🍔 Why does a Manhattan cocktail and a hamburger make an insanely great pairing❓ 🎧 Whiskey with a burger, tea as a stand-in for an Old Fashioned, and the 1830s straw that changed cocktail history. Kara Newman is back. nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🫚 This is one of Kara’s favourite pairings. A Manhattan perfectly cuts the richness of a burger. 🥩 At the same time, a burger is so substantial it really fortifies you for drinking a Manhattan. 🍋 The sweet vermouth gives the Manhattan more of a red wine with a burger kind of feeling. 🫧 A splash of bitters sets you up for the next bite. Kara could do that all the time. 🧅 She wouldn’t say no to a martini and a burger either, but a Manhattan and a burger really do go together. 🫖 Can strongly brewed black tea really scratch the itch for whiskey in a non-alcoholic Old Fashioned? 🏺 If she’s being really honest, Kara says, not that close. Tea is a completely different animal. 🎯 It has some tannins, and certain teas like oolong are fermented, which is kind of similar to how whiskey is made. 💡 Is this drink going to completely approximate an Old Fashioned? No, it’s not, Kara says. 🎲 You can sort of squint and maybe see an Old Fashioned, but she’d be lying if she said it’s exactly the same. 🥤 How did the arrival of drinking straws make new types of cocktails possible? 🍃 We’re talking about the 1830s, Kara says, not plastic or paper straws but rye grass or even a long piece of pasta. 🥂 Straws let people drink icy drinks without hurting their teeth, and that’s really where ice first got into drinks. 🍹 The Cobbler is almost entirely ice, and you could not drink it straight up without a straw. 🎠 The straw made icy, layered drinks possible. That changed what bartenders could create. 🍸 Have you ever paired a cocktail with a burger❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @WineEnthusiast

🍁 Which 3 B.C. Wines Should You Pour for Come Over October❓ nataliemaclean.com/blog/vide… 🍸 Three bottles, three stories, and @ctvnewsmona ready to pour 🚪 Come Over October is a simple idea: invite someone over, open your door, and open a bottle, ideally in that order. 📵 The wine just helps us linger a little longer at the table. Less scrolling, more storytelling. 🧠 Some bottles have been bookmarks in my life, because smell is wired to memory like no other sense. 🗓️ In 1986, nearly half of us saw a friend on any given day. Today it’s fewer than one in five. 🤝 Just like birthdays and holidays, Come Over October is a nudge to get together more often. 🧀 Pull up an empty chair, put out some Canadian cheeses, no need to cook or be fancy. 🍁 Canadians choose our own wine only about 30% of the time. The French drink their own 83% of the time. They don’t call that patriotism. They call it dinner. 🍷 Azhadi Vineyards Shiraz comes from a brand-new winery in Kelowna, high above Okanagan Lake. 🌸 The name nods to an ancient Persian city famous for its gardens and its poets. 🥂 The winery says this one is best with new friends sharing old stories. 🌟 The point isn’t what’s on the table. It’s who’s around it. 🌄 Township 7 Interlude Cabernet Sauvignon was made after a hard winter freeze wiped out most of the Okanagan crop. ❄️ The team brought in grapes from trusted growers and made the wine in Naramata. 🍇 Try a long table this October. Invite people who’d never otherwise meet: a neighbour, a coworker, a friend of a friend. 🍾 Pour the Township 7 Interlude and let the conversation do the rest. 🏡 Poplar Grove The Legacy 2015 comes from one of the original five wineries on the Naramata Bench. 👨‍👩‍👦 Tony and Barb Holler farm it with their four sons from their own estate vines. ⏳ It’s their flagship, a ten-year release that spent a decade in the cellar. 💬 Their family motto says it best. Great wine brings us together. 🥂 Which of these B.C. wines would you open for Come Over October❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @township7 @poplargrovewine @renwine @select_wines @selectwinesto @BCWine @BCWAS @WineGrowersCA @theCanadaGuide @KarenMacNeilCo @CharlesComm @ColangeloPR ✨ Please drink responsibly.

