set out to learn more about wine. As I immersed myself in the subject, I begrudgingly discovered there was more to learn than I ever wanted. The simple fact is, I, like most people, wanted a few simple, easy-to-follow rules to pair wine with my food. Much to my surprise, I learned that a lifetime of eating experiences gives us all the basic tools we can use to understand food flavor combinations and wine compatibility. Instinctively we know that corn-on-the cob tastes best with butter. Or a splash of lemon on seafood […]
Food & Wine 18
Nat Decants is a Internet site of wine writer Natalie MacLean. It’s full of great articles that she has written and she publishes a regular newsletter which has a personal tone. And now she has considered something new, which will be interesting for all wine lovers. It is a so-called widget, which means: a tool that you can put on your own web site, blog or social media page like Facebook to get wine and food pairings. With this tool, your site visitors can find the right wine for the right dish. The tool is easy-to-use and accessible. There are […]
Food & Wine 16
Natalie MacLean, author of Red, White and Drunk All Over, has launched a new Drinks Matcher widget, a portable version of her popular food and wine pairing tool. The free Drinks Matcher widget is downloadable in just three clicks.
Food & Wine 15
Whether you’re indulging in shepherd’s pie or dim sum, there’s always a wine to match. But what is it? Check the portable new Drinks Matcher Widget from Natalie MacLean, publisher of Canada’s largest wine e-newsletter. This food-and-wine pairing tool can be downloaded to your desktop, social page, website or blog. Go to www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher. You can search by the food or by the wine, then browse through recipes or drinks reviews. MacLean spent eight years testing the combinations for her Drinks Matcher. “I’m a thoroughly hedonistic researcher,” she says in an email. “Of the thousands of combinations I tried, some were […]
Food & Wine 14
The Editor’s Pick Look for a perfect pair with sommelier Natalie MacLean’s online Wine and Food Matcher (www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher). Select a food from the expansive list and receive both red and wine wine recommendations. Or choose the wine variety and you’ll get a long list of food suggestions.
Eggs & Wine
The morning had been spent stomping through some of Bordeaux’s most storied vineyards in a cold Atlantic wind, and now lunch was being served at Chateau Palmer. The cozy first course was a deceptively simple one: eggs baked in a ramekin with red wine, bacon and onions. We all dug in, using tablespoons and sturdy strips of toast, as the last of the springtime chill seemed to melt away. And, of course, there was a wine to help warm us, 1994 Chateau Palmer. Drinking a $120 bottle of red wine with eggs was an epiphany. It seemed odd and excitingly […]
Food & Viognier
I like to pair wine with foods. I also like simplicity. There are dozens of food types and styles that will go with most wines. I am however not a food critic. It would be very unfair of me to give my thoughts on someones hard work and creativity in the kitchen unless I am entitled to do so! The web (blogs especially), magazines and, I must admit, even the daily broadsheets, have endless examples of self made critics. There is nothing wrong with having a view and expressing it. There is a subtle difference between that and being a […]
Food & Wine 13
Students can enjoy wine at mealtimes without having to shell out big bucks, said Natalie MacLean, an accredited sommelier and author of Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass. “Wine is an ideal way to dress up all sorts of dishes that are fairly straightforward,” she said. “It’s like putting rhinestones on jeans.” MacLean said students should look for wines that are undervalued and underpriced, such as wines from Chile, Argentina and South Africa. She suggested trying popcorn with Chilean chardonnay, nachos with California Zinfandel, potato chips with French Champagne, pizza with Italian Chianti […]
Vegetables & Wine 3
You have the color-coded cheat sheet memorized: red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat. But what do you drink when your meal is sans meat altogether? Though the Vegetarian Resource Group reports that only an estimated 2 to 3 percent of Americans are strictly vegetarian, another 30 to 40 percent are flexitarian, eating a veggie meal or two each week. Meat-free meals do have their advantages. For one, they’re healthful. The American Dietetic Association says diets that include a variety of vegetarian foods tend to result in lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, type […]
