Introduction What should you consider when pairing wine and cheese? Why is sparkling wine the perfect pairing for many cheeses? Are there red-flag flavours that signal a bad wine and cheese match? How can you develop your wine and cheese pairing palate? What can you do to make the most of your cheese and wine course when entertaining? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with James Beard award-winning author, Laura Werlin, one of the planet’s most authoritative writers on cheese and cheese and wine pairings. You can find the wines we discussed here. Highlights […]
Taste Wine
The Wine Bible’s Karen MacNeil on Women and Wine
Introduction How did The Wine Bible get its name? How was it unlike any wine book of its time? What was it like as a young woman trying to break into the male-dominated New York wine scene in the 1970s? Why are there significantly fewer women than men with the Master Sommelier designation? How does wine help you to immerse yourself in other cultures? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, former wine correspondent for the Today Show, the first Food and Wine Editor of USA Today, and […]
How to Break Wine & Food Pairing Rules? with Chris Scott
Introduction Why should you pair wine to the diner, not the dinner? Do you always have to follow the “rules” when pairing food and wine? Which fun food and wine pairing should you try with your pandemic snacking? How can you develop your aroma vocabulary? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Chris Scott, a U.K.-based sommelier who published the world’s first-ever wine podcast, the UK Wine Show and who, with his wife, Jane also founded ThirtyFifty, a company which offers fun and no-nonsense wine tastings for private and corporate events. You can find the […]
Why Should You Take Online Wine & Food Classes? with Chris Scott
Introduction Can being a supertaster affect your preferences in alcoholic beverages? Why don’t you find a lot of wineries in Ottawa? How do online classes give you an advantage over in-person classes? How is the pandemic impacting the way you buy wine? Why should you buy wine directly from wineries? How can my Wine App help you find the best wine to pair with your food? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Chris Scott, a U.K.-based sommelier who published the world’s first-ever wine podcast, the UK Wine Show and who, with his wife, Jane also […]
How Does a Wine’s Name Affect How Much You’ll Pay for it? with Dr. Antonia Mantonakis
Introduction How does the ease with which you can pronounce a winery name affect your perception of both the wine and its price? Are wine experts or novices more likely to assign a higher value to wines with complicated names? How do grape names affect your purchase decisions? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Dr. Antonia Mantonakis, Fellow of the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute and Professor of Marketing and Consumer Psychology at Brock University’s Goodman School of Business in St. Catharines, Ontario. You can find the wines we discussed here. Highlights […]
6 Tips to Make You Wine Smart Quick (Video)
1. Expensive Doesn’t Mean Better: Do you need to pay a lot to get a great wine? Ruffino Prosecco Tuscany, Italy Santa Margherita Brut Valdobbiadene Superiore Prosecco Veneto D.O.C.G., Italy 2. Look for Second Labels Woodbridge Winery Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 California, United States Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast, California, United States 3. Quick Pairing Tip: Is the Wine Mouth-Watering or […]
Pairing Wine with Sharks, Dragons and Kevin O’Leary
Introduction What should you consider when buying wine as an investment? What’s the cold, hard truth about the Canadian wine industry? What makes for a successful wine brand launch? Are Kevin O’Leary’s wines as great as he says they are? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Kevin O’Leary, prickly merchant of the television shows Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank, as well as the founder of O’Leary Fine Wines, O’Leary Funds, and O’Leary Financial Group. You can find the wines we discussed here. Highlights What should you consider when buying wine as an investment? […]
How We Buy Wine Based on Secret Retail Triggers with Dr. Tim Dodd
*** Editor’s Note: You can get your free Ultimate Guide to Wine & Food Pairing here. *** Introduction What would surprise us about the way we buy wine? What techniques do wine retailers use to trigger impulse buys in the store? What are the biggest differences between the way men and women buy wine? Why is a direct to consumer sales model beneficial for you as a buyer? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Dr. Tim Dodd, James Young Regents Professor of Hospitality Management, and Director of the Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute […]
Tasting Wine Like a Detective with Ontario’s Best Sommelier Emily Pearce-Bibona
Introduction What does it take to win Ontario’s Best Sommelier competition? What’s it like performing in front of a set of very stern-eyed wine judges and a live audience? What is the smartest question you can ask your sommelier in a restaurant? What is the deductive tasting technique and how can it help you drink better wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Emily Pearce-Bibona, Certified Sommelier and founder of Femmes du Vins. You can find the wines we discussed here. Highlights How did Emily go from government employee to sommelier? What’s aspects of wine are […]
Video: Your Most Pressing Wine Questions Answered
Anne-Marie, Lindsay and I had fun chatting about their most pressing wine questions last week on CTV’s Your Morning, the network’s national breakfast show. Have you ever wondered what to look for on a wine label or if you can cook with a wine? Here to answer your most pressing wine questions is Natalie MacLean, editor of Canada’s largest wine review site at nataliemaclean.com. Question 1. Wine Faults Sometimes I taste a wine and I think, ugh, that’s awful. How do I know if the wine is bad or I just don’t like it? What do I do […]