🍾 How is the new Canadian sparkling wine, Fracette, poised to take on Champagne, Prosecco and Cava❓ John Boynton, CEO of Arterra Wines, reveals the strategy 🎧 A dry sparkling wine made with icewine, launched in Canada’s cool climate, and aimed at the world. John Boynton on why Fracette could change everything. nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🏔️ Canada should be a major exporter of sparkling wine given its cool climate, but it isn’t yet. 🫧 Fracette uses icewine instead of sugar on second fermentation, creating a natural fruit sweetness but a completely dry sparkling wine. 🗺️ They’re starting with three producers in Ontario, moving to Western Canada and the Okanagan next year. 🌍 Once they have full Canadian distribution, they’ll export the Fracette concept before individual brands and SKUs. 🍁 Will Canadians remain loyal to domestic wines once American wines return to store shelves❓ 📈 John’s company is the only one running a national panel on how Canadians feel about US wine returning. 🏅 Around 15% say they will not return, and they feel very fierce and loyal to local Canadian wine. 💰 Is the wine industry making a costly mistake by assuming young drinkers will turn to wine as their incomes grow❓ 🕹️ Consumption grows as income grows, but that’s alcohol in general, not wine specifically. 🧩 If the industry doesn’t reach younger drinkers earlier, rising incomes won’t bring them to wine. 🍱 How could boxed wine change the way you think about buying and enjoying wine at home❓ 🧺 John calls it large format. That much wine might scare some people, but it’s convenient, easy, and you can put it in your fridge or your cupboard. 🎊 The freshness lasts six weeks, and it works whether it’s just the two of you or a whole crowd shows up. 🥂 Have you tried a new Fracette wine, or would you like to❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @arterracanada @KarenMacNeilCo @CharlesComm @ColangeloPR

✨ Beronia Reserva: The Perfect Pick for Festive Gatherings 🍷 nataliemaclean.com/blog/vide… 🍷 Beronia Reserva started with a group of friends who loved to cook together. They founded Beronia in 1973 wanting wines to go with their food, making it a natural fit for the Thanksgiving table. 🌿 A Reserva must age at least three years before release. Beronia gives it 18 months in oak, then 18 more months in bottle, with American oak for vanilla and sweet spice and French oak for silky tannins and toasty notes. 🍇 This dry, medium-bodied red from Rioja blends Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo. Deep, dark and spicy with sandalwood, prune, blackberry and earthy cedar brush spice, smoky and spicy on the palate. 🥩 Beronia is a perfect match for blackened steaks or smoky burgers from the grill. It’s also beautiful with leg of lamb, spicy meat dishes, beef tenderloin, or dark turkey meat with sausage and sage stuffing at the Thanksgiving table. 🍷 Have you tried Beronia Reserva yet❓ @beroniawines @woodmanws @riojawine @RiojaWine_ES @HOPSCOTCHSeason @winetouring

🍂 Which 3 drinks, 3 friends & 3 chairs for Come Over October❓ nataliemaclean.com/blog/vide… 🍸 Pull up a chair and pour something worth sharing, with @NewsguyNick 🌿 Toi Toi Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2025 comes from several blocks of the Calrossie Vineyard in Marlborough's Awatere Valley, picked in the cool of the evening to keep it fresh. 🍋 It's only $24.95 at the LCBO and rated 96 points, with lime, fresh green herbs, a hint of jalapeño, and nectarine with a subtle coastal note. 🧀 Serve it chilled around 8 to 10 degrees. How about a warm goat cheese salad with roasted beets while you finally catch up at the dining table? 🍁 The Monin Autumn Collection has five mini bottles to flavour up to 15 drinks, including Pumpkin Pie, Cinnamon Bun, Caramel Apple Butter, Cranberry and Brown Butter Toffee. ☕ The Monin Coffee Collection features café classics including Caramel, Amaretto, Hazelnut, Irish Cream and Vanilla to elevate any coffee experience. 🎁 Both collections are only $18 each at monin.ca, with no gluten, dairy or alcohol, non-GMO and kosher. They make a lovely host gift and are easy to take along during the holidays. 🍇 The Good Earth Big Fork Red from Niagara's Four Mile Creek is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from 30-year-old vines, hand-picked and fermented in small open-top tanks. 🪵 It spent more than 16 months in French oak, with only 410 cases made. It's $24 at the winery and online, shipping right to your door. 🍝 You'll smell ripe blackberry, raspberry and plum with toasty oak and baking spice, smooth with enough weight for a holiday meal. Can you picture it beside a bubbling pan of lasagna on a long table set for twelve? 🥂 Which of these would you pour for your Come Over October gathering❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @KarenMacNeilCo @CharlesComm @ColangeloPR @nzwineeurope @WinesOfFrance @AOPLanguedoc @vinspaysdocigp @PaysdOcIGPWines @VisitFrenchWine @ONCraftWineries @WineCountryOnt @grapegrowersont @OntarioTravel @WineGrowersCA @theCanadaGuide @winegroweron @CCOVIBrockU ✨ Please drink responsibly.

