Excerpt from Dave McIntyre’s column … With the holidays approaching, it’s time to recommend books to give the wine lovers on your list. Here are my top three picks from among wine books released this year. The economic downturn has spawned a genre of wine books designed to reassure us that it’s okay to drink cheap wines, and that any wine is good so long as it’s cheap. Canadian writer Natalie MacLean takes another perspective in her new book, “Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines.” To MacLean, bargain means high value at a reasonable price, not […]
Her book took me to countries and vineyards that I could only dream of visiting – Chic galleria
Loved reading Natalie’s new book! She had me at the opening chapter with her witty comments about why she enjoys her profession. I’m admittedly a novice when it comes to choosing wines and Natalie’s book helped me realize that it’s OK to leave the decision making to the experts! Her book took me to countries and vineyards that I could only dream of visiting. Unquenchable is not only educational, but extremely entertaining. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves the study of wine as well as consuming a fine glass. You can read more reviews of my […]
Bright Sense of Humour, Charming Anecdotes and Nose for a Bargain – The Calgary Herald
In the world of wine, Natalie MacLean, with her bright sense of humour and nose for a bargain, is a breath of fresh air. The author of two books — the second, Unquenchable, just out on shelves now — MacLean has travelled the world to visit myriad wineries, sipped a wine that retails for $2,000 a bottle and met the winemakers behind their eponymous labels. But, she is quick to point out, people who feel they need to be experts before they can make a choice on what to order from the wine list just need to take a page […]
Helping Wine Shoppers Buy $15 wines that taste as good as $30 wines – David Schwartz
After reading Unquenchable, I can state three things with confidence about Natalie MacLean: 1) She likes to drink wine 2) She knows a great deal about it 3) She wants to share some of her experiences and perspectives with you to help you find bargain wines that don’t taste like they came out of a box. That makes this book an enjoyable read. It’s joyfully subjective, with MacLean sharing her insights into both her visits to several wine-making regions and the taste of the wines. Her mission, simply put, “is to demystify wine price in relation to quality,” in other […]
Holiday Wines, Why it’s a Great Time to be a Wine Buyer, Pairing Tips – CBC Alberta at Noon
This CBC listener call-in covered some terrific wine tips and picks. We had three computer screens’ worth of people waiting to get on the show so we’re going to do another show December 9 at noon. If you don’t live in Alberta, you can still listen online: www.cbc.ca/albertaatnoon
The third thing I always like about her books: they always make me laugh – Bella On Line
One of the things I love most about Natalie MacLean’s books is that they’re always about wine. That’s a subject I will never get tired of, be it in the bottle or on the page. Another thing I love is Natalie’s writing. Too many writers and their reading audience seem to think or expect words about wine will be stodgy and snooty but Ms. MacLean completely ignores that rule and I’m so glad she does. Which leads me to the third thing I always like about her books: they always make me laugh. I love laughter. Every one of those […]
Mobile Wine App with Bar Code Scanner for Buying Wine – Business News Network
Great chat with the hosts of Squeeze Play on the Business News News Network (BNN) about how this new wine mobile app can help wine buyers in the liquor store or in a restaurant. There are more than 150,000 wines stores in the app. All you need to do is scan to instantly access the tasting note, score, and food matches.
Happily Sandwiched Between Michael Ondaatje and Jeffrey Eugenides in the December issue of Chatelaine Magazine
Two of my favourite authors have new books out this season, and I’m adding them to my holiday wish list: The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje and The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides. I’m feeling cozy sandwiched between them in the December issue of Chatelaine magazine. I also contributed a festive wine cocktail to this issue. Enjoy and cheers!
Does the Host Open a Bottle of Wine, Great Holiday Wines, Wines for Turkey Dinner – News Talk 95.7
Erin and I had a great chat about whether the dinner party host should open a bottle of wine from a guest (and conversely, as the guest should you expect the host to open it), which wines are great for the holidays and especially for turkey dinner on her Maritime Morning show on News Talk 95.7. Erin discovers that she’s suffering from Cenosilicaphobia … we concluded that it’s genetic. Callers Richard and Todd had some great questions … Richard was looking for a wine to help him get over Kim Kardashian’s break-up :)
A Juicier Take on Wine Writing with a Rare Blend of Wit and Wisdom – Vancouver Sun
Natalie MacLean brings a rare blend of wit and wisdom to the genre Wine writing can some-times be lip-puckeringly dry. Maybe that’s why Natalie MacLean, an irreverent, lively and often self-deprecating wine writer, is so popular. Her first book, Red, White and Drunk All Over, won Best Wine Literature Book at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and sold 50,000 copies in Canada alone. MacLean was in Vancouver recently, for Whistler’s Cornucopia wine and food event in Whistler. Her second book, Unquenchable had just hit bookstores. The book is sub-titled A Tipsy Quest for The World’s Best Bargain Wines. Those bargain […]
