On CTV News, Leanne and I chat about why Californian wines are among the most popular at the liquor store. You can also watch our second chat about Napa Valley wines here. How the wildfires impacted California wineries? Thankfully, 2021 is a “drama free harvest.” It’s small but mighty, as drought is the defining feature in Napa and Sonoma, as it was the third-driest year in more than a century, and the stress has meant fewer grapes. But drought also causes smaller grapes with more concentrated flavor and tannins. People talk about intense aromas and depth, […]
Californian Wine
Wines for Summer BBQ, Picnics, Seafood: CJAD Radio
Which wines to crack open for summer BBQs: big reds for meats and flavourful whites for seafood and veggies. Seven Deadly Zins, Menage a Trois, Innsikillin Riesling, St. Nicholas Cider and Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc. Do you have to pay much a lot for good wine? No, and here’s why. We chat about this and other tasty topics on CJAD radio, one of the largest morning talk shows in the country. Wines for Summer BBQ, Picnics, Seafood: CJAD Radio Barry: 7:41 summer’s here, although it’s kind of tough to tell this morning, but summer is here. So what wines go […]
Wine Paired with Fast Food: CTV’s The Social Video
We had so much fun pairing wine with fast food this past Friday on The Social, CTV’s new national talk show in the video. Think “The View”, but with smarter hosts and a much stronger social media angle. Hosts Melissa Grelo, Lainey Lui, Traci Melchor and Cynthia Loyst all have impressive backgrounds with other successful shows. I’m honoured to be their new wine go-to gal on the show. Jackson-Triggs Entourage Grand Reserve Brut Sparkling Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada You can also watch our second episode where we do a […]
The Secret to Sauvignon Blanc Wine? (Video)
Leanne and I had great fun chatting about Sauvignon Blanc on CTV as a lead up to Sauvignon Blanc Day May 4. You can watch the video segment above by clicking on the arrow. You can also watch our second wine video. Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley, Chile Sacred Hill Wine Company Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand Henry of Pelham […]
Video: Which Wines for Turkey, Cranberry Sauce and Pumpkin Pie?
CTV’s Your Morning Host Ben Mulroney and chat about which wines to pair with your holiday turkey dinner, from appetizers and the big bird to side dishes and dessert. Happy holidays! Natalie Start with an aperitif As the heady aroma of the turkey wafts through the house, and sounds of Miracle on 34th Street come from the livingroom, offer family and friends an aperitif. This pre-dinner drink will whet their appetites before they sit down to the table. An excellent choice is a chilled dry sherry. Its nutty flavours go well with spiced nuts, olives, cheese and other pre-dinner […]
Books & Wines With Great Structure & Finish
We often chat about pairing wine and food, but what about pairing bottles with books? You can also watch part two of our book and bottle pairings from CTV yesterday. What’s the first pairing you recommend? We’re starting with one of my favorite wine books, The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil. It’s sold more than a half a million copies worldwide and is a go-to reference book that’s also engagingly well-written. Karen lives in Napa Valley, so I’d pair this book with this full-bodied, complex Cabernet Sauvignon from Charles Krug, Napa Valley’s oldest winery […]
Which Wines Pair Best with Pretzels?
It’s National Pretzel Day today. So back with us to chat about pairings for this treat is Natalie MacLean, author of the new memoir, Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much. Welcome back Natalie. First off, what is a pretzel? In the 7th century, monks rewarded their students with baked bread in the shape of crossed arms, to symbolize prayer and the three holes representing the Holy Trinity. Pretzels were originally called “bracellae” which is Latin for “little arms,” but were renamed to “pretiola” which meant little reward. They were made from […]
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 […]
Music and Wine Pairing: Cabernet in C Major
On CTV’s The Social yesterday, we had so much fun pairing wine and music. This was also the topic on CTV News with Leanne further below. MARCI Welcome back. Would you add heavy metal music to your playlist if someone told you it’d make your wine taste better? Well, our next guest says it’s something you should consider because a growing body of research suggests music may influence the way our brain interprets the flavour of wine. LAINEY Natalie MacLean is the editor of Canada’s largest wine review site and she’s here to put that theory to the test. Welcome […]
The Ultimate Super Bowl Wine and Snack Pairings
This Facebook Live Video Wine Tasting above, we chat about pairing wine with Super Bowl snacks. You can click on the arrow above to play the video. We’re joined by guest winemaker, David Joeky of Casella Family Brands to help us get ready for the big game. You’ll find our most recent live video wine tasting here: www.nataliemaclean.com/live We taste every Sunday evening at 6 pm eastern so add us to your calendar and grab a glass of wine. Click on the buttons for “Share” and “Like” on the page above to get notified when we go live. If you’d like to […]
