Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings December 17, 2022

  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 December 3rd. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out 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 […]

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Best Bubbly for New Years? There’s a Wine for That

In our continuing holiday wine series with Canadian Press (CP), we chat about great sparkling wines for New Year’s Eve.   You don’t have to go for Champagne, even though this is the traditional treat. There are terrific options from around the world, including Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco and sparkling wine from Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United States, among many other regions. Natalie MacLean, editor of Canada’s largest wine review site at www.nataliemaclean.com, chooses her favourite sparkling wines:         Kim Crawford Small Parcels Fizz Sparkling Wine Marlborough, New Zealand             […]

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Food, Wine and Family Secrets with Dani Shapiro, Bestselling Author of Signal Fires

Introduction How can wine and food back memories of more than just the food and drink themselves? Why are so many family secrets associated with food and drink? How has the publishing world changed, and what does it mean for up-and-coming writers? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Dani Shapiro, bestselling author and host of the Family Secrets podcast. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live […]

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9 Sparkling Wines That Make Great Holiday Gifts

On CTV’s Your Morning, we chat about how most people think of sparkling wine as the drink of choice for the holidays. What’s the difference between champagne and other sparkling wines, and the two you recommend?   Although champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France, almost every other region of the country and many other countries around the world produce sparkling wines, often using the same winemaking methods and grapes as champagne.   I have two classic champagnes:           Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne Champagne A.O.C., France                 […]

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Why Pay More for Wine, British Bubbly and Glassware with The Wine Bible’s Karen MacNeil

Introduction Which new and emerging wine regions should be on your radar to try soon? Why should you pay more for wine? How does glassware change the taste of your wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm eastern on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I’ll be jumping into the comments as we watch it […]

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Which Wine Pairings for turkey, fruitcake or cheese?

  The holiday countdown is on and Canadians are scrambling for last-minute gifts for their hosts and loved ones. Wine and food seem like a natural option at this time of year, but with thousands of bottles lining the shelves at liquor outlets, where does one begin? “I’d start with pairing the wine that you’re going to bring to go with the dinner. Wild guess, might be turkey,” says sommelier Natalie MacLean, editor of the wine review site nataliemaclean.com. She suggests a sparkling wine like Cava from Spain, a Pinot Noir from New Zealand, a dry rose from France or […]

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Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings December 3, 2022

  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 November 19th. These are just some of the benefits of supporting out 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 […]

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Creating The Wine Bible: Behind-the-Scenes with Author Karen MacNeil

Introduction What did it take to create The Wine Bible, a 700-page masterwork on wine? What makes The Wine Bible so different from other popular wine tomes? How did the pandemic make it much harder to research and write this latest edition of this book and what creative methods did the author use to overcome those obstacles? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on […]

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9 Best Wines to Give as Gifts This Holiday and Year-Round (Video)

Looking for a great bottle of wine to give as a gift this year? So tell us why wine is a great gift and your first recommendations? – one size fits all – doubles are fine – it’s easy to re-gift For an extra festive touch, I’d start with sparkling wine such as these two:           Oyster Bay Sparkling Cuvée Rosé Marlborough, New Zealand                     Gray Monk Estate Winery Odyssey Brut Rosé 2018 Okanagan Valley, British Columbia BC V.Q.A., Canada         You’ve got some […]

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Digital Corks, Tasting Tokens and the Future of Wine Drinking with David Garrett

Introduction How do digital corks allow winemakers to participate in the resale of their wines among collectors? What are tasting tokens, and what exciting new experiences do they offer both winemakers and consumers? What new trends and technologies will impact the wines you drink in the future? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m interviewing David Garrett, the co-founder of a global non-fungible token (NFT) wine club, Club dVIN. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Video Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wednesday at 7 pm […]

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