Welcome back the BBQ! As the mercury continues to climb, I’m starting to shake the remaining winter chill out of my system. I was looking for menu inspiration to transition out of sweater weather into BBQ season and found this wonderful idea. This simple recipe for Grilled Canadian Feta Skewers is quick, easy, and will give you a break from the stuffy indoors. Along with being a colourful addition to summertime meals, these skewers are made with savoury Canadian Feta – a refreshing break from traditional BBQ recipes. A great wine that goes well with barbequed flavours is Miguel Torres […]
Wine of the Week: Fifth Leg Shiraz, Australia
The true definition of a snob is someone who craves what separates people, rather than what unites them, according to writer John Buchan. So true when it comes to wine. Fortunately, a bargain-priced wine that’s tasty, like this shiraz, can bring most of us together around the table. Cheers, Natalie The true definition of a snob is one who craves for what separates men rather than for what unites them. – John Buchan – See more at: http://www.nataliemaclean.com/blog/wine-quotes-and-quips-liquid-laughter/#sthash.WXQwRU7I.dpuf Sale Ends: June 23, 2013 Sale Price: $13.95 | Save: $2.00 (Usually $15.95) Natalie’s Score: 89/100 Fifth Leg Shiraz Australia Terrific lush […]
Wine Quotes and Quips: Liquid Laughter
The true definition of a snob is one who craves for what separates men rather than for what unites them. – John Buchan Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art. – Ralph Waldo Emerson No man enjoys the true taste of life, but he who is ready and willing to quit it. – Lucius Annaeus Seneca Taste is the common sense of genius. – Victor Hugo Beauty fades, but dumb is forever. – My Grade 5 Teacher Here’s the previous round of wine quotes if you’re thirsting for more.
Best Canadian Wine + Food Pairings: Contest Winners
This news story ran in the print and online editions of leading newspapers across the country, as well in more than 50 regional papers. The article was written by a reporter with the Canadian Press (CP), and so this was not our distributed press release. We’re thrilled that it warranted such wide news coverage. You can also read the first story that another Canadian Press reporter wrote about the launch of the wine competition. OTTAWA – Oenophiles from coast to coast have waged a little friendly rivalry over wine pairings and come up with half a dozen of their favourites. […]
Canadian Wine Award Winners: CTV News
Leanne and I chat about the winners of The Great Canadian Wine Match, including how thousands of Canadians engaged in the intensely competitive voting for the best Canadian wines, representing almost every winery across the country. Find out why a robust red from Nova Scotia pairs well with beef, how Prince Edward County showed strongly in all categories and how several Canadian flagship wines can be enjoyed all the more with a simple dish, slice of pizza or cheese. Here’s a shopping list of the finalists to taste your way across Canada. Indeed the people have spoken, and who are […]
6 Top Wine and Food Pairings – Huffington Post
Here’s my column in the Huffington Post about the winners of The Great Canadian Wine Match. I also profiled the finalists in each category in previous columns. I’ll be featuring the nominees and finalists of the next wine match this fall that will feature both international and Canadian wines under $25. Stay tuned! Posted with permission of the Huffington Post.
Atelier Restaurant Ottawa: Food + Wine Video Review
When we decided to make reservations at Atelier Restaurant in Ottawa, we discovered that we’d have to wait several weeks for a Friday evening reservation. Such is the popularity of this award-winning restaurant that specializes in molecular gastronomy, and is one of my favourite restaurants in this city and across the country. I had written a profile of the superb sommelier Steve Robinson several months ago for Ottawa Magazine, the sister publication of Toronto Life. Now it was time to revisit and try the new summer menu with Steve’s pairings. It was spectacular, with whimsical dish names like “You’ve Got […]
Reporting Live from the LCBO: Which Wines are Hot Now?
Here’s a little story about the power and reach of social media … it started with food blogger Anne Waters who was shopping in the LCBO and noticed one of my wine reviews posted on the shelf. Physical world, paper review, glass bottle, liquid wine. That’s where it would have ended three years ago. However, Anne took the Instagram picture above with her smartphone and shared it on Twitter. (The Bila-Haut M. Chapoutier 2011 is a robust red wine that’s perfect for summer barbecues … you can’t beat the price-quality ratio at 91 points for $14.95.) I forwarded Anne’s […]
Wine of the Week: Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile
One of my favourite writers, Clifton Fadiman, said that if food is the body of good living, wine is its soul. This robust red comforts both body and soul. There are also still lots of terrific wines in stores from the June 8 LCBO Vintages Release … you’ll find 14 of my reviews in the Catalogue, plus 67 wines reviewed on the site. That should keep you going for a while, don’t you think? Cheers, Natalie Sale Ends: June 23, 2013 Sale Price: $9.95 | Save: $1.50 (Usually $11.45) Natalie’s Score: 88/100 Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon Chile Delicious! Full-bodied, savoury, meaty […]
Norm Hardie Wine + Pizza Pairings
After winning the Best Canadian Wine with Pizza for his County Pinot Noir in The Great Canadian Wine Match, Norm Hardie has shared with us his favourite wine and pizza pairings based on the pizzas made daily at his winery in an outdoor wood-burning oven from May to late fall. Like his wines, Norm says, there is no exact recipe for the pizzas, which vary based on seasonal ingredients as well as the daily heat and humidity. Here are Norm’s favourite pizzas with his County Pinot Noir: Margherita: tomato, fior di latte, basil Cochon: tomato, fior di latte, basil, salami […]
