Some wines are definitely a better fit with certain foods, but I admit I lived many years without realizing just good a food and wine pairing could acutally be. On my one and only visit to Lumiere – during the Rob Feenie years – I ordered a ten-course tasting menu and the matched flight of wines for each course. I was humbled. The food was good. Each course was either a single bite of something quite special or a few bites of something sumptuous. There was Israeli couscous and paper thin smoked duck breast and goat cheese cheesecake and lots […]
Technology & Wine
Food & Wine 20
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 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.
Food & Wine 12
Natalie MacLean is a productive wine writer who also has an active life on the internet. She has just launched a new wine and food matching “widget” for social media. What does this mean? Well, it’s a small piece of code that one can use if one has a blog or a web page. By putting the code on one’s page, one gets a little frame on the page with a food and wine matching tool to help you match the best wine with food. You can discover many things with the widget, sometimes quite amusing. For example, that if […]
Food & Wine 11
I’m not much of a wine connoisseur I’m afraid. Never have been. It’s simply that I haven’t found a wine that I enjoy the taste of, so when it comes to alcoholic drinks I tend to stick to beer. I enjoy most beer brands on the market today and am not overly fussy about which one I drink, but if given the choice I like to keep it real (and not drink pink drinks!). Anyway, my point is that when it comes to wine I couldn’t tell the difference between a Chardonnay and a Chihuahua. I don’t have a clue […]
Food & Wine 10
We are just a week away from St. Patrick’s Day – a time for merriment. And a time when many folks like to celebrate by serving a great meal to their friends and family. But pairing just the right wine and food can be tricky. I discovered a great tool that can help you pick the perfect wine to match with your food choice. You can try it out right here! Just start by clicking on the Food or Wine option….and have fun discovering which match will motivate them to do that Irish jig! This Wine and Food Matcher comes […]
Food & Wine 9
Natalie MacLean, a four-time James Beard Journalism Award winner, recently unveiled a new food and wine pairing tool on her website, Nat Decants. While primarily for wine-lovers, the tool also pairs beer, liquor and coffee. The vast number of foods and beverages in the database make this a useful tool to bookmark for the next time you are planning a special meal or opening a prized bottle.
