Shipping Wine Across Canada: Bill C-311 and Beyond

In the video chat below, Member of Parliament Dan Albas talks about what Bill C-311 means for Canadian wine lovers and wineries today, and what needs to happen next. Can we call a winery in another province and order wine, or only purchase on site? Is there any limit on how much? Is just Canadian wine or all wine?       Ontario produces the majority of wine in this country so do you think the Ontario wine industry has more to lose than the BC wine industry if provincial borders are open? About 90% of BC wine is consumed […]

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Wine, Chips and Snack Pairings Video

  In our second video chat below, sommelier Mike Pierce gets into some specific and fun snack food and wine pairings. There were some surprising insights (really) as I thought all snacks would go best with sweet wines … Skittles proved me wrong, though I loved the Cracker Jacks pairing best. Have you discovered an unusually great pairing? What things do you have to keep in mind for the chemically-enhanced flavors of snack food? Any wines that really don’t work with snack food? Why do more obscure and expensive wines seem to go better with junk food?   You can […]

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Wine and Junk Food Pairing from Maverick Mike

Our guest this evening is Mike Pierce, Sommelier and Co-Owner of San Francisco’s Maverick Wine Bar and he joins me now live from San Francisco. Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club P.S. Tune in here for our next Live Video Wine Tasting: www.nataliemaclean.com/live Click on the “Follow” and “Like” buttons on this Facebook page to get notified when we go live. We’ll be simultaneously broadcasting on Facebook Live, YouTube Live Stream and Twitter Live Video via Periscope. Watch previous episodes of the Sunday Sipper Club (SSC) and find out who’s coming up next.       Anyone can pair filet […]

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Recipe: Aged Gouda Quesadillas and Bacon Paired with Cabernet Sauvignon

By  Christie Pollard At a recent wine and cheese pairing event I tasted an Aged Dutch Gouda from Lancaster, Ontario with several wines and the best match was with Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, California. The nutty, caramel flavours in the cheese wonderfully compliment the juicy, ripe fruit flavours in the wine. This easy quesadilla appetizer recipe was inspired by the match. Aged Gouda and Caramelized Onion Quesadillas with Bacon and Roasted Red Pepper Recipe Serves 8 Ingredients: 3 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 2 large Spanish onion, peeled and thinly sliced 1 tbsp brown sugar ½ […]

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How to Taste Wine in 5 Steps Video

In this video, I read a few short sections from Unquenchable, including the parts about meeting Wolf Blass in Australia and Charles Back in South Africa. We also do a quick wine tasting with the 5 steps to tasting wine. It’s tongue-in-cheek but will give you the basics for getting more from each glass. What’s your favourite wine for tasting, or drinking?     You can also watch a shorter wine video of the Airmiles Gold event at Willow Park Wine & Spirits.   10801 Bonaventure Dr SE Calgary, Alberta T2J 6Z8 Phone: 403.296.1640 http://willowpark.net    

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Restaurant Wine Lists: Vintage Tips Video

In this video chat, Lance Hurtubise, CEO of the Vintage Group, a collection of restaurants based in Alberta and Prince Edward Island, chats about great wine lists and service. Wine plays a central role in both Lance’s restaurants and in his life. He’s also just launched his own line of wines.     Before we dive into this topic, tell me about your race-car driving mother. You were very young when you started in restaurants: how old were you and what did you do? You started Moxie’s restaurants in 1986: how did you come up with that concept? Let’s talk […]

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How a Wine Name Impacts Price: Dr. Antonia Mantonakis Video Chat

In this fascinating video chat, Dr. Antonia Mantonakis reveals the insights from her research on how the name of a wine affects both our perception of it and how much we’re willing to pay for it. Difficult to pronounce names score higher, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that wineries should use them… find out why in this video.     Why does the ease with which we can pronounce the name of a wine influence our perception of both its quality and price? How much more were research subjects willing to pay for the difficult-to-pronounce wine name? Why is that […]

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Empanadas with Smoky Tomato Chutney Recipe Paired with Tilia Malbec

These Argentinean pastries are packed full of flavour. The fragrant beef filling features olives, raisins and cumin. Traditionally eaten as street food, empanadas are a perfect snack with a glass of Tilia Malbec.  To save on time, use purchased puff pastry that has been pre-rolled. Join us and sample Tilia wines at the Toronto Gourmet food & Wine Expo Nov 16-18th. Empanadas with Smoky Tomato Chutney Recipe Makes 36 Ingredients: For the empanadas: 2 tsp olive oil ½ cup onion, finely diced 1 clove garlic, minced ½ cup green pepper, finely diced ½ lb. lean ground beef 1 tsp fresh […]

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Celebrity Athlete Wines: Which Ones Score on Price and Taste? Video with Dr. Antonia Mantonakis

In this fascinating video chat, Dr. Antonia Mantonakis reveals the insights from her research on how the fit between a celebrity athlete’s particular sport affects our perception of a wine, including golf, wrestling and speed skating. It’s not what you’d expect … find out why in this video.     How does the degree of “match” between a celebrity athlete and “wine” impact our perception of its taste  and how much we’re willing to pay? What are the good versus bad matches when it comes to particular sports? Is wine more prone to these extrinsic clues say than other product […]

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Best Wines Under $15: Canada AM Video

  In this video clip from Canada AM Monday morning, host Bev Thompson and I chat about terrific wines that cost less than $15 for holiday entertaining and gift giving. You’ll find the list of those wines below.       Henry of Pelham Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario: Lovely aromas and flavours of ripe melon rather than the herbal notes in some sauvignon blancs. I like this medium-bodied wine a lot, and the price even better. Bring on refreshment as well as white-fleshed fish, oysters, goats milk cheeses and crisp fall walks. Drink: 2012-2015. Product No: 430546  12.3%  […]

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