Unreserved Wine Talk
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.
Episodes
What makes Vin Jaune from France's Jura region so special? What can you discover about the diversity of wine coming out of Jura and the French Alps? What are some insider tips for planning a journey to the French Alps?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with author Wink Lorch.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks
Giveaway
One of you will win a copy of Wink ...
What is it about wines from the French Alps and Jura that makes them so different from any other wine region in the world? How has climate change impacted wines in the region? How did their perception as “ski resort wines” negatively impact Jura and Savoie wineries?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with author Wink Lorch.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepick...
Why are Beaujolais wines so versatile when it comes to food pairing? How are younger producers bringing renewed optimism to Beaujolais? What is indigenous fermentation, and how does it contribute to the complexity of Beaujolais wines?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Master of Wine and author, Natasha Hughes.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks
Give...
What’s behind the surprising complexity and variety of Beaujolais wines? How has Beaujolais Nouveau distorted the public perception of Beaujolais? What makes Beaujolais such a good value wine?
In this Unreserved Wine Talk podcast episode, I'm chatting with Master of Wine and author, Natasha Hughes.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks
Giveaway
One of you will win a copy of a terrific, ne...
Why don’t I think that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace human writers any time soon? What are some tips you can use for maintaining a healthy relationship with wine? What are some of the challenges women in the wine industry still face?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Ellen Clifford on The Wine Situation podcast.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean...
Which wineries are leading the way with vegan wines? How are some restaurants expanding into innovative vegan or vegetarian menus? What makes Riesling so versatile, especially with vegan dishes?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Jennifer Huether and Priya Rao, authors of The Social Herbivore: Perfect Pairings For Plant-Based Cuisine.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemacl...
Are vegan wines better for our health? What three aspects of a wine determine whether it’s vegan or not? How can you identify whether or not a wine is vegan by looking at the label?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Jennifer Huether and Priya Rao, authors of The Social Herbivore: Perfect Pairings For Plant-Based Cuisine.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winep...
How did the French region of Burgundy come to the world’s attention as a wine region in the first place? What’s the golden rule for buying Burgundy, especially Pinot Noir? What’s behind the sometimes eye-watering stratospheric prices of Burgundian wines?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with one of Ireland’s leading wine writers, Raymond Blake.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nata...
Why is Pinot Noir considered the holy grail of wine? What makes the French region Burgundy so complicated, and how can we untangle it? What would surprise and delight you about how both the wine and the region have changed in the past five years?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with one of Ireland’s leading wine writers, Raymond Blake.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemacle...
How do you choose the best wine pairings for dessert? When should you summon the sommelier? How can you improve your smell vocabulary and learn to distinguish between different aromas?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Scott Sexsmith of Up Close & Personal and Matt Cundill on You May Also Like.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks
Highlights
Is...
Why do the wines change when you’re pairing them with kale versus other greens? Why should you avoid storing wine in the fridge? What’s the best question you can ask a sommelier in a restaurant?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Vanessa Price, the author of Big Macs and Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World and the wine expert for The TODAY Show.
You can find the wines we discussed at https...
Have you ever wondered which wine pairs best with your favourite guilty pleasure snack? Why are Cheetos and Twinkies great for learning about food and wine pairing? How can everyday foods encourage you to try wines you may have otherwise avoided?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Vanessa Price, the author of Big Macs and Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World and the wine expert for The TODA...
When it comes to wine, what do descriptors like the musty attic, rotten eggs and Band-Aids mean? How does a wine's packaging make it more susceptible to faults? Are there ways you can fix a faulted wine at home rather than throwing out the bottle or returning it?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Keith Grainger, author of Wine Faults & Flaws: A Practical Guide.
How can you tell when a wine is mildly corked versus you just don’t like it? Which main types of wine faults and how can you identify them? Why are inexpensive wines actually less prone to faults?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Keith Grainger, author of Wine Faults and Flaws: A Practical Guide, which won the coveted 2022 Prix de l’OIV.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.natali...
What does a healthy relationship with wine look like? Which tricks can you use to lower the alcohol content of your wine? How have my thoughts on overdrinking changed over the years and over three books?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by author Molly Watts of the Alcohol Minimalist Podcast.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks
Highlights
How ha...
Which types of global dishes can you pair with South American wines? What’s one of the best but little-known Chilean wine regions you need to try? Which types of wine do they make in other South American countries, such as Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Amanda Barnes, author of The South America Wine Guide.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www....
How did the South American wine industry develop? What might surprise you about the variety of wines produced in South America? How has Argentina's flagship red wine, Malbec, changed over the past five years?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Amanda Barnes, author of The South America Wine Guide.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks
Giveaway
One of yo...
What’s the difference between tasting wine and beer when you want to identify specific aromas and flavours? What are some of the similarities and differences between a Cicerone or beer sommelier and a wine sommelier? How do retronasal aromas give you a different, deeper sense of the aromas of both beer and wine?
In this Unreserved Wine Talk podcast episode, I'm chatting with author Mandy Naglich.
You love to eat, but do you know how to taste? What is a bliss point when it comes to food or tasting? What makes our most memorable meals and wines delicious? How can you make sure to bring home the best experiences from a wine trip?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with author Mandy Naglich who has just published How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life.
How did I come up with the wine pairings mentioned throughout Wine Witch on Fire? Why is wine marketed so differently to men versus women? What can you do to support your mental health in an era where you have to be online?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Marcy Gordon and Beth Costa on the Wine Road Podcast and Jeff Sammut on Canada Now.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://ww...
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