Whether your idea of clam chowder is Boston’s bowl of creamy goodness, Manhattan’s tomatoey brine or Connecticut’s vibrant clear broth, team this classic dish with a glass of chilled white wine. A white wine will give you the refreshing crispness to stand up to the full-throttled clam flavor, while a sense of fruitiness—a touch of sweetness, even—will flatter the chowder’s innate saltiness. The one variable that may change is the wine’s weight or profile, as noted by Natalie Maclean, the Canadian wine writer who offers food and wine pairing suggestions on her Web site, nataliemaclean.com. “Clam chowders in a clear […]
Food & Wine Pairing
Picnic Wines
September brings us the last days of summer and the year’s final opportunity for sun-drenched picnics. But how do we choose a suitable wine to ease us out of fancy-free summer and into the formality of fall? Why not go regional or, at least, Canadian? You’ll cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions required to transport the wine, and you’ll support our growers and producers. Local Pairings “Three of my favourite picnic wines are Niagara Rieslings from Henry of Pelham, Strewn, and Vineland Estates,” says Ottawa wine expert Natalie MacLean, author of Red, White, and Drunk All Over and a […]
Doughnuts & Wine
That ever-puzzling question of what wine to drink with a chocolate doughnut or two is settled at www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher, where you will find an easy-to-use tool that pairs wines with just about any dish from chicken-feta tostadas to Jell-O. At this award-winning site you also can sign up for Nat Decants, sommelier Natalie MacLean’s free monthly newsletter. And you can access her basic-level wine glossary. But to end the suspense – and tossing coffee aside – the beverage for chocolate doughnuts is either a Banyuls, which is a fortified wine from southern France, or a tawny port. Natalie MacLean is author […]
Chicken Wings & Wine
Chicken wings, no matter how they’re prepared, are among the simplest but memorable pleasures of life. Be sure to mark the occasion with a glass of wine. Wine? Well, yes. Beer may be the traditional choice for wings, especially those sauced up in classic Buffalo style. With a little bit of experimentation, though, you can find just the right wine for whatever type of wings you are serving—even the honey barbecue wings used in Good Eating’s tasting. Natalie MacLean, author of “Red, White and Drunk All Over,” recommends an off-dry riesling or a fruity merlot with honey barbecue wings. “The […]
Fast Food & Wine
A bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken suits Natalie MacLean just fine, thank you. It creates a challenge to do what she does best — pairing wines with food. This internationally renowned wine aficionado and expert admits without abashment that she can’t cook. “But I’ve learned how to compensate for my lack of cooking skills by matching wines with every kind of meal, including fast food,” says MacLean. She and her family indulge in all sorts of ready prepared foods from dining out, takeout, TV dinners and deli stuff to canned beans and “even our son’s mac and cheese, which by […]
Barbecue Wines
“It was a warm, breezy July evening and we were with good friends whom we’ve known for 15 years. It was an informal get-together and I love those because we can bring wine. “We started with gourmet potato chips while the grill was heating up, and we opened a bottle of bubbly from Spain. I loved the shabby-chic combination, and with the salt and fat of the chips it was amazingly good. “They did cedar-planked grilled salmon. I was able to be a wine renegade and match it with a red wine. Salmon, when it’s grilled, takes on those beautiful […]
Wedding Wines
Summer is a time of celebration. Social calendars that seemed so barren just a few weeks ago are suddenly swollen with backyard barbecues, graduation parties, family reunions, tailgate excursions and impromptu get-togethers of all kinds. Oh, and did we mention weddings? June is traditionally a big month for weddings, which, when you think about it, are simply summer parties in nicer clothes. For all of planning that goes into a wedding — invitations, reception, rehearsal dinner, rings, flowers, formal wear, photography, music — it’s easy to overlook an important element that can play a role in setting the mood for […]
Steak & Wine
When it comes to steak, conventional wisdom says the color of your wine should match the color of your meat. But if you can’t bear to quaff yet another cabernet sauvignon with your beef, there are other options, including plenty that refute convention, says Natalie MacLean, a sommelier and wine writer. “Robust whites can also muscle in beside a steak,” she says. “If you’re tired of big, honkin’ reds, try a California chardonnay or a French blend of marsanne and rousanne. These toasty, aromatic whites highlight the smoky notes in the meat.” But avoid light-bodied whites, which can be overshadowed […]
Food & Wine 6
Oh man, are the Traveling Mamas big fans of wine writer Natalie MacLean. She’s a funny and informative writer, a four-time winner of the James Beard Journalism Awards, and she also was named the World’s Best Drink Writer at the World Food Media Awards (that’s just about the best name for an award). Natalie MacLean writes hilariously and self-effacingly in her book, Red, White, and Drunk All Over. This is a kind-of travel, kind-of drinking memoir, and I love it. Even better, she kindly answered some of our questions, and – my favorite – has put serious consideration into wine […]
Summer Drinks
Top 10 summer drinks Cool down on a hot day with this summer’s tastiest thirst-quenchers. 1. Unisex coolers “Bottled cocktails, wine cocktails or premixed drinks are always hot in the summer, especially because they are getting better,” says Konrad Ejbich. Though coolers have a rep as a fruity drink women favour, the trend this summer, he says, is ready-to-drink concoctions like Absolut Cut and Hydra, which appeal to both sexes. “They’re going unisex,” Konrad says. 2. Strong flavours No more flavours for the faint of heart — now, it’s all about serving up big tastes. Ranging from pomegranate to guanabana, […]
