Social Sips

by Nicole MacKay, Wine Writer & Consultant

Search
  • Home
    • Wine
    • Vine
    • Dine
  • Cellar Management
  • Writing Portfolio
  • About
    • Policies
  • Home
    • Wine
    • Vine
    • Dine
  • Cellar Management
  • Writing Portfolio
  • About
    • Policies
Link 1
Wine
Link 2
Vine
Link 3
Dine
  • Wine

    Get Organized With the Social Sips 2021 Drinks Calendar

    2021 drinks calendar

    There’s a day for everything. Have you heard of Talk Like Yoda Day (May 21) or Chicken Wing Day (July 29)? Of the 365 days in a year, it’s tough to find a day that doesn’t celebrate something. That includes wine, beer and spirits! It’s why I’ve put together the 2021 Drinks Calendar. Bookmark this link because it’s going to come in handy on several occasions. This calendar is your fail-safe guide to knowing what bottles to have on hand for which holiday. To cover all our basis, I’ve included national holidays which are American holidays (of course Canada can…

    Continue Reading
    Nicole MacKay 0 Comments
  • Sponsored Post,  Wine

    Holiday Wine Guide 2020: Pop These Sparkling Wines For New Year’s Eve

    Opening a bottle of sparkling wine can seem like quite a commitment, especially in 2020. This year, most celebrations are relegated to less than a handful of people. If you pop a cork, you’ve pretty much pledged to finish that…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • Dine,  Sponsored Post,  Wine

    Holiday Wine Guide 2020: Tempting Wines For Your Holiday Meal

    For reasons beyond our control, Canadians are being forced to throw their holiday entertaining schedule out the window. An evening with girlfriends, a neighbourhood open house, an office Christmas party – it’s all cancelled! Some may sigh in relief while…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • best wines to give
    Sponsored Post,  Wine

    Holiday Wine Guide 2020: The Best Wines to Gift

    Wine is paradoxically one of the easiest and most difficult things to give as a gift. It can be a thoughtless, grab-and-go, hand-it-over absentmindedly in a wine bag kind of present. Or it can be an impactful buying decision, with…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • become a champagne expert
    Sponsored Post,  Wine

    How To Become a Champagne Expert

    If you went into a wine shop today, could you confidently pick out a bottle of Champagne to buy? I ask whether it’s with confidence because for the amount of money a single bottle costs, shouldn’t you know what grapes…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • Sponsored Post,  Wine

    Holiday Wine Guide 2020: 4 Special Wines Under $25

    It’s hard to buy anything of a certain quality these days for less than $25, let alone a wine that makes its way from another part of the world. Depending on where you live, a bottle travels through several hands…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • Sponsored Post,  Wine

    Holiday Wine Guide 2020: How To Set Yourself Up For Success

    Are you someone that preps for the holiday season weeks in advance? Or do you a fly by the seat of your pants and hope to have an ounce of sanity left by December 24th? I’m somewhere in between the…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • Wine

    Best BC Wines Of 2020: 10 Outstanding Bottles That Stand Out From The Crowd

    Despite all the bad things that came at the world this year, some of us have been lucky enough to experience silver linings. Never in our lives will we get to spend this much quality time with our children. We’ve…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • Vine,  Wine

    How Love Led Us To Road 13 Chenin Blanc

    Road 13 Chenin Blanc is one in a million. Scratch that, it’s actually three in a million. Road 13 Chenin Blanc, made from grapes grown on vines that are more than half a century old, is vinified three different ways.…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • confusing wine terms
    Wine

    10 Of The Most Confusing Wine Terms Explained

    Reading about wine or attending a wine tasting can sometimes feel like visiting a foreign country, grappling to understand a different language. I try to avoid too much ostentatious wine speak on my blog. My goal isn’t to show off…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • wine to pair with quesava
    Dine,  Sponsored Post,  Wine

    It’s Quesava Time! Wines To Pair With Naturally Gluten-Free Poppers

    I’m no stranger to food restrictions. I’ve been gluten-free for a decade and mostly planted-based for nearly two years. Those food paths have inadvertently made me a more curious and adventurous foodie. While I love a good session in the…

    By Nicole MacKay
 Older Posts

ABOUT Nicole Mackay

Nicole is a Wine Writer, Consultant and Marketing Specialists who holds her Level 3 Certification from the Wine & Spirit Educational Trust.

