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
Why did I resist scoring wines for the first three years I wrote about them? How do you go from submitting an article to a local publication to publishing your first book? Why aren't press trips to wine regions all they're cracked up to be?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm being interviewed by Vanessa Conlin on the Wine Access Author Series.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nata...
What's it like to explore Paris by visiting different wine bars? How do you know which company to choose for guided tours? What do you need to know before buying wine from a wine list, whether you’re at a restaurant or a wine bar?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Tanisha Townsend, Chief Wine Officer of lifestyle agency Girl Meets Glass.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www...
What's it like to uproot your life in North America and move to Paris? What’s the connection between forensic science and wine? What influence has hip-hop music had on wine culture?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Tanisha Townsend, Chief Wine Officer of lifestyle agency Girl Meets Glass.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
Highlights
Is mi...
What would it be like to visit the most gorgeous wine regions around the world, and get paid to do it? How does the fast-paced schedule of a wine and travel writer impact physical and mental health? How can you pair sweet desserts with wine? What specific impact does sweetness in food have on wines?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with New York wine and spirits journalist, Céline Bossart.
Are you curious what it would be like to have lavish dinners and wine tastings with rockstars like Jon Bon Jovi and Fergie? How does music impact your perception of wine?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with New York wine and spirits journalist, Céline Bossart.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
Highlights
Why was Céline at an impromptu wine dinne...
What’s my advice for those considering a wine career? How did my biggest career regret happen before I became a wine writer? How has my father’s alcoholism influenced my relationship with wine? How has the pandemic impacted online wine classes? Can you pair ketchup chips with wine?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm sharing my interview on the Wine Blast podcast with Susie Barrie & Peter Richards.
Which weird food and wine pairings should you add to your must-try list? What makes wines from Oregon and California’s Sierra Foothills special? How can you make sure to do well at a wine auction?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Scott Greenberg, host of both “The Vine Guy” podcast and the “Wine of the Week” show on WTOP radio in Washington, DC.
You can find the wines we discussed at https:...
What's it like tasting wines with the legendary wine critic Robert Parker? How does food take wine to the next level? What's it like to have dinner with celebrities of the wine world?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with wine journalist and host of the Vine Guy Podcast, Scott Greenberg.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
Highlights
How did...
Is food and wine pairing the ultimate goal of every dining experience? Is it okay to tell sommeliers if you don’t like the wine they recommended? What’s it like serving famous captains of industry like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Seattle-based wine writer, educator and sommelier, Zach Geballe.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean....
What was it like being a sommelier at one of Seattle’s most prestigious restaurants as the pandemic started to unfold? How have restaurants and wine lists changed to re-emerge in a post-pandemic world? How are sommeliers pivoting in the wake of the pandemic?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Zach Geballe, co-host and producer of the VinePair podcast as well as the founder of Disgorged Wine.
Are wines that cost hundreds of dollars per bottle ever worth the price? Does deepening your understanding of wine increase your enjoyment of wine? Who were the young widows who built the famous Champagne houses into top luxury brands? How can you use the butter/lemon test to help with food and wine pairing?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm sharing part two of my interview on the All About Wine podcast w...
What is it about wine that makes it part of many TV shows and movies? How does approaching wine through food make it so much more accessible? What adventures did I go on as a part of writing my books? Why are origin stories so important when it comes to wine? What’s one rule of thumb you can use to find great value wines that taste expensive?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm sharing my interview on the A...
What makes someone a wine influencer? Why is there so much uproar in the wine industry about celebrity wines and influencers? How did heavy drinking become such an entrenched part of the wine industry? Do you sometimes feel you drink too much wine?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Devin Parr, Founder and Managing Partner of Devin Parr & Associates.
How did Cameron Diaz’s new clean wine brand cause an uproar in the wine world? Where does wine fit into the wellness world? Which low alcohol and alcohol-free wines are worth trying? Should wine labels have ingredient lists?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Devin Parr, Founder and Managing Partner of Devin Parr & Associates.
You can find the wines we discussed at www.nataliemaclean.com/...
Have wine scores gotten out of control, with higher numbers across the board? Are we oversimplifying wine when we talk and write about it? Is it possible to determine your wine taste by taking an online quiz that asks you about coffee, tea and other things you consume? And should you trust the algorithm that recommends wine to you based on your quiz results?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with...
Which wine regions, grapes and styles are under-valued and worth trying? Should you be skeptical about celebrity-endorsed wines? How do you choose a good wine club? What simple strategy can you use to improve your tasting vocabulary?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Paul K, host of the podcast Wine Talks with Paul K.
You can find the wines we discussed at www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
...
Only one president made his own wine and it wasn’t Thomas Jefferson. So who was it? How did Jackie Kennedy Onassis’ love of France shape White House menus? Which famous California winemaker attended a White House celebration and as a result had a falling out with his brother and started his own winery? What would surprise you about what’s in the White House wine cellar?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm c...
Are you curious about how wine has played an essential role in politics? How did a bottle with Thomas Jefferson's initials become the center of a wine scandal in 1985? What does pulling a Nixon mean? Which wine connected John F. Kennedy and James Bond?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Fred Ryan, publisher and CEO of the Washington Post and author of Wine and The White House.
Where do the worlds of wine and high tech collide? Why has the wine industry been so slow to embrace digital offerings? Should you join an online wine class? Are online wine events here to stay in a post-pandemic world?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm sharing my interview on VinePair Podcast with Zach Geballe.
You can find the wines we discussed at www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
Highlights
When did...
Are trends like orange wine and natural wine here to stay? What are the benefits of joining a wine club? How do you get out of a wine rut? Have consumer wine choices changed during the pandemic?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Amanda McCrossin & Vanessa Conlin of the Wine Access Unfiltered Podcast for part 2 of our two-part conversation.
You can find the wines we discussed at www.natal...
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