Introduction How sparkling wine spice up your menu? What complementary taste rule can you use to pair your food with wine? Which wines should you never pair with Indian food? Which red wine should be at the top of your list for pairing with spicy food? Does ambiance affect your wine tasting experience? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, Celebrity chef and author Vikram Vij and Head Sommelier Sean Nelson share their insider tips and tricks to help you pair wine with spicy, complex food like a pro. You can find the wines we discussed here. […]
Wine Trends
Angelina Jolie Wines with Winemaking Consultant Clark Smith
Introduction Why would you want to challenge a young wine with oxygen? Why don’t you hear many technical conversations around wine? How can movie genres help you understand a winemaker’s intentions? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Clark Smith, winemaker for his own WineSmith label and several other brands, consulting winemaker, author, inventor, musician, and professor to the wine industry throughout the globe. You can find the wines we discussed here. Highlights What is the $50,000 winery phenomenon? Why shouldn’t you think of wine as a “chemical solution”? Why would you want to […]
Aphrodisiac Wine Pairings for Valentine’s Day
Introduction Do you need to follow a food and wine pairing rulebook? What wine-worthy aphrodisiacs should you add to your menu this Valentine’s Day? Does the classic romantic food, chocolate, have a perfect wine match you should try? Where does salinity in wine come from? In today’s episode, I’m chatting with you about aphrodisiac wine pairings and salt in wine. You can find the wines I discussed here. Enjoy! Highlights What is the most important rule you should remember when choosing wine? Do you need to follow a food and wine pairing rulebook? What can history teach you about […]
Single Vineyards versus Blends, Drops of God Manga Wine, Wine Scores
Introduction How does blending grapes impact the flavour profile of wine? What can blends give you that a single varietal can’t? What can you learn about wine from reading the Drops of God manga series? Why should you engage your creative side when it comes to wine? Why do you need to dive deeper into wine scores before buying? In today’s episode, I’m chatting with you about the power and problems with wine scores, whether single vineyard or blends are better and the viral sensation of the Manga wine series called Drops of God. Enjoy! Highlights What can you […]
Bargain Wines, Pairing Wine and Artichokes, Wine Region Vacations with the Restaurant Guys Mark Pascal and Francis Schott
Introduction In today’s episode, I’m chatting again with Mark Pascal and Francis Schott, on their excellent radio show The Restaurant Guys. If you missed part one of our conversation, go back to episode 56 after you listen to this one. Mark and Francis have been in the fine dining and wine retail business for more than 25 years, and co-own Stage Left Restaurant in New Brunswick, New Jersey, which the New York Times has ranked in their excellent category and Citysearch named among the Top 10 Restaurants in America and Worth The Drive from any Major City. They also own […]
Champagne Special with the Restaurant Guys Mark Pascal and Francis Schott
Introduction In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Mark Pascal and Francis Schott, on their excellent radio show The Restaurant Guys. They’ve been in the fine dining and wine retail business for more than 25 years, and co-own Stage Left Restaurant in New Brunswick, New Jersey, which the New York Times has ranked in their excellent category and Citysearch named among the Top 10 Restaurants in America and Worth The Drive from any Major City. Since I’ve chatted with them, they’ve launched a second restaurant called Catherine Lombardi and their Stage Left Wine Shop is booming. Although their radio show was […]
What’s Minerality in Wine? Plus California Wildfires
Introduction What it minerality mean when it comes to wine? Is it a taste? A feeling? Or some bogus concept meant to keep wine mysterious? What’s the latest with the devastating wildfires in Sonoma wine country? Why are winemakers wary of cannabis producers? It’s not what you might think. And what is a new wine group doing to help with a balanced life? On today’s episode of Unreserved Wine Talk, I’m taking a deep dive into the controversial concept of minerality, assessing the impact of recent wildfires on California wine country, discussing the controversy between cannabis producers and winemakers and […]
Festive Wines with the Globe & Mail’s Christine Sismondo
Introduction In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Christine Sismondo, writer, teacher and barfly who, when not teaching literature at York University, is tracking down the city’s best drinks and the bars in which they’re served for her columns. She also writes wine and cocktail articles for the Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper. Enjoy! Highlights Why shouldn’t you lump Cava, Prosecco and Champagne together? Why did Lambrusco have a bad reputation in the 70s and 80s? What is the Charmat Method for producing sparkling wine? How did Lambrusco become popular in North […]
Thanksgiving Wines, Mouse Wine Defect, Trends to Ignore
Introduction For those of us in Canada, Thanksgiving is this weekend. In my opinion, there is no other holiday that celebrates the gift of wine like Thanksgiving. Wine is a taste of the harvest, along with all the delicious dishes on the table. But actually choosing a bottle can feel like a thankless task, especially with so many flavours to match. Do you celebrate Thanksgiving, perhaps in November if you’re American? On today’s episode of Unreserved Wine Talk, I’ll be chatting with you about how to pair wine with Thanksgiving turkey and all the side dishes, as well as the […]
Do Wine Scores Matter? Bloomberg Columnist Elin McCoy on Robert Parker
Introduction In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with author Elin McCoy, who is the wine columnist for both Bloomberg News and Decanter magazine. Elin shares her controversial perspective on one of the juiciest topics in the wine world: the power of wine scores. Do wine scores still have sway over the way we buy wine? How is this changing with millennials and social media? Are scores actually a valid way of appraising a wine? How is the use of scores in liquor stores sometimes misleading? Elin explores all this and more, including why Robert Parker made such an […]
