In October, I traveled to Italy with great excitement to participate in Nino Negri’s 120th Anniversary celebration. As I drove through the historic wine region of Valtellina, I was captivated by its breathtaking beauty and eager to participate in this year’s wine harvest. Valtellina is a serene valley at the foot of the Lombardy Alps, on the Italian-Swiss border. The “vine”, the heart of this difficult mountainous terrain, has found perfect growing conditions here. The vineyards are protected by two high mountain chains, the Retiche Alps and the Orobie Pre-Alps. Exposure to the sun at high altitude, as well as a significant […]
Social Media and Wine
Video: What Should You Ask a Sommelier?
Our guest this evening has been an active member of the Canadian wine industry for 17 years, working with several high profile wine agencies. She holds an International Sommelier Diploma and has taught wine courses to hundreds of students. She is also the new BC president of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). And she joins me live now from her home in Vancouver: Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club Lesley Brown! Want to know when we go live? Click on “Get Reminder” on the page below: www.nataliemaclean.com/live Click on “Get Notified” at the link above to know […]
What are the Latest Trends in Social Media and Wine (Video)?
You won’t want to miss our live video chat with Julien Miquel, talking about the Latest Trends in Social Media and Wine! Join us Sunday, March 11 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 Julien’s story about becoming an International Wine Expert – Winemaker. Watch previous episodes of the Sunday Sipper Club (SSC) and find out who’s coming up next. Julien Miquel After a 10-year winemaking career […]
Video: Wine Industry Must Adapt or Face Digital Darwinism
What a terrific chat with Paul Mabray, Wine Unicorn & Digital Futurist! Click on the arrow above to watch the video. What impact does social media have on wine, both for wineries and wine drinkers? How has that changed dramatically over the past year? Our guest this evening is a wine unicorn and digital futurist. He has created and led companies that have transformed the wine industry through the strategic and visionary use of technology. He believes that the future of the wine industry hinges on its ability to adapt and change to meet consumer expectations, wherever they are, […]
Video: Game of Thrones Wines: Royal Taste?
April 14, 2019 Update: This live Facebook show originally aired as a prelude to Game of Thrones Season 7. Now that we’re moving into the final season, I thought it would be fun to bring this chestnut back. I re-tasted the wines, and my opinion remains the same ;) Enjoy this episode of the Sunday Sipper Club! ** Click on the arrow above to watch the video. ** Are they fit for royalty? What’s the back story on these HBO series-branded wines? Game of Thrones Wine Reviews You can read the 30 comments for this tasting, and/or make a comment […]
Niagara Wine Pioneer Reif Estate Winery Video Tasting
Last night, we were joined by special guest Klaus Reif, Head Winemaker and Owner of Reif Winery, who chatted about making wine in Niagara and his vision for Ontario wines. Click on the arrow above to watch the video. What an amazing conversion last night! Klaus’ audio is fixed after 4 minutes, so hang in ;) Klaus shared some wonderful stories about when he first made #wine at age 10 and (hid the bottles behind some bottles in his father’s winery), and then at age 24 making a new style that upset his uncle and then won an award at […]
Top 100 Wine Sites > New Rankings: Who Made the List?
My Twitter feed lit up last night with good wishes from various parts of the planet … I clicked through to the link in one tweet and discovered that this site had just been ranked #2 in the Top 100 Wine Sites in the world. On the list: Jancis Robinson, editor of the Oxford Companion to Wine; Dr. Jamie Goode, author of The Science of Wine; James Suckling, former editor of The Wine Spectator magazine; Steve Heimoff, former editor of The Wine Enthusiast magazine, Alice Feiring, columnist for the New York Times; and Tim Atkin, columnist for the UK’s Observer […]
Facebook Live Video Posts
In this Facebook Live Video chat, we discuss terrific wines for Thanksgiving. You can click on the arrow above to play the video. If you’d like to read the comments, or make a comment yourself, visit: https://www.facebook.com/natdecants/videos/10154411500734845/ You’ll find the most recent live video wine tasting at the top of the timeline here: www.facebook.com/natdecants We taste every Sunday evening at 6 pm eastern so add us to your calendar and grab a glass of wine. Click on Follow, Like and Signup on the page above to get notified when we go live. Dom […]
15 Sommeliers + Bloggers, 60 Wines, 700 Wine Reviews Live Posting + Tweeting Today
Heather Wall, wine columnist for the Huffington Post and a frequent contributor to our review site, talks about our tasting yesterday with 15 sommeliers, wine writers and bloggers working their way through more than 60 wines. More than 700 wine reviews will be posted online and shared on social media, including Twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned for our next tasting! Martha Kelly is the regular wine expert on the Rogers Daytime Television Show in Ottawa, as well as a regular writer for our site. She is the owner of Capital Wine School, teaching the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) […]
Tania’s Magical Matches: Wine Pairings for Thanksgiving Turkey
By Tania Thomas Thanksgiving is the time of the year when we remember what we are thankful for and a celebration that captures holiday spirit of home cooking like no other. Sharing this day with family and friend is what makes it even more special. The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving can be traced to two separate events in our history. The arrival of the explorer Samuel de Champlain in the early 17th century, who came with the French settlers to New France and celebrated their successful harvests, even sharing food with the indigenous peoples of the area. The second is […]
