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🍷 Why do Ontario and Canadian wines deserve your attention and taste buds❓ https://lnkd.in/gsRVNkCN 📚 The LCBO published this interview in its current Vintages magazine: 🏆 Ottawa-based wine expert and author Natalie MacLean is a trusted resource for good wine and food who was awarded the 2024 Wine Growers Canada Wine Industry Champion Award earlier this year. 🍁 We recently sat down with her to discuss the changing landscape of Ontario wine. 🎤 I’ve seen (and tasted) the dramatic rise in Canadian wine quality, but also in perception. In the past, Canadian wines suffered from the “Céline-Dion-Shania-Twain syndrome.” 🌍 They needed validation abroad before they were accepted on their home turf. 👏 Well, they’ve been there, done that. They have the international competition medals and scores to prove it. 🥂 I urge my readers and subscribers to support wines made by underrepresented groups. 😋 This isn’t charity; these wines taste great. 🌟 When I see the remarkable achievements of these groups in the industry, I’m incredibly optimistic. 🤝 This award is a tremendous honour, not just for me. It’s also a recognition of the collaborative spirit that defines Canadian wine. 🍇 From those who grow the grapes and make the wine to those who market and buy it, this is a shared achievement. 🍾 Do you think the Ontario and Canadian wine scene has changed a lot recently❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 Cheers🥂, Natalie 🍷 PS Get my free "Ultimate Guide to Wine & Food Pairing" at: https://lnkd.in/gwDc7jVb ✉️ Or just DM me and ask for the guide! Ontario Craft Wineries Wine Growers Canada Wine Growers British Columbia #natdecants #natwine #saq #lcbo #canadianwine #ontariowines #winelovers #wineindustry #supportdiversity #wineawards #wineexpert #tastecanada #winegrowth #cheerstowine

🍇 What are the surprising challenges in making wine❓ 🎙️ On the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, you’ll hear the stories and tips that answer those questions in chat with Martin Janz, the chief winemaker at Pelee Island Winery in Southwestern Ontario. https://lnkd.in/griu3VCA 🍷 Martin observes that if you make wine, every year is a challenge. 🥤 He doesn’t want to make Coca Cola in the sense of following the same recipe every year to get the exact same product. 🌟 Every year is a little bit different. ☔️ He doesn’t know how much frost, rain, or hail he’ll get. 🌈 And that keeps it interesting. 🌬️ How are wind machines used to mitigate the negative impact of cold weather? 🌡️ As Martin explains, they take the cold air off the floor of the vineyard and then bring in warm air because hot air rises. 📈 The wind machines can actually raise the temperature by two to three degrees. 🍇 Sometimes, that's exactly what you need to save the vines. 🌿 How does Pelee Island’s biodiversity influence the brand and winery? 🦋 Pelee Island is home to over 100,000 species of plants, insects, and animals, many of which are not found elsewhere in Canada. 🎨 This rich biodiversity is reflected in the winery’s labels, which feature local flora and fauna. 🌍 Why is it important for winemakers to respect the natural environment? 🌱 As a winemaker, Martin believes that it should be an automatic response to respect nature. 🚫 That’s why they don’t use synthetic insecticides and pesticides. 🌾 As he says, it’s all about paying back a little bit to what Mother Nature gives you. 🔗 Want to listen to these answers or read the article? Go to the link above. 🍷 Have you tried a wine from Pelee Island Winery❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 Martin Janz Wine Growers Canada Ontario Craft Wineries #natdecants #matinjanz #wineexperience #winestories #winestory #winegeek #winelover #winemoments #winetime #wineenthusiast #wine #wines #sommlife #wineinfluencer

Would you like to win a beautiful hardcover edition of "Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization"❓ https://lnkd.in/giDeEijD 🏆 Two of you are going to win a copy of Edward Slingerland’s beautiful hardcover edition of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization. From the book description: 📚 While plenty of entertaining books have been written about the history of alcohol and other intoxicants, none have offered a comprehensive, convincing answer to the basic question of why humans want to get high in the first place. 🔍 Drunk elegantly cuts through the tangle of urban legends and anecdotal impressions that surround our notions of intoxication to provide the first rigorous, scientifically-grounded explanation for our love of alcohol. ✨ Drawing on evidence from archaeology, history, cognitive neuroscience, psychopharmacology, social psychology, literature, and genetics, Drunk shows that our taste for chemical intoxicants is not an evolutionary mistake, as we are so often told. ✨ In fact, intoxication helps solve a number of distinctively human challenges: enhancing creativity, alleviating stress, building trust, and pulling off the miracle of getting fiercely tribal primates to cooperate with strangers. 🏛️ Our desire to get drunk, along with the individual and social benefits provided by drunkenness, played a crucial role in sparking the rise of the first large-scale societies. We would not have civilization without intoxication. 🦜 From marauding Vikings and bacchanalian orgies to sex-starved fruit flies, blind cave fish, and problem-solving crows, Drunk is packed with fascinating case studies and engaging science, as well as practical takeaways for individuals and communities. 🥂 The result is a captivating and long overdue investigation into humanity's oldest indulgence—one that explains not only why we want to get drunk, but also how it might actually be good for us to tie one on now and then. 👇 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 Instagram Cheers! And good luck🥂 Natalie This contest is in no way affiliated with Facebook or Instagram. #natdecants #edwardslingerland #drunkbook #alcoholandcivilization #historyofintoxication #sippeddancedstumbled #culturalimpact #humanevolution #intoxicationjourney #civilizationandbooze

