Beef Braciole with Grilled Tomato Sauce Braciole is traditionally made with slices of top round steak, pounded thin and wrapped around a savoury filling, which is then braised in a tomato sauce. This version is BBQ-ready and features flank steak stuffed pinwheel-style, with proscuitto, fontina and parmesan. A summery grilled tomato and fresh herb sauce is served alongside. The dish would be a perfect match for a rich, harmonious Tuscan red like Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 2009. Serves 6 to 8 For the steak: 1 ½ to 2 lb. flank steak, well trimmed ½ cup Panko bread crumbs ¼ cup plus […]
Azelia Estate Barolo Back Vintage Virtual Offer via LCBO Vintages
The Azelia estate is still many a Barolo lover’s secret, established in Castiglione Falletto in 1920 by Cavalier Lorenzo Scavino, great-grandfather of the present proprietor Luigi Scavino. Today the family owns 16 hectares planted to Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. Castiglione Falletto is home to the famed Bricco Fiasco, the historical Cru of the estate, where Luigi’s father planted vines in the 1940’s. There are also 3 prized vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba, from which San Rocco, Margheria and Voghera Brea are produced. Liquid Art is pleased to present a collection of highly sought after wines dating back to the 1998 vintage. […]
Italian-Style Burger Recipe with Canadian Mozzarella and Chianti
Bring the taste of Italy to your backyard this summer. July is one of my favourite months, traditionally the warmest month of the year in Canada. It’s the perfect time to get together with friends and enjoy the best life has to offer. With warm days and spectacular sunsets, it’s easy to believe you’re in an exotic place where the weather’s more accommodating year round. To get the most out of your summer, here’s an exotic spin on an old favourite that’s best enjoyed with a bottle of wine, good conversation and the comfort of a backyard or patio. The […]
How to Pair Wine and Cheese Plus Serving Tips
It’s been said that wine and cheese are not only the perfect marriage, but the one that never breaks up! The key here is to build up a momentum. Offering three separate servings, start with lighter cheeses accompanied by light wines or beers and move on to stronger cheeses and more full-bodied vintages. And don’t forget to look for the 100% Canadian milk symbol whenever you buy cheese. Presentation: It doesn’t take much to attract a crowd to cheese. So a simple, elegant plate can suffice. But a lovely assortment of cheeses luxuriously laid out on a prized marble or […]
Unquenchable’s Literary Merit Pales Next to Practical Use
I get some terrific letters and e-mails from folks reading my books. This one though made me laugh out loud … love it! Natalie, thank you so much for writing, Unquenchable. I bought it for myself yesterday and I have just started reading it for my vacation time. I thoroughly devoured your first book and so far (I have only read two chapters) this new book is simply a delightful read. I prop myself up with pillows on our outdoor “living room” couch along with a glass of wine – read a page, sip the wine – and I drink […]
Video: Winery Backs AIDS Walk for Life: Living Well; Doing Good
As many as 68,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Canada. One third of them don’t even know it. To date, there is no cure and no vaccine to prevent new infections. This topic may sound completely unrelated to wine, but it’s not. In the video below, we talk to Bruno Zaratin from the Italian winery Santa Margherita, which been a major supporter of the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life that happens across the country every September for the past six years. What is Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life? Santa Margherita goes well beyond writing a cheque: […]
How to Get Started on Twitter in 5 Minutes
Twitter makes it easy to sign up: Go to https://twitter.com/signup. Enter your name, email and password. Click Sign up for Twitter and choose your user name. That’s it! You can follow a few more steps if you like to fill out profile info, but that’s optional. Next, connect your Twitter account with your account on my site so that we can tweet together: Go to www.nataliemaclean.com/myaccount. Half way down the page, beside the blue button, fill in your Twitter name and click on the button. Ignore the overwrought warning, which is Twitter covering its, umm, bases. This is the standard text for […]
Video: Wine Industry Must Adapt or Face Digital Darwinism Part 2
The flood of e-mails, tweets and Facebook requests to post this second part of this video conversation below with Paul Mabray of Vintank on the wine industry and Digital Darwinism is heartening. Sometimes, you think you’re just talking to yourself … but when Paul Mabray is part of the conversation, people listen. Didn’t catch Part One of this conversation about wine and social media? Pull up a comfy chair, top that glass up and let it play. Here’s Paul’s presentation: Wine + Digital Here are the Robert Mondavi wines that we tasted: […]
Torres Celeste Crianza, Santa Rita Medalla, E. Guigal Gigondas: Best Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release July 7
By Gaby Israel Here’s my best cellar wines list for this release as a shopping list that you can print. This time I have arranged my recommendations based on preference. The value-for-money and GPCi are still, as always, my guide. Chile – Maipo Valley – Santa Rita Medalla Real Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – $17.95 One of my favourites in this release. I have had this wine before and have recommended it several times. One of the best Cab Sauv you`ll find for $18. Expect full flavours Cab and enjoy it with a good juicy steak. Wine Enthusiast rewarded […]
Wynns Riesling, Thomas George Pinot Noir, Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir Rose: Best LCBO Wines Vintages Release July 7
Here are my top picks from the July 7 Vintages Release. You can also get all 67 of my Best Value Wines and Top Rated Wines for red, white, rose, sparkling and dessert wines that encompass many price points, styles and regions. I’ve also posted my picks for everyday good value wines from the regular list of wines as well as the July 7 Vintages Release. You can add my wine picks to your shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. You can also create a custom list just for this release that will be saved […]
