On CTV News, we discuss what makes a wine kosher, how these wines are different from non-kosher wines, and what modern kosher wines taste like. Two of the most important Jewish holidays take place this month, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Both are celebrated with kosher wine, which traditionally was viewed as sweet and characterless. However, our wine expert says that’s no longer true. Here with her kosher tips and sips is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine pairing classes at nataliemaclean.com. Let’s start with what is kosher wine and how is it different from non-kosher […]
How Wine Fosters Creativity, Trust and Sociability with Edward Slingerland, Author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization
Introduction How does alcohol, especially wine, foster our creativity, trustingness, and sociability? What does the “beer before bread” hypothesis suggest about alcohol’s role in the development of civilization? Should there be different minimum drinking ages for wine and beer versus spirits? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Edward Slingerland, a professor of philosophy at the University of British Columbia and the author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization. You can find the wines we discussed here. Giveaway Two of you will win a copy of his terrific book, […]
The Best Wine Classes and Courses With Your Online Tasting Tribe (Video)
Many of us are starting to learn about wine online. Here to chat with us is Natalie MacLean who offers Canada’s most popular online wine and food pairing classes, including a free, wine and food pairing intro class here. What have you observed that’s changed in the way people learn about wine during the lockdown? – The lockdown forced a mindset shift that you can learn about such a sensory subject like wine online just as effectively, if not more so, than in a physical class. – So there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of people taking […]
8 Best California Wines to Drink Now
A new crop of Californian wines are hitting liquor store shelves this month. Here to tell us about which ones we should look for is Natalie MacLean, who offers North America’s most popular online wine classes at nataliemaclean.com. Give us an overview of California wine, Natalie. California wine country is vast, stretching from the Oregon border in the north, down to Mexico in the south: wine grapes grown in 49 of California’s 58 counties. California accounts for more than 80%of U.S. wine production and is the fourth leading wine producer in the world. That said, many wineries are […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings August 24, 2024
You can access the wines that I reviewed as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. You can also see my wine reviews for August 10th. These are just some of the benefits of supporting our wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two before the release based on the LCBO doing so. Curious […]
Beyond Eurocentric Wine and Food Pairings + Sonoma’s Hidden Gems with Winemaker Theresa Heredia
Introduction Why should you look beyond Eurocentric wine and food pairings? What’s so special about making vineyard-designated wines? How can you get the most out of your next trip to Sonoma County? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with superstar winemaker Theresa Heredia who has worked for some of California’s most prestigious wineries. You can find the wines we discussed here. Giveaway One of you will win a bottle of Gary Farrell wine. How to Win To qualify, all you have to do is email me at [email protected] and let me know that you’ve posted a review […]
What Are Wine Supertasters? How Can You Find Out if You’re a Supertaster?
Watch this CTV News video here Editor’s Note: You’ll find more media coverage for the book here. In her new book Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Defamation, and Drinking Too Much, Natalie MacLean talks about being a supertaster. The book has just become a national bestseller and she’s here to tell us more about supertasters. Welcome Natalie. So what is a supertaster and why are women more likely to be one? Dr. Linda Bartoshuk, at Yale University School of Medicine, discovered the supertaster phenomenon in 1999. Women are more than twice as […]
Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings August 10, 2024
You can access the wines that I reviewed as a text wine list with my complete tasting notes, scores, food matches. If you are a Paid Member, you can add my wine picks to your custom shopping list with one click and access that list on your smartphone to find the stock for each wine in your closest LCBO store. You can also see my wine reviews for July 20th. These are just some of the benefits of supporting our wine community as a Paid Member. Inventory stock numbers are usually posted online a day or two before the release based on the LCBO doing so. Curious about […]
Unrivaled Russian River Pinot Noir and Sonoma Wines with Theresa Heredia of Gary Farrell Winery
Introduction Does harvesting wine based on the biodynamic calendar make sense? What about actually drinking the wine based on the lunar cycle? How does fog play a profound role in growing grapes and winemaking in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma, California? Why do some winemakers add Mega Purple to wine, and what the heck is Mega Purple? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with superstar winemaker Theresa Heredia who has worked for some of California’s most prestigious wineries. You can find the wines we discussed here. Giveaway One of you will win a bottle of […]
5 Essential Tips to Moderate Your Wine Consumption: Moderation Management Keynote Address
Click the arrow above to watch the keynote address Moderation Management, a nonprofit organization of more than 350,000 members, provides compassionate support and tools for those who want to moderate their alcohol consumption, but not necessarily give it up. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, it held its first virtual summit on July 27th and 28th. From the summit media announcement: We’ll be bringing together a full two-day agenda of some of the top minds in the harm reduction space to share their strategies to help you maintain your plan. Saturday’s keynote will be 5 Essential Tips to Moderate Your […]