🍷 “My heart was hummingbird happy, I didn't know that someone could be interested in you for who you are, not for what you do or what you've accomplished.” 🕮 Wine Witch on Fire by Natalie MacLean Tag someone you think would enjoy this book 👇 Cheers🥂, Natalie 🍷 PS Get my free "Ultimate Guide to Wine & Food Pairing" at: https://lnkd.in/gwDc7jVb 🔗 Link is also in the bio ✉️ Or just DM me and ask for the guide! Tantor Media Recorded Books Dundurn Press The Rights Factory #nataliemaclean #winewitchonfire #winewitch #memoir #bookreview #fivestarbook #winebook #winememoir #canadianbookstagram #canadianauthor

🍸 What is the connection between alcohol and innovation❓ 🎙️ On the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, you’ll hear the stories and tips that answer those questions in part two of our chat 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. 🔗 Link in bio https://lnkd.in/dWNddUV4 💡 Edward explains that it’s a double effect in enhancing individual creativity and reducing inhibitions. 📉 He cites the study that examined the number of patent applications during Prohibition in the US when people couldn’t drink socially. ⏳ It found that when Prohibition was imposed on a wet county, patent applications nosedived, wow, and didn't come back for about another three years. 🍹 Edward believes that the recovery is because people figured out speakeasies where they could drink socially again. 🧠 How does alcohol improve the quality of group brainstorming? 🎨 Edward observes that alcohol also enhances group creativity because individual members are more creative. 🤔 They’re also less nervous about saying something that your prefrontal cortex would judge as not worthy when perhaps it’s a great idea. ⚕️ Why is it important not to think about alcohol consumption through a medical lens alone? ⚖️ Edward believes that we have to recognize both the dangers and the benefits of alcohol to make intelligent decisions about how to use it. 📚 He wishes he had been able to address the inaccurate information about the health risks in the book as it's a classic example of how public policy regarding alcohol is completely distorted by this medicalized lens. 🍹 Can a drink spark your creativity❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 #natdecants #EdwardSlingerland #wineexperience #winestories #winestory #winegeek #winelover #winemoments #winetime #wineenthusiast #wine #wines #sommlife #wineinfluencer

🍷 Which are the 8 best California wines to drink now❓ https://lnkd.in/gw_XaU3r 🍇 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 family-owned like this one from the Wagner Family, who also produce Caymus wines. 🍷 I also have the Josh Cellars Pinot Noir from the Central Coast, named after the founding father of the winery, Josh Carr, that’s now run by his son, Joseph Carr. 🌱 More than 80% of Californian wine is produced by certified sustainable wineries. 🍂 I have Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay from the Central Coast of California, which is sustainably farmed and owned by the Wente family. 🧬 They created the clone of this grape that many others now use in the state. 🍃 I also have Bonterra Merlot, which is both sustainable and organic. 🧼 There have been a number of wines marketed lately as “clean” like clean beauty, clean wines. 🍑 Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the most popular white and red grapes, like these two beauties: Imagery Chardonnay is full-bodied with aromas of fresh peach and juicy pear. 🍖 I also have the 7 Deadly Cabernet from the Lodi region, robust, dark and delicious with ripe blackberry notes. It would be killer with a pepper steak. 🍷 Then finally we have Merlot and Pinot Noir, like these terrific examples from Ghost Pines, a blend of Merlot grapes from Sonoma, Lake County and Napa. 🍒 And this Bread and Butter Pinot Noir from Napa with its lush black cherry notes that would soak into veal. 🍇 Are you a fan of California wines❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 Cheers🥂, Natalie 🍷 PS Get my free "Ultimate Guide to Wine & Food Pairing" at: https://lnkd.in/gwDc7jVb ✉️ Or just DM me and ask for the guide! Caymus Vineyards The Bacchus Group Inc. Wente Vineyards Bonterra Organic Estates Corby Spirit and Wine Limited Sonoma County Vintners Univins et Spiritueux Dandurand California Wines Canada California Wines Europe Authentic Wine & Spirits Merchants #natdecants #californiawines #winewinewine #wineadvocate #winefluencer #winebloggers #sommelier #somm #foodandwine #wineandfoodpairing #winegeek

