Delicious Vegan Wine Pairings with Jennifer Huether and Priya Rao, Authors of The Social Herbivore

Introduction Which wineries are leading the way with vegan wines? How are some restaurants expanding into innovative vegan or vegetarian menus? What makes Riesling so versatile, especially with vegan dishes? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Jennifer Huether and Priya Rao, authors of The Social Herbivore: Perfect Pairings For Plant-Based Cuisine. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Giveaway One of you is going to win a copy of Priya Rao & Jennifer Huether’s terrific book, The Social Herbivore: Perfect Pairings For Plant-Based Cuisine – the first book ever on plant-based food and wine matching. […]

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Wine Pairing: Corned Beef and Cabbage

Do you really need to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the liquid abomination of green beer? You bet your lucky stars, no! “Green wine” can be magically delicious. No, I’m not talking about wine that’s the colour green, but rather about wine that has green aromas and flavours such as lime, peas, asparagus (stay with me), green apple and herbaceous notes.   These zesty wines dance a jig with corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie and colcannon (mashed potatoes and green cabbage). When I think of ‘green’ wines, those that come to mind are zippy whites with herbal notes such […]

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Top 10 Green Wine & Food Matches for St. Patrick’s Day

Which wines go best with the “green food” that we’ll enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day, such as corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew? How about those fresh spring vegetables that will soon be on our plates? Which wines go best with the “green food” that we’ll enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day, such as corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew? How about those fresh spring vegetables that will soon be on our plates? Green foods are the problem children of the wine world. But as a stubborn hedonist whose grandmother’s name was Brophy, I’ve found some terrific wines to […]

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Wine Paired with Ham for Easter and Beyond

One of the classic Easter dishes is ham. Most hams are wet-cured with brine or saline solution and then smoked. Popular finishes are a sweet glaze of bourbon and brown sugar or maple syrup or orange marmalade. This gives the meat a glistening finish and an appetizing salty-sweet taste. The dish is often accompanied by tangy dressings such as cloves, dried fruit chutney or apricot preserves. All those powerful fruit and spice flavors are delicious, but they’re tough on many wines. What works best is usually a zippy white with a touch of sweetness, such as an off-dry Canadian or […]

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8 Best Wines for St. Patrick’s Day + Irish Food Pairings (Video)

St. Patrick’s Day is often celebrated with a pint or two, but what if you love wine? On CTV News, we chat about the best pairings for Irish food and classic dishes. Is there a wine that pairs with corned beef and cabbage? This begs the question: Can we skip the corned beef and cabbage and just have wine? My Irish grandmother is probably turning over in her grave.     Traditional matches for this meal usually include Irish stout, like Guinness. But what about wine? Corned beef is salty and cabbage can be skunky, so you’ll avoid those wines […]

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What Are Vegan Wines & Are They Better for You with Jennifer Huether and Priya Rao

Introduction Are vegan wines better for our health? What three aspects of a wine determine whether it’s vegan or not? How can you identify whether or not a wine is vegan by looking at the label? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Jennifer Huether and Priya Rao, authors of The Social Herbivore: Perfect Pairings For Plant-Based Cuisine. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Giveaway One of you is going to win a copy of Priya Rao & Jennifer Huether’s terrific book, The Social Herbivore: Perfect Pairings For Plant-Based Cuisine – the first book ever […]

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Wines for Easter Brunch and Passover Dinner

  CTV News anchor Natalie Piero an I chat about wines for Easter brunch, Passover and other holiday weekend wines. Also check out The Essential Hip-Hop Guide to Easter Wines, which includes pairing ham and wine, lamb and wine, vegetables and wine, and chocolate and wine.     Wines for Easter Brunch and Passover Dinner Natalie Piero: Passover starts tonight and of course Easter is coming up this weekend. So Natalie MacLean is here to talk about the best wines to pair with whatever meal you might be serving or having for the holidays. Natalie MacLean: Absolutely, we have a variety of […]

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German Riesling: The World’s Most Versatile, Food-Friendly White Wine Grape

Someone has a big birthday on March 13th. Here to tell us more about that is Natalie MacLean who offers North America’s most popular online wine classes. Welcome Natalie. So who’s celebrating a birthday this Sunday? Although it’s actually a grape, it’s so personable that you’re right to call it someone, Bob ;) The iconic German white wine grape turns 588 this Monday; it was first written about in 1435. Yet it’s irrepressibly young and vibrant, looking not a day older than 585.     What makes German Riesling so special? Riesling is a tough-skinned little berry that loves the […]

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The Best Spring Wines for Sipping on Decks and Docks

Spring has sprung and as we cast off the heavy sweaters and coats, it’s also time to lighten up our wine wardrobe. On CTV News, we chat about what’s in liquid fashion this season. Can you give us a bit of an overview of what trends we’re seeing in the wine world this spring?   Everything’s coming up Rosé, Riesling and Pinot Grigio! They’re all wines meant to be consumed young, and I do mean the wines not the people. They’re fresh and lively, perfect for spring and throughout the summer.   We’re starting with a German Riesling. Why have […]

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Vine Oscars: Celebrity Wines to Sip During the Show

By Natalie MacLean On CTV’s The Social, we we chat about winemaking movie stars … can you guess who made which wine? When I think of the Oscars, I think wine. Why? For many film industry luminaries, conspicuous consumption such as owning a yacht or even a restaurant is so 2019. These days, if you really want to show some class, you own a winery. There’s no better photo opp than one with you and your trophy wife or boy toy pruning the vines or pressing the grapes.       That’s why movie actors, directors and producers are getting […]

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