🍂 How can a bottle of wine become the invitation for Come Over October❓ John Boynton, CEO of Arterra Wines Canada, shares his insights 🎧 Come Over October starts with a bottle of wine and a CEO who thinks the whole industry needs to wake up. John Boynton is making the case. nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🕰️ Wine is not only the excuse, but it is also the invitation and the reason to accept it, John says. 🪑 It slows things down, creates its own conversation, and builds memories. 💭 You may not remember a text from last week, but you will remember that bottle you shared with someone you hadn’t seen in months. 🌎 That’s what makes it a signal: I haven’t seen you in a while, and I want to see you. 🍁 Come Over October is back for its second year in Canada, led by Wine Growers Canada with support from Arterra Wines Canada. 🏷️ Why does the wine industry need to look beyond wine itself to win back consumers❓ 🗺️ The whole category is behind, John says, so it needs hyper acceleration to be relevant again. 🪞 Of 40,000 wine SKUs in the world, probably 35,000 look exactly alike. 🏆 Every brand has to be really different to earn the attention of people, and then their loyalty too. 🥤 Wine needs to look not just at other alcohol categories, but at food and beverage categories. 🎪 It drives a certain boldness to be different, and that boldness is what the category is missing. 💸 How can wine become more relevant to younger consumers❓ 🕹️ Younger people today have less time and less money, John says. 🎵 They’re living a more digital life, going out less, and have wider but shallower social circles. 🍻 Wine has been good at filling different occasions, but many tied to younger drinkers don’t include it. 🧩 That, he says, is the crux of the millennials problem. 🍾 Has a bottle of wine ever made an evening unforgettable❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @arterracanada @KarenMacNeilCo @CharlesComm @ColangeloPR

🥂 Which 4 toasts and wines will make your Thanksgiving table cheer❓ nataliemaclean.com/blog/vide… 🍸 Four wines, four toasts, with @timbolen & Rick Campanelli ready to pour 😈 Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile gets its name from a story Don Melchor Concha y Toro spread to scare away thieves: that the devil lived in his cellar. 🍒 With cassis, cherry and plum aromas, it's medium-bodied with a long finish, on sale at the LCBO for under $12. Here's the first toast: "Here's to the cook, the table, and the toast. Here's to elastic waistbands, we love you the most!" 🌿 Toi Toi Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2025 from Marlborough's Awatere Valley is a family-owned wine named after a native flowering grass, picked in the cool of the evening to keep it fresh. 🍋 It has lime, fresh green herb and jalapeño aromas, nectarine and subtle coastal notes, and a crisp herbal finish. It's $24.95 at the LCBO, rated 96 points. "May those who love us, love us. May the rest have a change of heart. And if not that, a turn of the ankle, so we can tell them apart!" 🌸 Vineland Full Bloom Rosé from the Niagara Escarpment is $17.95 at the winery, online and at Rabba Fine Foods, with wild strawberry and raspberry mingling with citrus. 🍓 It's pleasantly dry with juicy acidity. "May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live!" Spring Petal and Bubbly Blossom round out the trio. 🌺 Azhadi Vineyards The Pardis from BC's Okanagan Valley was named by founder Mike Azhadi for the Farsi word that gave us paradise, after tasting this blend from the barrel. 🫐 A blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Oliver and Osoyoos, aged in French, American and Hungarian oak, it opens with cinnamon, herbs and black olive tapenade leading to blackberry and plum. 🎊 Which of these wines would you raise a glass to this Thanksgiving❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @conchaytoro @casillerodiablo @vinelandestates @RabbaFineFoods @KarenMacNeilCo @CharlesComm @ColangeloPR @winesofchile_ca @winesofchileuk @nzwineeurope @ONCraftWineries @WineCountryOnt @grapegrowersont @OntarioTravel @WineGrowersCA @theCanadaGuide @winegroweron @ccovibrocku @BCWine @BCWAS @WineGrowersCA @theCanadaGuide ✨ Please drink responsibly.

