Anyone can pair a juicy steak with a Cabernet, but which wines should we drink with our favourite quarantine snacks? On Global Television’s Morning Show, I share my insider tips: What’s the key in terms of flavour, pairing a snack and a wine? Do you want opposite flavour profiles or similar? (ie: creamy snack, creamy wine or creamy snack, acidic wine)? What’s one important thing that people tend to forget when they pick a wine/snack pairing? Okay, let’s dive into these pairings! Which wine do you suggest pairing with pretzels and why? […]
Television Interview
CTV News: New Online Live Video Wine Course
Leanne and I chat about about my new online wine course . Do you want to feel confident about wine? You can find out more about this very personal and interactive series of live video wine workshops here. Henry of Pelham Winery Cuvee Catharine Rosé Brut Niagara Escarpment, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne Champagne A.C., France Oyster Bay Sparkling Wine Marlborough, New Zealand […]
Canadian Icewine: Heroic Harvest = Epic Wine
On Global Television yesterday, we discussed the Canadian Icewine harvest. Here’s a sneak peak at some of the wines that we’ll be featuring, along with reports from the field. Fun Facts: The Upside of the Deep Freeze Our deep freeze recently turned out to be bonus for Ontario icewine winemakers. The sustained cold snap and arctic temperatures allowed them to harvest grapes in an unusually short time. Who makes the most Icewine? Ontario produces about 80% of Canadian icewine, with the remainder mostly in British Columbia though some is also made in both Quebec and Nova Scotia. About […]
Video > Best Wines Under $20 Plus Food Pairings
CTV host Marci and I chat about the best wines under $20 that are in liquor stores now. You can click on the arrow above to watch the video. Here are the wines we featured: Errazuriz Sauvignon Blanc Cathedral Cellar Kwv Cabernet Sauvignon Trapiche Fincas Las Palmas Malbec Henry of Pelham Winery Baco Noir Henry of Pelham Winery Family Tree Sibling Rivalry Pink Remy Pannier Sevre & Maine Sur Lie Muscadet Pascual Toso Malbec Santa Alicia Tierra Sur Brut Sparkling Santa Alicia Reserva Carmenere You can watch us play wine version of The Price is Right on CTV’s The Social. […]
What are the Best Fall Wines and Food Pairings?
Lianne and I chat about terrific wines for fall with tasty food pairings. What makes for a great fall wine? – full-bodied enough to pair well with more robust dishes, such as roast beef and pork tenderloin – extra texture, mouth-feel and weight for richer sauces – even white wines, such as the buttery chardonnay, below work well with autumnal dishes – what’s the Riesling doing here? think creamy pasta sauces or roast turkey It may not feel like fall is here today, but it’s around the corner and time to think about changing our wine wardrobe. What’s your favourite […]
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 […]
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 […]
About Natalie MacLean
How can you help me? You love wine and you want to know which bottles to buy and what dishes to pair with them. I’m here to help. Think of me as your red-nosed superhero, using my jaw-dropping powers for your wine-drinking pleasure: Buy wines you love in your price range with my wine reviews that include food pairings. Download my free mobile apps that have front label scanners and barcode readers to instantly access my reviews and tell you which liquor stores closest to you have the wines in stock. Learn about how to taste wine and pair it […]
Cider House Rules: Cider Food Pairings, Cocktails, Serving Tips (Video)
On CTV’s The Social yesterday, we had fun chatting about all things cider, from serving it (glassware, temperature) to pairing it with food; from cocktails to fascinating historical trivia. St. Patricks Day is this weekend and if you’re looking for an alternative to beer, why not have some cider instead? With so many different types, there’s sure to be a cider that will please your palate! Here to break them all down for us is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes. HISTORY OF CIDER Tell us a bit about the history of cider and […]
Cider House Rules: Cider Food Pairings, Cocktails, Serving Tips (Video)
On CTV’s The Social yesterday, we had fun chatting about all things cider, from serving it (glassware, temperature) to pairing it with food; from cocktails to fascinating historical trivia. St. Patricks Day is this weekend and if you’re looking for an alternative to beer, why not have some cider instead? With so many different types, there’s sure to be a cider that will please your palate! Here to break them all down for us is Natalie MacLean, who offers Canada’s most popular online wine classes. HISTORY OF CIDER Tell us a bit about the history of cider and […]
