Summer Pasta with Almond Pesto Recipe Paired with Hester Creek Estate Winery Old Vine Pinot Blanc

From Hester Creek Estate Winery’s Terrafina Restaurant chef, Adair Scott, this fresh and delicious pasta recipe is a delightful pairing with their refreshing Old Vine Pinot Blanc. Made from estate vines planted over 50 years ago in the south Okanagan, Hester Creek Estate Winery’s Old Vine Pinot Blanc has an intense juiciness that marries well with this nutty and flavourful dish. It is as pretty on the plate as on the palate! Ingredients 3 cups fresh basil leaves4 cloves fresh garlic¼ cup almonds2/3 cup of good quality extra virgin olive oil½ cup good quality parmesan cheese, gratedSeasonal roasted summer vegetables […]

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Salt in Wine, Oyster Pairings + Real Talk with Your Sommelier

Introduction Is food and wine pairing the ultimate goal of every dining experience? Is it okay to tell sommeliers if you don’t like the wine they recommended? What’s it like serving famous captains of industry like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Seattle-based wine writer, educator and sommelier, Zach Geballe. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Watch Party Join me for the debut Watch Party of the video of this conversation that I’ll be live-streaming for the very first time on Zoom on Wednesday, June 9th […]

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Summer Barbecue Wine Tasting

18:51:02 From  Christian Boyer : Hello from LaSalle, QC!18:52:01 From  Joann Dnistransky : Bonjour Christian!  Joann from Amherst NS18:52:54 From  Catherine Yuill : I’m logging in from Calgary, AB18:53:01 From  Christian Boyer : Bonjour Joann! I am going close to NS this summer :) 18:53:11 From  Joann Dnistransky : As long as you are not breaking bottles!!!18:53:29 From  Joann Dnistransky : Christian, where are you travelling to?18:54:29 From  Jo-Ann Mellon : Hi Natalie, Jo-Ann from Mont Saint Hilaire Quebec here.  Love the music again :).18:54:54 From  Christian Boyer : Travelling to the Magdalen Islands, passing through NB and PE18:55:36 From […]

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Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings May 29

You can access the 135 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 May 15. 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 […]

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Restaurant Wine Lists Post-Pandemic with Vinepair’s Zach Geballe Part 1

Introduction What was it like being a sommelier at one of Seattle’s most prestigious restaurants as the pandemic started to unfold? How have restaurants and wine lists changed to re-emerge in a post-pandemic world? How are sommeliers pivoting in the wake of the pandemic? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Zach Geballe, co-host and producer of the VinePair podcast as well as the founder of Disgorged Wine. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Watch Party Join me for the debut Watch Party of the video of this conversation that I’ll be […]

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Champagne Widows + Are Expensive Wines Worth It?

Introduction Are wines that cost hundreds of dollars per bottle ever worth the price? Does deepening your understanding of wine increase your enjoyment of wine? Who were the young widows who built the famous Champagne houses into top luxury brands? How can you use the butter/lemon test to help with food and wine pairing? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m sharing part two of my interview on the All About Wine podcast with Ron Hunt. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Highlights Are high-end wines like Domaine Romanée-Conti worth their price? When is it worth it […]

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Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings May 15

You can access the 153 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 May 1. 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 […]

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All About Wine Stories with Ron Hunt Part 1

Introduction What is it about wine that makes it part of many TV shows and movies? How does approaching wine through food make it so much more accessible? What adventures did I go on as a part of writing my books? Why are origin stories so important when it comes to wine? What’s one rule of thumb you can use to find great value wines that taste expensive? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m sharing my interview on the All About Wine podcast with Ron Hunt. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Highlights What is it about […]

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Wine Influencers + Drinking Too Much? Part 2 with Devin Parr

Introduction What makes someone a wine influencer? Why is there so much uproar in the wine industry about celebrity wines and influencers? How did heavy drinking become such an entrenched part of the wine industry? Do you sometimes feel you drink too much wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I’m chatting with Devin Parr, Founder and Managing Partner of Devin Parr & Associates. You can find the wines we discussed here.   Watch the Video Giveaway You can also win one of two tickets to an exclusive virtual wine tasting led by Devin Parr that also includes two bottles […]

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Best LCBO Wine Reviews: Vintages Ratings May 1

You can access the 107 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 April 17. 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 […]

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