🍽️ Which wines do you want with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving❓ nataliemaclean.com/blog/vide… 🍸 Turkey's on the table and the wine is ready, with @cynthialoyst & @jessieraeallen 🍋 The Elevation St Urban Vineyard Riesling has a touch of natural fruit sweetness balanced by bright acidity, like lemonade where the lemons cut the sugar. 🌿 The vine cuttings came from a family estate on the Mosel, smuggled in a suitcase in 1979 and planted in Niagara, where they've been in the ground almost fifty years. 🥝 Loveblock Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand is certified organic, owned by Erica and Kim Crawford, who built the famous Kim Crawford brand, sold it, then started over farming organically. 🍑 It's bright and zesty with white peach and a fresh, herbal snap, perfect with lobster sandwiches at lunch. 🍇 Mouton Cadet Rouge from Bordeaux is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, supple and ripe with soft tannins and dark fruit. No need to decant, just pour and pass. 🌍 It carries the Fair for Life fair-trade certification, supporting a community of more than 100 growers with long-term contracts, fair prices and 1% of sales going into a fund they decide how to use. 🍒 Tommasi Ripasso Valpolicella gives you a serious, rich red under $30, from a family making wine near Verona since 1902. 🫙 Re-passed over Amarone skins, it picks up richness and spice. It's full-bodied with cherry, black pepper and silky tannins. ❄️ Township 7 Interlude Cabernet Sauvignon was born after a brutal January 2024 cold snap hit minus 27 degrees and wiped out most of the Okanagan crop. 🍁 Winemaker Mary McDermott brought in Washington State fruit and made the wine in Naramata. It's structured with blackberry and a little spice, ready for whatever's at the centre of your table. 🍷 Which of these would you pour with your Thanksgiving feast❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @loveblockwine @MoutonCadet @tommasiwine @township7 @RabbaFineFoods @thevine_agency @arterracanada @Dandurandwines @UNIVINS @renwine @NCTWinery @TheTwentyValley @BenchlandsON @NFallsTourism @WineGrowersCA @theCanadaGuide @nzwineeurope @BordeauxWines @BordeauxWinesUK @VisitFrenchWine @WinesOfFrance @AOPLanguedoc @vinspaysdocigp @PaysdOcIGPWines @ItalyinMontreal @italiadelvino @VinitalyTasting @ItalianSparkley @ITAtradeagency @icciaus @Italchambers @ItalyinUS @BCWine @BCWAS @WineGrowersCA @theCanadaGuide ✨ Please drink responsibly.

🌊 Which Maritime wines belong on your Friendsgiving table❓ nataliemaclean.com/blog/vide… 🍸 Opening doors, opening bottles, and pouring Maritime wines with @crystaljoyful 🍋 Magnetic Hill The OC Osceola by the Sea is made from Osceola Muscat by Zach Everett, who backpacked through Europe and came home wanting to plant vines in Moncton. 🦞 It has aromas of lemon peel, apple and tropical notes, gently off dry with a light spritz, vibrant acidity and a salty sea-breeze finish. 🍒 Magnetic Hill Mystique goes back to the family's roots as strawberry farmers who started making fruit wine in an old haunted house in Moncton. 🌿 Every cranberry is grown on their farm or within 50 kilometres of it. It's bright and tart with juicy cranberry, cherry and raspberry. It's $15.50, and top it with a splash of soda for a spritz for the whole crowd. 🌾 Blomidon Tidal Bay is Nova Scotia's own appellation, the only one in North America defined by a style rather than a place, made exclusively from Nova Scotia grapes at 11% alcohol or less. 🐚 Winemaker Simon Rafuse blends L'Acadie Blanc, Seyval Blanc and Muscat into a wine leaning toward citrus and green apple, with crisp acidity and a cool, coastal minerality. It's like the ocean in your glass. 🍇 Planters Ridge Quintessence Red from Port Williams proves Nova Scotia makes serious reds, not just the crisp whites and sparkling it's famous for. 🍂 It's a dry, full-bodied blend of Lucie Kuhlmann, Castel and Marquette with dark berries and cedar on the nose, and blackberry, pepper and dark plum on a long smooth finish. Serve it at 16 to 18 degrees. 🎉 All of today's wines are sold at the wineries and liquor stores in their home provinces, or order them directly to your door. Here's to open doors, open bottles and open hearts. Come Over October! 🫶 Which of these would you open first at your Friendsgiving❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @BlomidonEstate @plantersridge @KarenMacNeilCo @WineGrowersCA @theCanadaGuide @winegroweron @winegrowersns @TourismNS @CharlesComm @ColangeloPR ✨ Please drink responsibly.

