Here are four fantastic wines from the February 18 Vintages Release. You can also get all 69 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. It always helps to have some back-up choices in case those below are already sold out. You can also add my Top Wine Picks to your custom shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. Stock up for the weekend, then enjoy! Natalie Mike Weir Riesling, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario Moneral-petrol nose with fleshy ripe peach. A […]
Apple iTunes Picks New Wine App to Feature on its Storefront
We’re thrilled that Apple has selected our new Wine Picks & Pairings app to feature on its iTunes Storefront and in its Essentials Collections for Date Night, Apps for Foodies, Pocket Sommelier and Food and Wine. Needless to say, downloads have gone bananas since Apple posted the app on the strorefront last week. Hope the app helps you find a terrific bottle of wine for your sweetie on February 14. Cheers, Natalie P.S. Yes, I noticed that I’m right below Darth Maul … definitely a red theme happening here, but he has better hair. iPhone and iPod Touch (iTunes Canada): […]
New Wine App with Top 10 Wines in Your Liquor Store Now
Since we launched our free mobile wine apps in 2009, you’ve given us hundreds of suggestions for new features and improvements. (You can stop now … kidding.) Our newest app that launches today, is built based on how you told us that you shop for wine: Problem: The bottles in front of you are starting to blur, your breath is getting rapid and shallow. Which $15 red wine should you buy for dinner? Hey, would you like to scroll through long lists of wine reviews only to find a great bottle that’s not even in the liquor store where you […]
How To Pair Wine With Chocolate – CityTV
We asked Natalie MacLean, author of the bestseller Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines, for her top ten wine and chocolate matches for Valentine’s Day. 1. Dark Chocolate and Tommasi Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico, Italy 2. Chocolate-Covered Biscotti and Jackson-Triggs Gewurztraminer Icewine Proprietors’ Grand Reserve, Niagara-On-The-Lake 3. Chocolate-Orange Cake and Niepoort Port Ruby, Douro, Portugal 4. Chocolate with Nuts and Warre’s Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal 5. Milk Chocolate and Tokaj Kereskedöház Tokaji Aszú 4 Puttonyos, Hungary 6. Bittersweet Chocolate and Poderi Colla Bussia Dardi Le Rose Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 7. Chocolate-Dipped Fruit and Open Vidal Icewine, […]
Chocolate and Wine Matches for Valentine’s Day – Zoomer Magazine
Natalie MacLean, author of the bestsellerUnquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines shares with us her top ten wine and chocolate matches for Valentine’s Day. •Dark Chocolate and Remo Farina Amarone Classico, Italy •Chocolate-Covered Biscotti and G. Marquis Vidal Icewine The Silver Line, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario •Chocolate-Orange Cake and Quinta Do Portal Port Fine Ruby, Douro, Portugal •Chocolate with Nuts and José Maria da Fonseca & Van Zeller Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal •Milk Chocolate and Tokaj Kereskedöház Tokaji Aszú 4 Puttonyos, Hungary •Bittersweet Chocolate and Bava Barolo, D.O.C.G., Piedmont, Italy •Chocolate-Dipped Fruit and Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Kerner […]
Epsilon Shiraz, Australia, Xavier, Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, Ravenswood Zinfandel, California Top Cellar Wines in LCBO Vintages Release February 4
By Gaby Israel 2009 Epsilon Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia – $24.95 2009 was the third in a row series of ‘Good’ yet not amazing vintages in the Barossa region. Nevertheless, based on James Halliday’s review as well as Natalie’s, who gave it 90 and 92 respectively, it seems a successful effort for the vintage. This Shiraz is made for short-medium term cellaring, which makes the GPCi challenging. If you need to carefully allocate your cellar budget this month, I’d wait and read on… 2009 Xavier , A.C., Châteauneuf-Du-Pape, Rhône – $39.95 The hunt for great 2009 CdP continuous… Consistently […]
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, Montes Carmenere, Chile Among Best Wines for Vintages Release February 4
Here are four fantastic wines from the February 4 Vintages Release. You can also get all 83 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. It always helps to have some back-up choices in case those below are already sold out. You can also add my Top Wine Picks to your custom shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. Stock up for the weekend, then enjoy! Natalie Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Sp Spitfire, Marlborough, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc raised […]
A boldly irreverent approach expertly crafting a pleasing concoction of seamless storytelling and voluptuous food and wine writing – The Globe and Mail
By Kate Parsons In this ambitious and thoroughly entertaining book, Natalie MacLean chronicles her travels to five continents and eight countries in search of quality wines at good prices. Along the way, she meets the quirky personalities behind the wine and picks up a wealth of practical information about where they’re made, what to pair them with and how to find out more on your own. Like some of the winemakers profiled, MacLean is a master blender, expertly crafting a pleasing concoction of seamless storytelling, voluptuous food and wine writing and easy-to-use punch lists. This book is also part personal […]
Wine Book is Witty, Engrossing and Entertaining
I can’t remember the last time I picked up a book and could not wait until I had some free time to pick it up again. I am only on page 72 of Unquenchable and I just love the way you are able to set the scene, it’s witty, engrossing and thoroughly entertaining. As a chef for the past 31 years and a passionate wine lover for the past 20 years or so, it is so refreshing to read a book so full of my own thoughts and beliefs. Too many books and writers making the subject of wine […]
3 Tips for Buying the Rosés of Provence + Pair with Salmon, Roast Chicken, Asian Dishes and Salads
The last chapter of my new book Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines is about the lovely rosés of Provence. I was fortunate not only to sample many mouth-watering, bone-dry, food-friendly rosés, but I also cooked a multi-course meal with one winemaker and met the rosé-drinking donkey of another. (You’ll just have to read the book : ) Here are my top tips for finding great rosés in your local liquor store, no matter where you live. Cheers, Natalie My Top 3 Insider Tips to Finding Tasty Rosés Forget those notions of pink wine being sweet: […]
