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by Nicole MacKay, Wine Writer & Consultant

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  • Home
    • Wine
    • Vine
    • Dine
  • Cellar Management
  • Writing Portfolio
  • About
    • Samples & Ratings Policies
  • 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 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
  • Sponsored Post,  Wine

    The Newest Rewards Club for Wine Lovers

    To say that our world flipped upside down these past few months is a pretty big understatement. The wine industry felt its pains. But in some regards, it was able to pivot quickly and focus on accessible options for wine…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • Vina Echeverria Cool Climate Sauvignon Blanc
    Sponsored Post,  Wine

    What Vinã Echeverria Can Teach Us About Cool Climate Winemaking

    Here’s the truth, I have a terrible memory when it comes to academia. I really have to work hard at remembering facts and figures. I’m very much a visual learner which is why maps are my friends.  So when I…

    By Nicole MacKay
  • Thorn Clarke Terra Barossa Shiraz
    Sponsored Post,  Wine

    The King of Barossa – Thorn-Clarke Shiraz!

    It seems a lot of the major wine regions begin with the letter B: Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Brunello and Barolo. I’ve got another one to add to the list: Barossa. Today, we’re talking about Thorn-Clarke Shiraz from Barossa. Is that in France?…

    By Nicole MacKay
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ABOUT Nicole Mackay

Nicole is a Wine Writer, Consultant and Marketing Specialists. She’s a Spanish Wine Scholar and holds her Level 3 Certification from the Wine & Spirit Educational Trust.

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Feb 17/2021 – We’re Back
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

Recent Posts

  • Social Sips Ultimate Guide to BC Wine: 2021 Spring Releases
  • 20 Adorable Winery Dogs Who Shake-a-Paw at BC Vineyards
  • 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

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Nicole MacKay
Cali grapes 🍇 vinified in beautiful British Col Cali grapes 🍇 vinified in beautiful British Columbia. Such a cool business model! 

I have a hard time with the 16.5% ABV. It doesn’t translate on the palate, thankfully. But that’s too high for me 🤪.
An easy-drinking midweek Spanish sip to celebrate An easy-drinking midweek Spanish sip to celebrate passing my Spanish Wine Scholar exam. 

A blend of 3 international varieties (Syrah, Tempranillo & Merlot), hailing from DO Montsant.
One of the best traditional method sparkling wines One of the best traditional method sparkling wines from the Okanagan. 

61% Chardonnay
39% Pinot Noir

100% estate grown grapes from Greata Ranch.
It doesn’t look like much but this creamy caulif It doesn’t look like much but this creamy cauliflower soup 🥣 is beyond easy and superbly delicious. 

Step by step recipe (from @saltandthespices) is in my stories. 

Wine pairing suggestions: a dry, fuller white such as unoaked Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, or perhaps a Gruner if you’re feeling adventurous 😜
I’m diggin’ BC Viognier lately. This one fro I’m diggin’ BC Viognier lately. 

This one from @road13vineyards, made from grapes grown in the Similkameen Valley, is *chefs kiss*.
What’s your study 📚 beverage of choice? Min What’s your study 📚 beverage of choice? 

Mine is tea 🫖 and I’ve been drinking copious amounts lately in preparation for my SWS exam this week. 😬 

Tea makes me calm and when I drink it out of my ❤️ Valentine’s ❤️ mug, it’s like nothing can go wrong. Even though I’m very aware that a lot of things can go wrong 😑. 

And full disclosure, this mug is almost the size of my head and can hold 750ml (that’s an entire bottle of wine). I know because I measured. So do what you want with that information 😉
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