Unreserved Wine Talk
Natalie MacLean
The Unreserved Wine Talk podcast features candid conversations with the most fascinating people in the wine world. Your host, award-winning journalist Natalie MacLean, dives into how it feels to compete in the nerve-wracking World's Best Sommelier Competition, the shadowy underground of wine forgery, the zany tactics of a winemaker who hosted a funeral for cork, and more. Nestled in these colourful stories are practical tips on how to choose wine from a restaurant list, pair it with food and spot great values in the liquor store.
Every second episode, Natalie goes solo with an unfiltered, personal reflection on wine. She'll share with you how it feels to be a woman in what is still a largely male-dominated field, her gut reaction to the latest health study that says no amount of alcohol consumption is safe and her journey in writing her next book. She'll reveal these vulnerable, sometimes embarrassing, stories with tipsy wit and wisdom that she's soaked up from 20 years of writing about wine.
This podcast is for wine lovers from novices to well-cellared aficionados.
Every second episode, Natalie goes solo with an unfiltered, personal reflection on wine. She'll share with you how it feels to be a woman in what is still a largely male-dominated field, her gut reaction to the latest health study that says no amount of alcohol consumption is safe and her journey in writing her next book. She'll reveal these vulnerable, sometimes embarrassing, stories with tipsy wit and wisdom that she's soaked up from 20 years of writing about wine.
This podcast is for wine lovers from novices to well-cellared aficionados.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 3, 2019 • 20min
18: Wine and Keto, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Atkins, South Beach and Other Diets (Does Wine Make You Fat?)
Does wine make you fat? Can you drink wine while you’re on a diet? What about diets like paleo, keto, South Beach, Atkins and gluten-free? In recent years some winemakers have started producing or re-labelling low-carb and low-calorie wines that cater to or many and varied special diets. Are they really worth it or is it just a fad? That’s exactly what we’re going to dive into this week as we explore how our bodies process alcohol, the surprising statistics about weight gain and wine and whether you should buy a bottle of low-carb wine on your next trip to the store. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Mar 27, 2019 • 1h 4min
17: Organic and Biodynamic Wine with Thomas Bachelder
Thomas Bachelder is a Canadian winemaking superstar on a mission when it comes to cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. After studying in France and having a successful winemaking career in Canada, Thomas started his own label where not only does he make wine in Ontario, but he also has vineyards in Burgundy and Oregon. The Bachelder project started with the 2009 vintage with the three terroirs series: Three regions; Three wines. As he describes it, the hands, techniques and the palates remain the same, only the terroirs change. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Mar 20, 2019 • 18min
16: Are Organic Wines Better for You?
What exactly is organic wine? Is it better for you? In recent years, organic wine has moved from the realms of health nuts and hippies to the mainstream, where it now represents one of the fastest-growing categories in the liquor store. But is it really that different from conventional wine? With Earth Hour coming up on March 30 and Earth Day on April 22, I’m dedicating today’s episode to organic wine, with a deep dive into what it is, its history and what the research shows about its benefits. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Mar 13, 2019 • 34min
15: What to Ask the Sommelier with Lesley Brown, Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers
Lesley Brown has been a part of the Canadian Wine Industry for the past 17 years and works with several high profile wine agencies. She holds an International Sommelier Diploma and has taught wine courses to hundreds of students. Lesley is currently the BC Regional Sales Manager for The Bacchus Group and she also sits on the board of directors for the Import Spirit and Vintners Association and has recently taken over as the President of CAPS BC and the Vice President of the CAPS National Board. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Mar 6, 2019 • 13min
14: Bottle of the Sexes: Women v Men on Wine
Are men from Bordeaux and women from Burgundy? In my 20 years of studying and writing about wine, I’ve encountered a lot of differences in how men and women approach the subject. There are also several studies that show the same thing. In honour of International Women’s Day this week, I’m diving deep into “women’s wines”, whether they’re actually any good and how wines marketed to women are affecting the industry. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Feb 27, 2019 • 46min
13: Blending Humour and Wine in South Africa with Charles Back, Fairview Wine
Charles Louis Back is the third generation owner of South African wine and cheese producer Fairview, in Paarl in the Western Cape Province. Charles Back studied winemaking at Elsenburg Agricultural College in Stellenbosch. He officially joined his family’s company in 1978 and took over full control in 1995 after the death of his father, Cyril. Today, Charles Back is known as one of the great entrepreneurs and innovators of the wine world – an individual who likes nothing more to swim against the stream. From the start, he has done things differently, introducing Mediterranean grapes such as Viognier, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Petite Sirah to the Cape. He then expanded the Fairview umbrella to three arterial sub-brands – La Capra, Bloemcool and Goats Do Roam – a brand which went on to become the highest selling South African wine brand in the United States following its introduction in 2000. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Feb 20, 2019 • 17min
12: Wine Scores: Misleading or Helpful to Consumers?
It’s unbelievable to consider that there’s a huge industry of specialists dedicating their lives to wine in the form of writers, sommeliers and critics. Why has wine inspired us in a way no other food or drink does? In this episode, I explore the questions around why we score wine in the first place, whether they really matter and if you should trust them. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Feb 13, 2019 • 38min
11: The World's Best Wines with Forbes Columnist Katie Kelly Bell
Katie Kelly Bell has been writing about food, wine and travel for over a dozen years, with her writing appearing in publications such as Forbes, USA Today, Modern Luxury, Decanter and Southern Living. Her experiences have taken her from the vineyards of Argentina to the press houses of Champagne. In between, she has co-authored a travel guide to Ireland, The Everything Guide to Ireland, written a city guide for Atlanta and worked as a Senior Editor at The Wine Report. Katie also appears on the CNN Airport Channel as a travel expert and on WSB Atlanta radio, talking about wine. Katie has travelled the world exploring many sides of the wine ecosystem and she lives in Atlanta with her three kids, one dog and a very patient husband. In this episode, we talk about Katie’s experience learning about and tasting the best wine in the world, her exploration into wine consumption, moderation and health and lessons learned from top winemakers. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Feb 6, 2019 • 15min
10: Wines for Seduction: A Vine Romance for Valentine's Day
Do you want to seduce someone this Valentine’s Day? Forget the lingerie, lipstick and silk-tie handcuffs - just share a glass or two of wine with your amour. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I’m going to share with you my favourite wines for seduction, including some melt in your mouth pairings with chocolate. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
Jan 30, 2019 • 42min
9: Are Vegan & Vegetarian Wines Better for You? Ezra Cipes, Summerhill Winery, BC, Has Answers
Ezra Cipes is proud to carry on the family legacy at Summerhill Pyramid Winery. Since the Cipes family moved from New York to Summerhill Vineyard in Kelowna, British Columbia when Cipes was five, he has grown up in the wine industry and feels blessed to now lead a company dedicated to creating beauty in collaboration with nature. After reconnecting with the winery and the land, Cipes knew he needed to assume a greater role at the winery. He became Chief Operations Officer in 2008 and CEO in 2012. In this episode, we talk about how vegan and vegetarian wines are different, whether they're better for us, the inside scoop on these and why sustainable winemaking matters. To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.