🦃 Which 3 drinks should the Chief Pouring Officer serve at Thanksgiving❓ nataliemaclean.com/blog/vide… 🍸 Topping up glasses and giving thanks, with @melissalambtv 🍷 Beronia Reserva from Rioja was born when a group of friends who loved to cook together founded the winery in 1973, wanting wines to pair with their food. 🌲 Their new winery was the first in the world to earn LEED v4 Gold certification, with a green roof and rainwater recycling. 🍒 It's mostly Tempranillo with black fruit and cinnamon on the nose, soft tannins, and cacao, roasted hazelnut and pepper on the finish. 🍽️ Picture it with dark turkey meat and a sausage and sage stuffing. It's at the LCBO now. 🍇 Ocean Spray Sparkling Zero Sugar Cranberry brings the most iconic Thanksgiving flavour into your glass, sweetened naturally with the stevia plant. 🥗 Blend Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce into feta for a whipped dip, warm it as a glaze over sweet potatoes, or toss Craisins into the stuffing. 🍰 For dessert, try cranberry cheesecake or a warm spoonful over ice cream. 🌿 Pour it into a wine glass for the toast. It's non-alcoholic, zesty and bright, ideal for anyone not drinking during the holiday. 🥃 Broken Paddle Artisanal Whisky is crafted in the Ottawa Valley, approachable enough to pour neat, over ice, or alongside the meal. 🌊 The broken paddle stands for Canadian ingenuity. Whitewater is a 1% for the Planet member, giving 1% of sales to environmental groups. 🍎 The nose opens with roasted almonds, caramel, apple and pear. On the palate, caramel, vanilla bean, honey, warm spice and a touch of rye. 🧀 Serve it on the sideboard with a sharp cheddar and apple board before dinner, or with pumpkin pie after. 🎉 Set up the station before the first guest arrives and hand one person the lanyard. Here's to the cook who fed us all! 🥂 Which of these would you want your Chief Pouring Officer to pour first❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @beroniawines @woodmanws @Instacart @riojawine @RiojaWine_ES @HOPSCOTCHSeason @winetouring @ONCraftWineries @WineCountryOnt @grapegrowersont @OntarioTravel @WineGrowersCA @theCanadaGuide @winegroweron @ccovibrocku ✨ Please drink responsibly.

Would you like to win a copy of "The Cocktail Cabinet: Low / No"❓ nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🏆 Three of you will win a copy of Kara Newman’s The Cocktail Cabinet: Low / No. From the deck description: ✨ Sip smart with fifty zero-proof and low-alcohol cocktails designed for maximum flavor, minus the buzz. 🥂 Whether you’re cutting back, pacing yourself, or skipping alcohol altogether, The Cocktail Cabinet: Low / No serves up fifty refreshing recipes that don’t compromise on taste or style. 🍸 From vibrant spritzes and herbaceous coolers to inventive zero-proof twists on classic cocktails, this deck proves that great drinks don’t have to come with a hangover. 🎉 Filled with simple, satisfying recipes, it’s perfect for sober-curious sippers, party hosts, and anyone looking to elevate their drink game—alcohol optional. 🖊️ Written by award-winning spirits and cocktail writer Kara Newman and complete with stunning mid-century style illustrations from Giacomo Bagnara, this is the latest addition to the Cocktail Cabinet series. 👇 All you have to do is: 1️⃣ Like this post 2️⃣ Tag someone in the comments below who might also be interested in winning the book 3️⃣ Follow me on X Cheers! And good luck🥂 Natalie This contest is in no way affiliated with X. @WineEnthusiast

🍬 How can two rums taste completely different even though they’re both made from sugar cane❓ Kara Newman reveals the secret 🎧 Eight cocktail books, a dunder pit in Jamaica, and a case for why rum is the wildest spirit category. Kara Newman is here. nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🗺️ Rum is one of the more complex categories because it can be made anywhere in the world with very few regulations. 🌽 Bourbon has strict rules around corn, oak barrels, and American production. Rum has almost none of that. 🍃 It could be raw cane juice, making it rhum agricole, which is grassy, vegetal, funky, and bright. 🍫 Or it can start from molasses, or blackstrap, a byproduct of molasses. ⚗️ From there, it's shaped by fermentation, distillation, aging, blending, and the type of still. 🔮 The type of still matters too. It's really kind of magical. 🏺 What makes Jamaican rum so famously funky, and what does a dunder pit have to do with it? 🧀 Kara visited Jamaica and saw a dunder pit, where sugar ferments in a giant muck pit before distillation. 🧫 It smells like aged cheese and molasses, and there are wild stories about bat heads found inside. 🫧 That funk is the secret ingredient to creating ester-forward rum. 🎉 Copper pot stills lock it in by preventing all that character from being cleaned out. ❄️ How does the type of ice you use change the strength, temperature, and texture of a cocktail? 🕰️ Strong drinks need dilution, but it's also about chill and texture. 🪨 A larger cube melts slower, keeping the drink cold without watering it down too fast. 🍹 Before it fully melts, the ice gives the drink a snowy, pebbled texture. 🫐 As it evolves it becomes smoother and more sippable. 🍸 Have you ever tried making a cocktail with a different type of ice❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @WineEnthusiast

