You can browse all 60 of the best wines and bargain wines that I’ve selected for October 1 that include most price points, styles and regions. There are plenty of picks here for Thanksgiving wines, including some terrific pinot noir and riesling wines from several regions. You can also add my Top Wine Picks to your custom shopping list by clicking on the little shopping cart icon. Get ready for the festive season ahead of us! Natalie [table id=2 /] You get all of my wine tasting notes and scores when you subscribe to my wine reviews for $2.10 a […]
Cellar Wine Reviews of German Riesling, and Robust Red Wines from Austraia, France and Italy for the October 1 Vintages Release
By Gaby Israel 2002 Schloss Reinhartshausen Riesling Spätlese, Prädikatswein, Erbacher Schlossberg, Rheingau, Germany – $19.95. 2002 was a great vintage for Riesling in Germany. Experiencing a 10 year old Riesling for only $20 is a no brainer when it comes to buying decision. I would buy 3 bottles, try one now and try the other two after 3 and 5 years later. Try it with a good slow cooked smoked pork… and call me in the morning :) 2007 Elderton Shiraz Command Single Vineyard vs. 2006 Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz Ebenezer. Here’s a tricky one. Two outstanding-giants Shiraz wines […]
Sneak Taste of Unquenchable in the new issue of More Magazine
So excited today to see an advance excerpt from Unquenchable in the October issue of More Magazine. Great to connect with more thirsty readers!
Girls’ Night In with Indian-Style Shrimp Pizza with Mozzarella and Canadian Cheese Platter Paired with Lenz Moser Mariandl or Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon
INDIAN-STYLE SHRIMP PIZZA WITH MOZZARELLA Someone famously said that girls just want to have fun. Given our hectic modern-day lives, this ’80’s anthem holds true now more than ever. It is important to put some time aside for your girlfriends and indulge in conversation, laughter and a bit of silliness. I propose that you call your friends and invite them over for no other reason than to have fun. To make your life easy and get the evening going in style, I suggest a simple and flavourful Indian-style pizza, followed up with a nice platter of comforting cheese paired with […]
Recipe: Grilled Seafood Goat Cheese Tart Paired with Delta Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
Grilled Seafood Goat Cheese Tart Paired with Delta Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Marlborough, New Zealand A simple tart using buttery puff pastry as the base is topped with grilled shrimp and scallops, tangy goat cheese and ripe grape tomatoes. Served with a greens salad the tart would pair well with an aromatic sauvignon blanc. The characteristic of white currant and melon notes found in sauvignon blanc complements the flavours in the tart. It is also one of the best wines for tangy cheeses like goat cheese. An excellent choice to try would be Delta Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from Marlborough, New Zealand. […]
Recipe for Grilled Adobo Pork Loin Chop with Blueberry BBQ Sauce Paired with Catena Malbec
Grilled Adobo Pork Loin Chop with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce Paired with Catena Malbec 2008, Argentina The secret to juicy pork chops is to grill on medium low heat. The chops are first marinated in an adobo sauce, a fragrant paste of cumin, garlic, oregano and lime juice which is used extensively in Latin cuisine. The standout here is the sauce. Ginger and red chili flakes make the blueberry flavours pop. You’ll want to eat the sauce by the spoonful-though it goes equally well with grilled chicken, duck or homemade meatloaf. Try the chops and sauce with a Malbec which boasts […]
First Media Review of Unquenchable from The Library Journal of America
Along with Publisher’s Weekly and The Kirkus Reviews, The Library Journal is one of the top three publications that give early reviews to upcoming books. The magazines guide purchasing decisions for the book trade: bookstores, gift shops and libraries. So I was thrilled when the Journal published the first review of Unquenchable below today, especially the Highly Recommended verdict. (Librarians are a tough lot to please … remember your high school librarian or English teacher?) Here’s the review: MacLean, Natalie. Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines. Perigee: Berkley. Nov. 2011. c.368p. index. ISBN 9780399537073. $24. BEVERAGES […]
The Magician Shiraz, Pinot Noir Paired with Mushroom Strudel by John Pekka Woods
Mushroom Strudel The Magician, an unusual blend of Shiraz and Pinot Noir, is Reif Estate’s first appassimento style red wine. In 2009 the winery purchased two tobacco kilns and refurbished them for a number of research projects including the drying of grapes prior to fermentation. The grapes were hand harvested and slowly dried in the kilns over a three week period until the fruit was concentrated by 20-25%. Intensity and complexity are the main ingredients here. Named ‘The Magician’ and magic it is! All the nuances of these two great grape varietals unfold on your palate. The 2009 vintage is […]
Cellar Wine Treasures from Rioja, Rhone Valley, MacLaren Vale, Bordeaux and Barossa Valley
By Gaby Israel 2005 Baron de Ley Reserva – $19.95 I had this wine from its 1998 vintage. Never failed. Very consistent. Typical Rioja Reserva. From the successful 2005 vintage expect one of the best $20 you’ll spend this release. Goes very well with lamb. 2008 D’arenberg Grenache The Custodian, Mclaren Vale, South Australia, Australia – $19.95 Yet another consistent producer, this time from Australia. I find D’Arenberg “The Custodian” always rewarding. It’s the kind of wine that you take a big sip, sit back, relax and feel at home. This wine is the “2005 Baron de Ley Reserva” competition […]
Wine and Wine Books: A pairing of the senses and intellect
If you have an unquenchable thirst to learn, and an unquenchable thirst as I do, you might enjoy this wine book. I am incredibly grateful to my readers who have made the book #1 on Amazon 6 weeks before it’s even published! Doubleday Canada • Indigo/Chapters • Amazon.ca Penguin USA • Amazon.com • Barnes & Noble Traffic to the web site has been crazy since the announcement… I love connecting with so many passionate readers and drinkers. I’ll share insider details about the book over the next six weeks as we wait for its official launch. There are some […]
