Willamette Valley, Oregon – Your Next Wine Destination. Five hidden-gem boutique wineries to visit in the Willamette Valley.

by Rebecca Meir Liebman Unlike much-visited Chianti, Bordeaux, or Napa, the Willamette Valley is yet to be discovered by wine tourists. Odd, since this upcoming region has everything one could look for on vacation: beautiful views, quality wines, and fascinating, welcoming people. Within this charming region of 530 wineries, the vast majority are family owned and small-scale, producing less than 5,000 cases a year. In fact, 70% of the wineries in all of Oregon produce fewer than 5,000 cases per year. The vast majority of Oregon’s wineries are not part of big corporations, where the owner is absent or might live […]

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What to Ask the Sommelier with Lesley Brown, Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers

Introduction Lesley Brown has been a part of the Canadian Wine Industry for the past 17 years and works with several high profile wine agencies. She holds an International Sommelier Diploma and has taught wine courses to hundreds of students. Lesley is currently the BC Regional Sales Manager for The Bacchus Group and she also sits on the board of directors for the Import Spirit and Vintners Association and has recently taken over as the President of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) BC and the Vice President of the CAPS National Board.   Highlights How did Lesley’s travels […]

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What’s the Allure of Wines from Provence? Video with Jill Barth

Our guest this evening is a wine columnist for Forbes and a wine country travel expert for USA TODAY. She’s the founder and author of L’Occasion, an award-winning digital magazine that celebrates the ways we drink, make, and contemplate wine. She’s also a Provence Wine Master through the Wine Scholar Guild and received a fellowship to the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. And she joins me now, live from her home in Chicago: Welcome  Jill Barth!   Watch previous episodes of the Wednesday Wining Show (WWS)  and find out who’s coming up next.     Jill Barth   I’m a […]

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The World’s Best Wines with Forbes Columnist Katie Kelly Bell

Introduction Katie Kelly Bell has been writing about food, wine and travel for over a dozen years, with her writing appearing in publications such as Forbes, USA Today, Modern Luxury, Decanter and Southern Living. Her experiences have taken her from the vineyards of Argentina to the press houses of Champagne. In between, she has co-authored a travel guide to Ireland, The Everything Guide to Ireland, written a city guide for Atlanta and worked as a Senior Editor at The Wine Report. Katie also appears on the CNN Airport Channel as a travel expert and on WSB Atlanta radio, talking about wine. […]

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Wines for Seduction: A Vine Romance for Valentine’s Day

Introduction Do you want to seduce someone this Valentine’s Day? Forget the lingerie, lipstick and silk-tie handcuffs – just share a glass or two of wine with your amour. Just in time for V Day, I’m going to share with you my favourite wines for seduction, including some melt-in-your-mouth pairings with chocolate.   Highlights Why do almost 60% of women prefer wine over candy for V Day? Why has Champagne, in particular, has long been the drink of romance Why is Pinot Noir called the “heartbreak grape”? How can you avoid ruining your wine with chocolate? Is chocolate an aphrodisiac […]

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Scandalous Wine Women on TV

Introduction I have to confess: I am obsessed with Alicia Florrick, the successful attorney on The Good Wife, and Olivia Pope, the high-powered Washington D.C. “fixer” on Scandal. In this episode, I’m going to share with you my secret obsession with the wine drinking habits of these women on television and what I believe that says about our cultural relationship with wine.   Highlights How have alcoholic beverages featured with women on TV changed over time? What do Alicia Florrick and Olivia Pope have in common with Philip Marlowe? How does wine act as a key plot device on Scandal? […]

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Secret Book Club Reading of Red, White and Drunk All Over

Introduction Are you curious about what’s behind the covers of my book, Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass, which you’ll hear me refer to as “RWD”? In this episode, I’m inviting you to pull up your most comfortable imaginary chair for a secret book club reading of the juiciest bits of RWD, which was named one of the best books of the year by the Globe and Mail, New York Times and Amazon.   Highlights When did I have my first experience with tasting good wine? What were my earliest interactions with wine like? […]

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Flying with Flavour: Travel and Wine Stories with Stephanie Piché (Video)

Our guest this evening is Stephanie Piché, Dining & Travel Expert, Founder of Legacy Service Academy and Podcast Host & Producer of “Flying For Flavour“ Click on the “Follow” and “Like” buttons on this Facebook page to get notified when we go live. Click on the arrow above to hear Stephanie’s story. Want to know when we go live with our next guest? Click on “Get Reminder” on the page below: www.nataliemaclean.com/live Click on “Get Notified” at the link above to know when we go live. You can also click on “Follow” and “Like” buttons to know when we make […]

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Wine Scandals, Fakes and Forgery with Maureen Downey (Video)

  Our guest this evening is… Click on the “Follow” and “Like” buttons on this Facebook page to get notified when we go live. Click on the arrow above to hear Maureen’s story. Want to know when we go live with our next guest? Click on “Get Reminder” on the page below: www.nataliemaclean.com/live Click on “Get Notified” at the link above to know when we go live. You can also click on “Follow” and “Like” buttons to know when we make updates. Watch previous episodes of the Sunday Sipper Club (SSC) and to find out who’s coming up next.   […]

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Do Wine Scores (and Critics) Matter? Bloomsberg Columnist Elin McCoy on Robert Parker (Video)

Our guest this evening is an award-winning journalist and wine columnist for both Bloomberg News and Decanter magazine. Her most recent book, The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr. and the Reign of American Taste, garnered international praise. She has also written for Food & Wine magazine, House Beautiful, The New York Times and House & Garden. She serves regularly as a wine judge in international competitions, appears on radio and television, and is a frequent speaker at wine festivals and industry events. And she joins me live now from her home in Connecticut: Welcome to […]

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