🎨 How are modern whisky makers using blending to capture emotions and experiences❓ 🎧 Elephant dung, a thousand samples, and whisky blended to feel like a human emotion. That's Kristiane Westray's world. nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 💡 Great whisky starts long before the still. 🔥 Careful fermentation and controlled distillation preserve the delicate compounds that shape flavour. 🐴 The old saying goes: you can't make a racehorse from a donkey. 📉 Pushing yield too far strips out the very thing that makes a spirit worth drinking. 🍓 How does smoking whisky grains with elephant dung translate into flavours like raspberry and sandalwood❓ 🌿 Elephant dung burns at a lower temperature than peat, releasing different phenolic compounds into the grain. 🧬 Those compounds interact with yeast during fermentation to create unexpected fruit and spice notes. ✨ Cask maturation then softens and transforms those raw flavours over time. 🪵 The result is something that smells nothing like its origin. 🧪 The grain itself matters too: its protein and starch content shape what the yeast has to work with. 💥 Small differences in raw ingredients can lead to dramatically different spirits. 💫 How are modern whisky makers using blending to capture emotions and experiences❓ 🎭 Pete Allison's brand Woven is built entirely around this idea. 🎯 He wants each blend to feel like a specific emotion, not just a flavour profile. 🧠 To get there, he evaluated over a thousand samples from distilleries across Scotland. ✅ Only a handful made the cut for each blend. 🌾 Working at small scale means he can be precise about what goes in and why. 📖 Every component has a role in the emotional story he's telling. 🥃 Have you ever chosen a drink based on how you wanted to feel❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @BloomsburyBooks

Would you like to win a copy of "Savour: A guide to tasting and exploring whiskies of the world"❓ nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🏆 Three of you will win a copy of Kristiane Westray’s wonderful new book, Savour. From the book description: 🥃 Single malt. Bourbon. Distilleries. Casks. Cocktails. In the world of whisky, there's a lot to get your head around, but it's easier to navigate than you might think. ✨ Savour is a modern guide to one of the world's most flavour-forward drinks: whisky. 🍸 Whether you love whisky or aren't sure where to start, Kristiane Westray will take you on an immersive and inclusive expedition through the spirit. 🧭 Complete with a really practical guide on how to taste whisky (disclaimer: you will have to drink a lot of it), how to build a capsule collection and a handy flow chart to work out what flavours align best with your palate, Savour will introduce you to the most exciting modern makers, whisky bars, distilleries, bottle shops and communities around the world. 🌍 Whether from Australia, Finland, Mexico, South Africa, Japan or Scotland, this is a book for the curious and flavour-lovers amongst us. 🎉 This is your invitation to embrace whisky and dive right in. Into the fun, flavour and thrill of it all. Because whisky really is for everyone. 👇 All you have to do is: 1️⃣ Like this post 2️⃣ Tag someone in the comments below who might also be interested in winning the book 3️⃣ Follow me on X Cheers! And good luck🥂 Natalie This contest is in no way affiliated with X. @BloomsburyBooks

🥃 In "Savour," Kristiane Westray reveals: Is smelling whisky different from smelling a glass of wine❓ 🎧 Don't stick your nose in the glass. Kristiane Westray, author of Savour: A Guide to Tasting and Exploring Whiskies of the World, explains why whisky deserves a different approach. nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 👃 A lot of people think they don't like whisky because they nose it like beer or wine, Kristiane says. 💡 You forget that it's 40-plus ABV, compared to a quarter of that for wine. 🤝 She thinks of it like meeting someone for the first time. You don't run up and give them a hug straight off. 👁️ Smell it from afar, see what it's saying, see how loudly it's shouting. ✨ Then as you get a bit more familiar, get closer. 🏆 How did a 1960s marketing campaign convince generations of whisky drinkers that single malt was better than blended whisky? 📈 Kristiane marvels at how this ad campaign completely changed the industry, and how now it feels like it's coming back to bite it. 🏭 In the 1960s, a William Grant and Sons director called Sandy positioned Glenfiddich as a single malt that was separate and better than blends. 📊 At that time, the vast majority of whiskies were blends. Your Johnnie Walkers, your Cutty Sarks, all drunk predominantly then. 🔥 What is it like to step inside a working whisky kiln and experience peat smoke firsthand? 🏭 Coming into the maltings, Kristiane saw how you can turn the floor malt, and then you go into the kiln with a fire underneath. 🪵 You're on a floor like a sieve so the smoke comes up beneath. It was one of the most evocative, sensory, unique experiences of her life. 🌾 She is gluten intolerant, but she forgot. She tasted the barley around her anyway. Later that night, she was all bloated. 👃 Have you ever nosed a whisky too closely and smelled only the alcohol❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @BloomsburyBooks

