Wine Writing Ethics Plus Texas Wines with Gus Clemens (Video)

Gus Clemens and I chat about some delicious wine and food pairings… You can get a free copy of my Ultimate Wine and Food Pairing Guide here.   Gus Clemens went to business college when he was just 12 years old to learn how to type because he knew even that he wanted to be a writer. He’s held editorial positions with the San Antonio Express-News and the Star Magazine in New York, and has written or contributed to about twenty books about Texas and a range of other subjects. Today he owns an advertising agency in San Angelo and […]

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Back to Wine School: The Best Wine Courses (Video)

It’s that time of the year, back to school for the kids. But what about the adults? If you have a thirst to learn more about wine, you might be considering taking a wine course. But how do you choose which one is right for you, and what exactly will you learn? On Global Television’s Morning Show, Carolyn, Jeff and I chat about how to choose the right wine course for you and what you’ll learn. First off, tell us why we wouldn’t just surf the web to learn about wine? – There’s lots of free content online but it […]

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The 31 Most Difficult Wine and Grapes Names: How to Pronounce Them

On CTV News, Leanne and I chat about the most difficult wine and grape names to pronounce. Click the arrows to watch the videos both above and below. As anglophones, we find many of these names difficult since their origins are often European, with accents and inflections that are new to us. Tip: often e and i are pronounced in the reverse when in the middle of a word, and an e at the end of a name often sounds like a long a. Why bother? We often overlook these terrific wines, and don’t ask for them in liquor stores […]

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Smartest Ever Tips for Wine Tasting with Chris Scott

My guest is an award-winning wine podcaster and presenter who runs wine tasting company called ThirtyFifty and produces a weekly wine podcast, The UK Wine Show, which is consistently ranked in the top 10 Apple i-Tunes’ Food & Drink Podcast chart. Born and bred in New Zealand, Chris spent time as a student working hands-on in the vineyards of Canterbury before graduating with first class honours in engineering. In 2001, he moved to London U.K. and now holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines & Spirits, the top qualification. He now heads up a team of 20 wine experts […]

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Wedding Wine: A Marriage of True Vines

Liza and I chat about wines for weddings and parties on Global Morning Television. Here are my Top 50 Wines Under $15 also showing you your closest liquor stores that have them in stock now. As a bonus, here are my 20 Best Bubblies Under $20 for wedding toasts, and the most Gorgeous Gift Wines for the happy couple.     I love Liza’s gift idea for the happy couple: a wine crate with 3-4 bottles of wine. Notes on each wine indicate the bottle to drink now, the one drink on their first anniversary, fifth and tenth. Add another […]

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Pairing Wine & Charcuterie with Jennifer McLagan

Introduction In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Jennifer McLagan, an author and expert in charcuterie. Sometimes, I think we’ve become so paranoid about fat in our diets that we forget that not all fats are alike. Jennifer talks about those that are good for us, and together, we discover some terrific wines to pair with them. Enjoy!   Highlights When did Jennifer realize she wanted to write about food? What is Jennifer’s favourite failure? How does Jennifer respond to people who are concerned about “healthy eating”? What was the best moment of Jennifer’s career […]

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Gripping Wine Stories with San Francisco Chronicle Wine Columnist Esther Mobley

Introduction In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Esther Mobley, on the gripping stories that catapulted her to become the columnist for one of the most prestigious wine columns in North America, the San Francisco Chronicle, at just 24 years of age. Enjoy!   Highlights How did Esther’s college admissions essay end up in the New York Times? Why did Esther decide to spend her gap year working at a vineyard? What experiences from the vineyard in Napa piqued Esther’s interest in the wine world? Should wine writers all experience winemaking? What came next for […]

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Pairing Wine and Yoga to Unwined with Morgan Perry

Introduction In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Morgan Perry who pairs wine and yoga in her Vino Vinyasa classes. More than marketing or whimsy, it’s actually rooted in a holistic lifestyle philosophy. Enjoy!   Highlights Why did Morgan decide to pair wine and yoga? What is a yoga vinyasa class experience like? What are vinyasa and shavasana? Why does Morgan believe yoga enhances the wine tasting experience? How has Morgan wine-ified some of the yoga poses for her classes? Are Morgan’s classes tailored to the type of wine being tasted? What are Morgan’s thoughts […]

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Why You Need to Know Malbec Truly, Madly, Deeply

Introduction Have you tried Malbec? Did you like it? Which ones are your favourites? From Argentina to France,  Malbecs are not all created equal. For me, it was an Argentine Malbec that first piqued my curiosity, leading me to start buying more. I followed that curiosity down to Argentina itself in my second book, Unquenchable: A Tipsy Search for the World’s Best Bargain Bottles. On this episode, in honour of World Malbec Day, I’m taking you with me on a journey to the Bodega Catana Zapata winery in Argentina to chat about all things Malbec and explore why Malbec is […]

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A Game of Clones: A Journey into Croatian Wine

By Andrea Shapiro The Republic of Croatia, located in Eastern Europe is one of the oldest wine growing countries in the world, and yet is relatively unknown to the average Canadian like me. The region possesses both mediterranean and continental climates and a soil structure that travels the spectrum, from sandy to volcanic. The result is a terroir that is proficient at yielding a myriad of varietals – everything from global mainstays such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot to indigenous grapes such as Graševina, Pošip and Plavac Mali. During the Cold War, as part of The Socialist Federal Republic […]

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