Unreserved Wine Talk

In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Christine Sismondo, writer, teacher and barfly who, when not teaching literature at York University, is tracking down the city’s best drinks and the bars in which they’re served for her columns. She also writes wine and cocktail articles for the Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper. Enjoy!

• Why shouldn’t you lump Cava, Prosecco and Champagne together?
• Why did Lambrusco have a bad reputation in the 70s and 80s?
• What is the Charmat Method for producing sparkling wine?
• How did Lambrusco become popular in North America?
• Can you expect to find Italian sparkling wine at the LCBO?
• What foods can you pair with Lambrusco and Franciacorta?
• What has caused Sherry’s recent comeback?
• How is Pisco different from other spirits?

Christine Sismondo is a professor of English literature at York University and she writes about wine and spirits for the Globe & Mail, Canada’s largest national newspaper. She’s also written regularly for the Toronto Star, the Report on Business Magazine and The Grid, and has won a National Magazine Award for her work.

She’s the author of Mondo Cocktail: A Shaken and Stirred History and wrote a six-part podcast series on Prohibition for Wondery’s American History Tellers based on the book. Her most recent book is America Walks Into a Bar: A Spirited History of Taverns and Saloons, Speakeasies and Grog Shops published by Oxford University Press.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the https://www.nataliemaclean.com/53.