🧙♀️ Guess what Mike Welling from Toronto said about the Wine Witch audiobook❓ ✨ A thought-provoking, intimate and informative memoir 🎢 The roller-coaster of emotions and challenges faced by Natalie through her private personal and high-profile professional life takes on greater poignancy when told in her own voice. 🛠️ A thought-provoking memoir about overcoming prejudice, deceit and human fragility, and finding the resilience to rebuild a life of purpose, repute and joy. 🌟 It is even replete with wine tips! A wonderful story. Mike Welling, Toronto 🔗 Link in bio www.winewitchonfire.com Tag a friend below 👇 whom you think would like this audiobook. 🍷 🥰 Tantor Media Recorded Books Dundurn Press The Rights Factory #natdecants #winewitchonfire #Audiobook #BookLaunch #WineWitchOnFire #NewRelease #AuthorNarrated #IntimateListening #Storytelling #BookCommunity #ListenNow #ReadersOfInstagram #BookLovers

What is a wine supertaster and why are women more likely to be one❓ https://lnkd.in/gq9gt297 👩⚕️ Dr. Linda Bartoshuk, at Yale University School of Medicine, discovered the supertaster phenomenon in 1999. Women are more than twice as likely as men to be supertasters. Women have more fungiform papillae, the tiny structures on the tongue that hold taste buds. 👅 Supertasters possess more than a hundred times more taste buds per square inch than do regular tasters. 😋 This doesn’t mean that we're better tasters — that comes with practice — but it does mean that we’re more sensitive tasters. 🍷 As a professional wine critic, I recommend wines that I love and don’t love because I recognize there is a wide array of taste preferences among my readers. So, if it’s a terrific Amarone, I’ll recommend it and give it a high score. I just won’t be opening it for myself anytime soon. ✍ Tim Hanni, a sensory taste specialist and Master of Wine in California, measured the density and number of my taste buds for an article I was writing. ☕ Being a supertaster also means being extra-sensitive to your entire environment. Hanni knew without my telling him that I cut the tags out of my clothing, prefer tea over coffee, and have thermostat wars with family members. Are you a wine supertaster❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 Cheers🥂, Natalie 🍷 PS Get my free "Ultimate Guide to Wine & Food Pairing" at: https://lnkd.in/gwDc7jVb ✉️ Or just DM me and ask for the guide! Tantor Media Recorded Books Dundurn Press The Rights Factory #Natdecants #NatalieMaclean #supertaster #wine #winewriter #wineblogger #winetasting #winebook #memoir #winewitchonfire #winewitch #winetime #sommelier

Why does Marc Lacombe listen to Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast❓ 🔗 Link in bio https://lnkd.in/giDeEijD 🥰 Here's what he said in his review: 💎 Wealth of Information 📚 The various subjects and the depth at which Natalie goes into has been an amazing source of information for my wine education journey. 💖 Plus, she always has very knowledgeable and interesting guests. ✨ Keep up the great work! ***** 🙏 Thank you, Marc Lacombe! I appreciate your review. Tag a friend in the comments whom you also think would enjoy this podcast 👇 Cheers🥂 Natalie Marc-André Lacombe #Nataliemaclean #natdecants #wine #winepodcast #podcast #review #podcastreview #winetalk #podcaster #winewriter #wineblog #winetime

💡 How does alcohol, especially wine, foster our creativity, trustingness, and sociability❓ 🎙️ On the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, you’ll hear the stories and tips that answer those questions in our chat 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. https://lnkd.in/gZUVUVBt 💖 Edward observes that alcohol stimulates the pro-social chemicals in our body like serotonin and endorphin, that make us feel expansive and kind of feel good about ourselves and more kindly disposed to other people. 🧠 One of the brain regions that it quiets is the prefrontal cortex. 🍺 What does the “beer before bread” hypothesis suggest about alcohol's role in the development of civilization? 🏹 As Edward explains, the standard story, until relatively recently, was that humans were hunter gatherers for most of our history as a species. 🌾 At some point, we discovered we could cultivate grains, and we settled down, started making bread and other grain products. 🎭 So, the traditional story is that alcohol is a result of an evolutionary or historical accident. 🔄 But since then, archeologists believe that maybe the story was the other way around. 📈 The draw for hunter gatherers to settle down and cultivate crops was not bread. It was beer. 🍻 This is the so-called beer before bread hypothesis. 🥃 Should there be different minimum drinking ages for wine and beer versus spirits? 💥 Edward observes that once distilled liquors became available on a large scale, the dangers of alcohol in the super potent form became greater because it can overwhelm our system. 🚫 Edward doesn’t think people should be allowed to drink distilled liquor until well into their 20s. 🔗 Want to listen to these answers or read the article? Go to the link above. 🍾 Do you feel more sociable after a glass of wine❓ Let me know in the comments 👇 #natdecants #EdwardSlingerland #wineexperience #winestories #winestory #winegeek #winelover #winemoments #winetime #wineenthusiast #wine #wines #sommlife #wineinfluencer