Our guest this evening produces some of South Africa’s most coveted premium wines under the labels of Fairview Estate, a third-generation family-owned farm, located on the slopes of the Paarl Mountain in the winelands of the Western Cape with a winemaking heritage that dates back to 1693. He also founded one of the most successful black empowerment labels, Fairvalley. However, you may be more familiar with his more playful line of wines, Goats do Roam and the Goat-Father among others – a brand which went on to become the highest selling South African wine brand in the United States following […]
Do Wine Scores (and Critics) Matter? Bloomsberg Columnist Elin McCoy on Robert Parker (Video)
Our guest this evening is an award-winning journalist and wine columnist for both Bloomberg News and Decanter magazine. Her most recent book, The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr. and the Reign of American Taste, garnered international praise. She has also written for Food & Wine magazine, House Beautiful, The New York Times and House & Garden. She serves regularly as a wine judge in international competitions, appears on radio and television, and is a frequent speaker at wine festivals and industry events. And she joins me live now from her home in Connecticut: Welcome to […]
Canadian Cheese Shops and Retailers
Here’s a list of Canadian cheese retailers from coast to coast, including several that operate online and will ship to you directly. All of them have a terrific selection of both Canadian and international cheeses. Also included here are gourmet food shops and grocery stores that have a strong selection of cheeses. Got a cheese shop to recommend? Let me know at natdecants @ nataliemaclean.com Online Cheese Retailers Cheesy Place Amazing Clubs Cheese of the Month Taste of Cheese British Columbia Benton Brothers Fine Cheese, Kerrisdale, Cambie Village and Granville Island Blue Heron Cheese (Dairy Free) Vancouver Bosafoods Vancouver Charelli’s Cheese […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings September 29
You can access the 131 wines that I reviewed as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for September 15. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two […]
How to Become the World’s Best Sommelier with Arvid Rosengren (Video)
Our guest was born and raised in Sweden and initially studied Nanotechnology Engineering, but decided to change his career path to food and wine. He has worked at several of the world’s best restaurants in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Britain and New York City. In 2016, he won the World’s Best Sommelier competition, competing with 60 other top sommeliers. This grueling competition held only every three years and tests theoretical knowledge, blind tastings of various beverages and practical service in front of a live audience. And he joins me live now from his restaurant Legacy Records in Manhattan: Welcome to the Sunday […]
Importing Wine, Beer & Spirits for Pleasure & Profit Seminar
Saturday November 3rd, 2018 Novotel Toronto Centre 45 The Esplanade – Toronto 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM Join Charles Steven Trenholme for the day-long seminar: Importing for Wine, Beer & Spirits For Pleasure & Profit, which provides insights into the dynamics of importing wine, craft beers & spirits into Canada. Charles Steven brings to the seminar 35+ years of experience working in various capacities including managing national sales agency, brand management, sommelier and as an educator. Charles Steven knows first-hand that there are still hundreds of suppliers around the world actively looking for importers to represent them in Canada, […]
How the Gruner Stole Christmas: Austria’s White Wine is a Holiday Treat
By Melissa Pulvermacher It’s the most wonderful time of the year… to eat, drink and be merry! When stocking up for those holiday parties, we all have our usual go-to wine selections, but with so many options, it may just be worth your while to venture out and try something new. For this holiday, consider looking to Austria for new selections. Austria is really hitting the world stage with quality wine production and while they may not be producing mass amounts, we are now seeing more and more in our market here in Ontario and the wine is certainly worth […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings September 15
You can access the 134 wines that I reviewed as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. You can also see my wine reviews for September 1. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two before […]
Pairing Wine and Tomato Dishes (Video)
In the video clip above, Jeff and I chat about pairing wine with different types of tomatoes and tomato dishes. What’s your favourite pairing? Jeff: Stores and Farmer’s Markets are lush right now with colourful products including tomatoes of every colour ripe off the vine or cooked up in a sauce. Nothing can complement a tasty dish like a great glass of wine. And here with her picks for perfect pairing is wine expert Natalie MacLean, nice to see you. Natalie: It’s great to see you, Jeff. Jeff: Now listen, before we get to the tomato, which, to me, […]
Pairing Wine and Cannabis with the Herb Sommelier Jamie Evans (Video)
Our guest this evening is known as The Herb Somm and she is an educator, event host, and writer specializing in gourmet cannabis, food, recipes and wine. Born and raised in California, she earned her degree in Wine and Viticulture, with a concentration in Wine Business at California Polytechnic University. She also studied enology at the University of Adelaide, Australia and The Engineering School of Enology, Switzerland. She’s been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, POPSUGAR, Mother Jones, Edible San Francisco, MSN Lifestyle and was named one of the Top 40 under 40 Influencers by Wine Enthusiast […]