Sign up for our newsletter and receive a free 2021 Drinks Calendar

Not Sure if our newsletter is for you? Read some of our recent send outs:

Jan 6/2021 – 2021 Drinks Calendar
Dec 30/2020 – NYE Sparkling Wine Guide
Dec 23/2020 – Wines for Your Xmas Meal
Dec 16/2020 – The Best Wines to Gift
Dec 9/2020 – 4 Special Wines Under $25
Dec 2/2020 – Set Yourself Up For Success

Recent Posts

  • Get Organized With the Social Sips 2021 Drinks Calendar
  • Holiday Wine Guide 2020: Pop These Sparkling Wines For New Year’s Eve
  • Holiday Wine Guide 2020: Tempting Wines For Your Holiday Meal
  • Holiday Wine Guide 2020: The Best Wines to Gift
  • How To Become a Champagne Expert

Categories

—

The Latest on Instagram

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

socialsips

Nicole MacKay 🍷 wine writer
🥂 Pol Roger Brut Réserve Champagne 🥂 It's 🥂 Pol Roger Brut Réserve Champagne 🥂 

It's been a crazy year, let's celebrate the possibilities of 2021 with the Social Sips Sparkling Wine Guide! @pol_roger Non-Vintage Brut is equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. This house style stays in the cellars, resting on its lees, for four years before its distinct character is ready to be shared with the public.Visit SocialSips.ca (link in profile) for this week’s guide: ✨ Sparkling Wines for New Year’s Eve ✨

Reasons To Pop A Bottle: Let’s cheers to 2020 being over and celebrate the possibilities ahead of us. This Champagne is an elegant and authentic way to bring in the new year and should definitely be on the menu of sparkling wines for New Year’s Eve.
🥂 Freixenet Prosecco DOC 🥂 It's been a cra 🥂 Freixenet Prosecco DOC 🥂 

It's been a crazy year, let's celebrate the possibilities of 2021 with the Social Sips Sparkling Wine Guide! @freixenetca Prosecco is vibrant and fresh. The aromas dance with flowers and citrus with crisp apple and mouth-filling juicy peach flavours on the palate. Visit SocialSips.ca (link in profile) for this week’s guide: ✨ Sparkling Wines for New Year’s Eve ✨

Reasons To Pop A Bottle: Freixenet has been perfecting its sparkling wine for more than 150 years. This DOC Prosecco is an easy-drinking, sparkling sensation perfect with or without food.
This picture is going to mess with my feed estheti This picture is going to mess with my feed esthetic so badly 🤦‍♀️

BUT - I think it’s important during these last few days of 2020 to acknowledge how far we’ve come. Not only in facing the challenges of this year, but in our own journeys through life. 

This is a picture of me during winery orientation at my first job in the industry: tasting bar host at @quailsgate circa summer 2004. 

With optimism, we’re about to enter 2021. Our journeys will continue in spite of COVID - and it’ll be amazing 🤩 Think big, you never know where it’ll take you.
I wouldn’t recommend this with your favourite 💰expensive💰 bottle, but anything less than $30 is worth experimenting with and mixing at least one glass as a cocktail. 🍸 

I’m turning to VinePair.com’s extensive recipe library for The Wintry Night cocktail:

- 4 ounces extra brut sparkling rosé
- ½ ounce sweet vermouth
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon simple syrup (simmer 4 cinnamon sticks with 2 cups water. Stir in 1.5 cups of sugar until dissolved then let cool)
- Splash of blood orange bitters
- Orange peel for garnish

Cheers!
🥂 Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava 🥂 It's 🥂 Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava 🥂 

It's been a crazy year, let's celebrate the possibilities of 2021 with the Social Sips Sparkling Wine Guide! @freixenet Cava is made from native varieties (35% Macabeo, 40% Parellada and 25% Xarel·lo) and in the traditional method - which means it’s got some of the same autolytic characters that you’d find in Champagne. Visit SocialSips.ca (link in profile) for this week’s guide: ✨ Sparkling Wines for New Year’s Eve ✨

Reasons To Pop A Bottle: Cheers to (hopeful) travel in 2021 as you sip and envision where this wine is from, the rolling hills of Penedès, just southwest of Barcelona. Pair with Manchego cheese and olives for an authentic Spanish experience
🥂 Fresita Sparkling Wine With Strawberries 🥂 🥂 Fresita Sparkling Wine With Strawberries 🥂 

It's been a crazy year, let's celebrate the possibilities of 2021 with the Social Sips Sparkling Wine Guide! Fresita is a balanced combination of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscatel with only 8 percent alcohol. Bold and bright aromas with light and refreshing flavors. Mouth-filling and lengthy finish. Visit SocialSips.ca (link in profile) for this week’s guide: ✨ Sparkling Wines for New Year’s Eve ✨

Reasons To Pop A Bottle: Perfect for starting your New Year’s Eve early and sipping on while cooking dinner. Also great for sangria by adding a handful of frozen cranberries or blackberries to your glass.
LOAD MORE...
Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Email
© 2021 Social Sips | Bard Theme by WP Royal.
Back to top