Are you familiar with orange wine? For those who are curious or may not have tried it yet, here’s some general winemaking information followed by a review of Dominio de Punctum Pomelado Orange Wine 2018. Orange wine, sometimes referred to as amber wine, is not made from oranges as some may assume. The name reflects… Read More Curious About Orange Wine? An Overview of How it’s Made and Tasting Notes
By: Melanie Lloyd On a cloudy Thanksgiving weekend, I went for an impromptu food and wine shopping spree in the west end of Ottawa and in Carp. My first stop was at Around the Block Butcher Shop, about 4 blocks away from IKEA. From the selection of meat provided in this family owned store, you… Read More West-End Gourmet Shopping Spree with a Stop at KIN Vineyards
By: Melanie Lloyd A little over a week ago, I attended Taste Ontario, an event reserved for the media and hospitality industry. It featured over 30 different VQA wineries. All of my reviews including the ones below can be found on nataliemaclean.com. I’m focussing this blog on wine from the Niagara region as I plan… Read More My Top Niagara Wines at Taste Ontario
By: Melanie Lloyd For well over a decade, Jacobsons Gourmet Concept has been my favourite specialty food shop in Ottawa. Located in New Edinburgh, this store offers lots of charm and brightness. It has friendly and knowledgeable staff and offers a great selection of delectable goodies and delicacies, not to forget their outstanding cheese bar. Their… Read More Jacobsons: Bringing Friends Back to the Table
By: Melanie Lloyd I love sparkling wine and I’m very excited to write about this subject. With the holidays around the corner and with so many different types of sparkling wine, I’ve decided to focus this blog on Champagne, the king of bubbly. Here is some information about Champagne and its various styles. PROFILE: Medium… Read More Champagne: A Guide Through This Iconic Bubbly
By: Melanie Lloyd A week and a half ago, I attended Outstanding in Their Fields, the Taste and Buy event hosted by Savvy Wine Company at Ottawa City Hall. It was an opportunity to sample Ontario wine while chatting with winemakers from across the province. Ottawa City Hall offered a perfect venue for this event. There was… Read More Exploring Ontario Wine through Savvy Wine Company
*Update regarding the following post: Aug 12, 2019: The Minister of Government and Consumer Services has approved the addition of Marquette to the list of VQA eligible grape varieties. Original post below dated November 8, 2018: By: Melanie Lloyd Never heard of Marquette? You are not the only one. This young grape variety may not… Read More Marquette 101: Discovering this Cold-Hardy Grape
By: Melanie Lloyd As the weather drops, nothing sooths the soul like comfort food and a yummy glass of wine. Here are my recommendations on wine to pair with some of my favourite comfort meals. MAC AND CHEESE Give me ooey gooey macaroni and cheese on a crisp day. Mine includes old Cheddar, Mozzarella, and… Read More What Wine to Drink With Comfort Food!
By Melanie Lloyd I recently had the opportunity to interview Jan-Daniel Etter of Vignoble Clos du Vully located in Navan. Jan-Daniel is passionate about winemaking, full of life, and articulate. As I was interviewing him, I couldn’t help but think what a wonderful guest he would make on any television or radio show. Listening to… Read More Interview with Jan-Daniel Etter of Clos du Vully
By Melanie Lloyd Over the past few months, I had the opportunity to sample wine from the Ottawa-Gatineau area through a couple of tastings and a wine expo. This blog will focus on red wine and is simply a starting point to the many wines from the area. A special shout out goes to Donna… Read More Red Wine from Ottawa-Gatineau: Embracing the Uniqueness