Now that we’re officially into barbecue season, you may think of having beer with your grilled grub, but wine can also work. Whether you love BBQ seafood, veggies, chicken or beef, there’s a wine for that. Here with her tips for you is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com/class. Welcome Natalie! Let’s start with lighter fare like grilled veggies and seafood. Which wines work well with those? Loimer Grüner Veltliner Kamptal D.A.C., Austria Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling […]
Ontario Wine
Is Chardonnay Too Cool to be the Teacher’s Pet? Video Report Card
On CTV News, we chat about Chardonnay: it’s rise to popularity, fall from grace and resurgence. We also discuss the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4c) and which Chardonnays you should be drinking now. Let’s start with why Chardonnay became so popular in the first place? · It’s the second most widely planted white wine grape on the planet, but the most popular among drinkers. · The most widely planted white wine grape is a Spanish workhorse grape called Airen that’s often in rustic blends, to put it politely, and it’s gradually being replaced with Chardonnay. · If Chardonnay got […]
The Best Online Wine Tasting & Pairing Classes (Video)
As the kids head back to school, let’s chat about how the adults have changed the way they learn about wine, especially with online courses. It’s a virtual world of wine learning at your fingertips. Yesterday, I chatted with Nicole Dube on CTV’s Morning Live show. First, tell us why online wine courses have become so popular? Online courses offer the best of both worlds: they’re accessible to everyone no matter where you live, they’re more comprehensive than a one-off class, but not as technical and time-consuming as college courses. Plus, there’s no drinking, then driving home, […]
Video: Prince Edward County Wines and Free My Grapes
On CTV News today, Leanne and I chat about the glorious wines of Prince Edward County, as well as why it’s a great region to visit. I’ll list the wines we mentioned here soon. You can watch our second wine video segment here. We also discuss the new campaign from the Canadian Vintners Association (CVA) to encourage interprovincial trade ministers to make direct to home delivery legal, as the federal government has already passed legislation to do so via Bill C-311 six years ago. You can add your voice to this important campaign at actnow.freemygrapes.ca. Interesting Facts and Stats Canada is […]
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 […]
Mother’s Day Brunch Wine and Champagne Pairings
Jeff and I had such fun chatting about wines for Mother’s Day gifts on Canada AM, especially champagne for brunch. There’s even a “live action” shot with uncorking a sparkler. (Okay, not so much.) Here are my Top 20 Wines for Mother’s Day, either made by women or named for them. Often the latter were originally made by women. You’ll also find more suggestions in my Mother’s Day wines for Epicurious as well as for More Magazine. Jeff: It’s Mother’s Day, of course, on Sunday, and if you are planning on taking her out for brunch, you might want to […]
Video: The Ultimate Guide to Pairing Wine and Chocolate
The hosts of CTV’s The Social and I shared lots of scandalous laughs this week pairing wine and chocolate for Valentine’s Day. Click on the arrow above to play the video. Laurent-Perrier Millésimé Champagne 2007 Champagne A.C., France What’s you favourite pairing? We love chocolate not just for its taste, but also for its sensual texture. Cocoa butter, one of its main ingredients, melts close to body temperature, so sliding a piece into your mouth and feeling it seep out to coat your tongue can almost be orgasmic. Maybe that why’s the […]
The Best Gamay Wines to Buy Now + Food Pairings (Video)
Now let’s chat about a summer red wine. What is the Gamay grape and why has it had a less-than-stellar reputation in the past? Gamay, the grape most famously associated with Beaujolais, has suffered the same reputation as it’s parent wine: the Rodney Dangerfield of wine. It often gets no respect. It’s been stigmatized as cheap and cheerful, with a banana bubble-gum flavour, mostly due to Beaujolais Nouveau, which is released on the third Thursday of November each year, only weeks after the harvest. That’s an ingenious cash flow concept for winemakers rather than tying up the wine in barrels […]
Video: What are Orange and Natural Wines?
What a terrific chat with Ann Sperling, Winemaker at Southbrook Vineyards! Click on the arrow above to watch the video. Listen to Ann’s stories about making Canada’s first orange wine. Is orange wine the new white wine? Why are orange and natural wines so trendy? What makes them different from other wines? Cheers, Natalie Watch previous episodes of the Sunday Sipper Club (SSC) and find out who’s coming up next. Click on the video above to hear Ann’s explanation of Orange wines. Here’s a sampling of our lively discussion from our tasting… Rachelle O’Connor · 34:47 As a Natural Nutritionist and […]
6 Best Spring Wines for Sipping and Drinking (Video)
Mel As the weather warms up, it’s not just our wardrobes that need a seasonal update, our taste buds crave change too. So cast off those woolly-sweater wines and sip on something light, fresh and new. Here with the wine trends to look out for this spring is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes. • Natalie Hello Lainey We’re starting with a trend that I’m really excited about, Pink Prosecco. Why are they so popular right now? Natalie • Take two already trendy wines—rosé and prosecco—and combine them for a mashup of this season’s […]
