In the video chat above, Master Chocolatier Derrick Tu Tan Pho shares his tips for pairing wine and chocolate for Valentine’s Day and any other time of the year when you want to indulge. He knows his sweet stuff having won gold at the Culinary Olympics in the categories of sugar, chocolate, wedding cakes and dessert presentation. How did you train for the culinary Olympics? Your secrets to making great chocolate? What is the strangest chocolate sculpture you’ve created? Tell me about some of your specialized tools for making chocolate: induction burners, ganache frames, guitars, robot-coupes, heat guns and […]
Events
Liquor up Your Lover on Valentine’s Day
I’ll be chatting with the hosts of the CBC radio drive-home shows from coast to coast this Thursday and Friday about wines for Valentine’s Day. But we’re going to depart from the usual natter about which wines are most seductive or how to pair them with chocolate. We’ll go straight to the heart of the matter: how do you liquor up your lover on February 14? More specifically, we’ll talk about why wines are getting more alcoholic these days and how does that affect their taste and ours? Is this just a cultural trend of winemakers responding to the market? Is […]
Chocolate and Wine Pairings that will Surprise (and Seduce) Your Valentine
We paired wine and chocolate for Valentine’s Day the Sunday Sipper Club! You can watch our Live Video Wine Tasting above — click on the arrow to play. Join is for our next tasting this Sunday at 6 pm eastern right here: www.nataliemaclean.com/live Sip with you soon! In this second Facebook Live Video Wine Tasting above, we also chat about pairing wine with chocolate for Valentine’s Day. We’re joined by guest winemaker, David Guimaraen of Fonseca to help us get ready for the big day, as well by guests from Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut. If you’d like to read 140 comments […]
What Makes Prosecco One of the Most Popular Sparkling Wines?
Photos: Santa Margherita By Melanie Lloyd Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Alberto Ugolini, a passionate and knowledgeable brand ambassador for Santa Margherita, from his home in Italy. With the holidays around the corner and Prosecco’s ever-increasing popularity, it was great timing to talk about this festive sparkling wine. Question: The sale of Prosecco has been increasing globally for the last several years. What contributes to this success? Alberto: There are several factors that fuel the success of Prosecco. The first, and most important, is its flavour profile. Prosecco is a joyful and vibrant sparkling wine. It has delicate bubbles, […]
Which #Wine to Pair with Your Ugly Christmas Sweater?
In our second Day in the Life Photo Essay, we’ve assembled our pictorial interpretation of holiday spirit with the classic Ugly Christmas Sweater. Yes, there’s a wine for that. We’re also sharing these photos on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn. The hashtag is #WineFashion and @RobertMondavi. You can see our first photo essay here. Jane Staples Wine Columnist, Ottawa Wedding Magazine Jon Steeves Accredited Sommelier & Blogger Matt Steeves Wine Expert, CTV Morning Live Sean O’Regan Director, National Capital Sommelier Guild […]
Tasting Trapiche Wines from the Mountaintop to the Skytop
Recently, Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in the nation’s capital for a portfolio tasting with Sergio Case, head winemaker with Trapiche Winery in Argentina. Not only did he take us through a spectacular lineup of upcoming releases, but the event was also hosted at Ottawa’s newest event space, the glass-encased ballroom in the sky on the 22nd floor of the Westin Hotel. It’s a 3,200 square foot ballroom with a 270 degree view of downtown Ottawa, the Parliament buildings, the Ottawa River, and the Gatineau Hills, with the leaves starting to turn colour. You can watch the entire […]
A Dionysian Tasting with Thornbury Wines Winemaker Simon Fell
Recently, Canada’s top wine writers gathered in the nation’s capital for a comprehensive tasting of Thorbury wines with head winemaker Simon Fell. You can watch our Live Video Wine Tasting on Facebook right here. David Skinner Wine & Travel Columnist, Outdoor Magazine In New Zealand the wine trail always seems to lead to one of Villa Maria’s cellar doors. The flagship brand is represented by over 60 labels but founder, Sir George Fistonich, has been adding other great regional wineries to the family with quality and diversity driving his search for excellence. Thornbury, one of the more […]
Discover the World of Brunello Wine with Marchese Lamberto Frescobaldi
Lamberto Frescobaldi Experience the World of Brunello with an unforgettable, intimate dinner with Marchese Lamberto Frescobaldi, President of Tenuta CastelGiocondo – one of Tuscany’s most storied estates, owned by one of Italy’s most revered wine families. Join us Tuesday, October 24 at 7pm at Aria, 25 York St., Toronto. An evening built for true wine lovers and foodies, the Marchese Lamberto Frescobaldi will lead guests through an intimate and engaging, 5-course, wine-paired dinner. Wines to include the debut of Frescobaldi’s new rosé, a Rosso di Montalcino, a vertical flight of three Brunello di Montalcino vintages, and Frescobaldi’s premium top-tier, single […]
Shiraz or Syrah? New Film Exposes the Truth
Do you know the differences, and the secret stories behind these grapes? Would you like to know why you love one style and not another? Our guest this evening is making a movie that will turn the wine world on its head, and change the way we think about Shiraz and Syrah. Director and producer Rudolf McClain joins me live from his home in Sonoma County, California. Click on the arrow above to watch the video. P.S. Join us Sunday October 22, at 6 pm eastern with Heidemarie Fischer Pfaffl of Weingut R&A Pfaffl. www.nataliemaclean.com/live Want to know when we […]
Cirque du Soleil is a Mind-Bending Blend with Kim Crawford Wines
Cirque du Soleil’s forty-first production, Volta, was a thrilling circus for the senses, blending athleticism, artistry, acrobatics, lights and laughter. The show’s name Volta is a nod to both a quick about-turn or pivot in the present, as well as to a return to the past. It also seemed to refer to high-voltage, given the show’s energy and a dazzling displays meant to jolt us out of our everyday lives. If there ever was an event to undo ordinary, this is it. Our team was graciously hosted by Kim Crawford Wines for an evening under the big top in Gatineau, […]