🍾 Fracette: The Sparkling Wine Canada Invented 🍁 nataliemaclean.com/blog/vide… 🍸 Raising a glass of something truly Canadian, with @timbolen & Rick Campanelli 🍷 Inniskillin has been crafting icewine since 1984, winning the Grand Prix d'Honneur at Vinexpo, the wine world's highest honour. 🫐 The Inniskillin Fracette Rosé bursts with ripe raspberry, cranberry, and a touch of rhubarb, with fine bubbles and a crisp grapefruit finish. It's $34.95, a fraction of the price of Champagne. 💍 It's ideal for marking memorable moments like date nights, engagements, birthdays, and special dinners. Wouldn't this be amazing with cranberry turkey sliders at the kitchen island? 🍊 Saintly The Good Fracette is crafted from Chardonnay grown just 100 metres from Lake Ontario, where the water decided how the fruit would ripen. 🍑 It's bright with fresh apricot, orange zest, and crunchy green apple, finishing rich then snapping back clean. It's $23.95. 📅 This is the bottle to open on a Tuesday, no special reason needed. 🌸 Kew Fracette comes from an 80-acre estate on the Beamsville Bench, where every vine is still tended by hand, blended with Vidal icewine harvested on the coldest winter nights. 🍐 It's elegant with apple blossom, nectarine, pear, and a warm almond note on a generous mousse. It's $26.95. 🎉 From planned get-togethers to impromptu events, it's the easy pour to have at hand. 🔑 Fracette is a protected term, unique to Canada, the same way Champagne is. 🥂 Serve it at 8 degrees in a white wine glass to let those gorgeous aromas come forward. 🍁 Let's toast to a truly Canadian bubbly sparked by ice. Only the Icewine capital of the world could have invented it! 🫧 Which of these Fracettes would you pop open first❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @InniskillinWine @kewvineyards @arterracanada @ONCraftWineries @WineCountryOnt @grapegrowersont @OntarioTravel @WineGrowersCA @theCanadaGuide @winegroweron @ccovibrocku ✨ Please drink responsibly.

🥂 How did the launch of the super premium rosé Whispering Angel from Château d'Esclans change Provence❓ 🎧 Who pays €80 for a bottle of Rosé? Turns out, the yachting crowd does. Liz Gabay and Ben Bernheim tell the story of how Whispering Angel changed everything. nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🍾 When Garrus launched at €80 a bottle, there was a feeling of, idiot, who's going to buy Rosé at €80, Liz says. ✨ He didn't make very much, and he sold out within the first year to the yachting crowd. 🛥️ They even had to redesign the fridges on the yachts to fit magnums, Ben adds. 💡 He hosted parties up and down the coast and gave that boost of confidence that it was possible. 💰 He made Rosé as if it was a Burgundian white, and nobody had ever actually spent that amount. 🌍 What happens to a wine region when historic family estates are increasingly bought by wealthy outsiders and corporations? 🗺️ Liz pitched an article thinking there might be 20 outside-owned estates. Her document is now onto page five, double sided. 🕰️ Some family-owned estates are now talking about forming an association of estates still in the same hands, fourth generation. 🏡 A classic estate sold to a big house and everything changes, she says. That is a major problem. 🎨 How can classifying wine by colour get in the way of understanding what's actually in the glass? 💬 Liz has really disliked defining wine by colour for the past ten years. It doesn't mean anything, she says. 🍷 We should be looking at style and taste, not always colour. ❤️ It's a continuum, Ben says, where the darkest Rosé is not necessarily lighter than the lightest red. 🍇 Garrus, the most expensive wine from Château d'Esclans, is 50% white grapes. Is it even a Rosé? 🌸 Have you ever tried Whispering Angel❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @LizGabayMW @academie_duvin @academie_du

