153: Restaurant Wine Lists, Poutine, Niagara & Pairing Tips

What are my top tips for choosing a bottle from a long restaurant wine list? What are the best wines to pair with extremely rich dishes like poutine? What would surprise you about the Niagara-on-the-Lake wine region and why should you visit? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Scott Greenberg, on his podcast, The Vine Guy. He also hosts the “Wine of the Week” show on WTOP radio in Washington, DC. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.   Highlights How have I incorporated my love of tech into my wine career? What are the advantages to you of learning about food and wine online? What will you learn in my online food and wine pairing classes? How has the pandemic impacted my food and wine pairing classes? How can you use my butter or lemon trick for each food and wine pairing? Why is food and wine pairing something you should pay attention to? How can you comfortably navigate intimidating restaurant wine lists? What’s the weirdest food and wine pairing I’ve ever had? Which wines should you try the next time you’re looking for a poutine pairing? How do the tasting experiences with La Crema Pinot Noir and Hidden Valley Pinot Noir compare? Why should you make a plan to visit Niagara-on-the-Lake? Why is the Veuve Clicquot at the top of my list of people across time that I’d like to share a bottle with?   About Scott Greenberg Scott Greenberg, also known as “The Vine Guy”, is the host of the “Wine of the Week” show on WTOP radio in Washington, DC and the Vine Guy Podcast. Scott started his career in wine journalism as the syndicated wine columnist for the Washington Journal Newspaper and continues to contribute to Tasting Panel Magazine. He’s also hosted numerous wine tastings, judged wine competitions and has taught a course on North American Wineries for the Smithsonian Associates program in Washington. Scott is To Kalon Vineyard Specialist and Italian Wine Scholar. He recently relocated from Maryland to Park City, Utah, where he lives with his wife, Cindy, and a rescue dog named Frankie.     To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/153.

Om Podcasten

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.