Nat Decants is a Internet site of wine writer Natalie MacLean. It’s full of great articles that she has written and she publishes a regular newsletter which has a personal tone. And now she has considered something new, which will be interesting for all wine lovers. It is a so-called widget, which means: a tool that you can put on your own web site, blog or social media page like Facebook to get wine and food pairings. With this tool, your site visitors can find the right wine for the right dish. The tool is easy-to-use and accessible. There are […]
Summer Wines
We asked sommelier, writer, and four-time Beard Award winner Natalie MacLean to tell us her favorite summertime wines that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Best Patio Sipper: Ca’ Del Solo Vineyard Muscat 2007 (Monterey, CA): Medium-bodied and slightly off-dry white. About $17. Best Poolside Chiller: Nobilo Regional Collection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (New Zealand): Pure grassy goodness! About $16. Best Barbecue Quaffer: Peter Lehmann Shiraz Grenache 2005 (Australia): A full-bodied palate-whacker of a wine. About $15.
Food & Wine 16
Natalie MacLean, author of Red, White and Drunk All Over, has launched a new Drinks Matcher widget, a portable version of her popular food and wine pairing tool. The free Drinks Matcher widget is downloadable in just three clicks.
Food & Wine 15
Whether you’re indulging in shepherd’s pie or dim sum, there’s always a wine to match. But what is it? Check the portable new Drinks Matcher Widget from Natalie MacLean, publisher of Canada’s largest wine e-newsletter. This food-and-wine pairing tool can be downloaded to your desktop, social page, website or blog. Go to www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher. You can search by the food or by the wine, then browse through recipes or drinks reviews. MacLean spent eight years testing the combinations for her Drinks Matcher. “I’m a thoroughly hedonistic researcher,” she says in an email. “Of the thousands of combinations I tried, some were […]
Wine as a Career
Pursuing wealth has its obvious rewards, but making money is much easier when you’re doing something you love. Starting a business requires plenty of time and energy, and as such it should be something that is worth trading your life to undertake. Follow your passion, experts say, and you’ll succeed. This aphorism certainly applies to Natalie MacLean, many times over. The accredited sommelier, wine journalist and author of Red, White, and Drunk All Over got her business start early — she opened a dance school in her Nova Scotia basement when she was 15. She photocopied handmade notices and took […]
Food & Wine 14
The Editor’s Pick Look for a perfect pair with sommelier Natalie MacLean’s online Wine and Food Matcher (www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher). Select a food from the expansive list and receive both red and wine wine recommendations. Or choose the wine variety and you’ll get a long list of food suggestions.
Eggs & Wine
The morning had been spent stomping through some of Bordeaux’s most storied vineyards in a cold Atlantic wind, and now lunch was being served at Chateau Palmer. The cozy first course was a deceptively simple one: eggs baked in a ramekin with red wine, bacon and onions. We all dug in, using tablespoons and sturdy strips of toast, as the last of the springtime chill seemed to melt away. And, of course, there was a wine to help warm us, 1994 Chateau Palmer. Drinking a $120 bottle of red wine with eggs was an epiphany. It seemed odd and excitingly […]
Food & Viognier
I like to pair wine with foods. I also like simplicity. There are dozens of food types and styles that will go with most wines. I am however not a food critic. It would be very unfair of me to give my thoughts on someones hard work and creativity in the kitchen unless I am entitled to do so! The web (blogs especially), magazines and, I must admit, even the daily broadsheets, have endless examples of self made critics. There is nothing wrong with having a view and expressing it. There is a subtle difference between that and being a […]
Wine & Life
What goes with death row? How about a silky, fleshy pinot noir from Burgundy? Natalie MacLean can do half of the food and drink thing (see Question No. 7) and has to keep fending off the FedEx guy, who often hints he would like to come in (No. 18). Sommelier and wine writer Natalie MacLean got her start with half a bottle of syrupy sparkling wine behind the shed at a high school dance. Perhaps there’s hope yet for us all. 1. What comment most often appeared on your report cards? “Enjoys writing stories.” I also couldn’t resist a good […]
Food & Wine 13
Students can enjoy wine at mealtimes without having to shell out big bucks, said Natalie MacLean, an accredited sommelier and author of Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass. “Wine is an ideal way to dress up all sorts of dishes that are fairly straightforward,” she said. “It’s like putting rhinestones on jeans.” MacLean said students should look for wines that are undervalued and underpriced, such as wines from Chile, Argentina and South Africa. She suggested trying popcorn with Chilean chardonnay, nachos with California Zinfandel, potato chips with French Champagne, pizza with Italian Chianti […]