Would you like to win a copy of "The Wines of Provence"❓ nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🏆 Two of you will win a copy of Liz Gabay and Ben Bernheim’s terrific book, The Wines of Provence. From the book description: 🌸 Provence wine is more than just its ubiquitous (and delicious and best-selling) rosé. 🍇 Authors Elizabeth Gamay MW and Ben Bernheim explore the split-personality of this region, covering its red and white wines as well. 🧳 A great companion to any trip to the region. Provence today is famous for its rosé. 🍷 In the hearts and minds of winemakers, however, it is red wine that the region ought to be famous for. 📜 Few wine regions have a history so distinct from the wines that are made today – or such a distinction between the wines that the locals want, and the wines that sell well. 📉 As of 2024, red production has dropped to third place, behind rosé and white by volume. 🍇 In The wines of Provence Elizabeth Gabay MW and Ben Bernheim analyze this split personality to help explain why and how the wines are made today. 🗺️ They define the wine region of Provence and explain how it differs from the neighboring Rhône wine region in terms of history, landscape, wine culture and varieties grown. 🍾 Exploring the differences between inland and coastal Provence, they assess the difficulties in distinguishing its appellations and profile the region’s key producers. 👇 All you have to do is: 1️⃣ Like this post 2️⃣ Tag someone in the comments below who might also be interested in winning the book 3️⃣ Follow me on X Cheers! And good luck🥂 Natalie This contest is in no way affiliated with X. @LizGabayMW @academie_duvin @academie_du

🌸 Why has Rosé wine struggled to be taken seriously by professionals despite its popularity with consumers❓ 🎧 Rosé is outselling everything, so why do wine pros still look down on it? Liz Gabay and Ben Bernheim make the case for taking pink seriously. nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🎓 Rosé has only been in the Master of Wine exam for the past three years, Liz says. 📈 It's one of the most successful commercial categories in the wine market right now. 🍾 In a market where sales are going down, Rosé is not. 🤔 As wine professionals, should we say we only drink top wine, or should we understand what the consumer actually wants to taste? 🌿 How is Provence far more diverse as a wine region than the idea of a "Provence Rosé" suggests? 💨 The northwest has Mistral wind, low altitude, limestone, and nothing else, Ben says. 🌴 Other parts are almost tropical, with palm trees, pretty flowers, and gentle sea breezes. 🍇 It's a large enough region that there's something for everyone, but the wines have somewhat less in common than two Bordeaux wines might. 🔍 Doing blind tastings for their book, Liz and Ben were able to pick up very subtle differences between Rosés from different parts of the region. 🏆 Does Provence make the best Rosé in the world or simply the best Rosé in its style? 🌍 Liz disagrees that Provence makes the best Rosé in the world. ✨ She thinks Provence makes fabulous Rosé and very rarely gets any faulty wine, but it makes the best Rosé in that particular style. 🌿 A Rioja Rosé, a Tuscan Rosé, or a Greek Rosé is not made to be like Provence, but each is excellent in its own style. 🔭 Keeping that point of reference always going, she says, is really important. 🍷 Do you take Rosé as seriously as red or white wine❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @LizGabayMW @academie_duvin @academie_du

🍷 What’s the difference between a lean wine and one that’s thin❓ Maryse Chevriere on How to Sound Wine Smart 🎧 Lean vs. thin, smooth vs. specific. Maryse Chevriere, author of How to Sound Wine Smart, breaks down the words we use wrong all the time. nataliemaclean.com/blog/podc… 🎯 Lean is more like that laser-like wine, Maryse says, direct on your palate, not filling your whole mouth. 💧 Thin she thinks of as more of a flaw, where it feels like it's supposed to have substance and it doesn't. 📝 It feels watered down. Its personality is just kind of tempered. 📖 If you were reading these as regular words, they sound very similar, like they could be describing something very similar. 🔍 And they're used very differently. 😅 Why is asking for a “smooth” wine one of the least helpful ways to describe what you actually want? 📢 Maryse's beef with smooth is more just using it as a standalone word. 🛒 She would guess from that you want a wine that's not tannic, easy to drink. But what else? 🍽️ If you're in a shop, give a price point. Tell them the occasion you're going for. 🌿 What food are you pairing it with? Do you want something juicy or maybe more earthy? 💬 Smooth, she says, is just too broad. 🎓 What's the fastest way to learn more about wine without feeling intimidated? 💪 Don't let the fear of sounding stupid stop you from having an opinion or a voice, Maryse says. 🌍 Push yourself to drink outside of the box. Don't just stick to the same grapes, the same regions, the same producers. 🥂 Try a grape you like from a different region. The more you drink, the more you know, the more fun you have. ✨ If your wine shop has a producer or rep who can talk to you about the wines, that to her is the way to really get into it. 🍾 Do you know the difference between a lean wine and a thin one❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 @_SimonElement