Unreserved Wine Talk

What can your first experiences with alcohol tell you about the relationship you'll have with it later in life? Are we fighting with our own biology when it comes to alcohol? Why is moderation impossible for some people?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Dr. Charles Knowles, author of Why We Drink Too Much: The New Science of Alcohol.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Giveaway
Three of you are going to win a copy of Charles Knowles' new book, Why We Drink Too Much: The New Science of Alcohol. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at [email protected] and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!
 
Highlights
How did Charles' initial attempt at a memoir expand to explore the science behind why we drink alcohol?
Why did Charles feel it was essential to present alcohol research without oversimplifying?
Why does he reject both anti-alcohol evangelism?
What can early experiences with alcohol reveal about future risk of developing a problematic relationship with it?
How does alcohol act as a social lubricant for some people?
What's the connection between human evolution and alcohol as the world's oldest and most widely used drug?
What was alcohol's role in early human societies?
What distinguishes alcohol dependence from gray area drinking?
Which aspects of drinking increase the risk of developing a problematic relationship with alcohol?
Why does the brain's reward system prioritize alcohol over other needs?
What is the default mode network, and why does alcohol's ability to quiet repetitive negative thinking make it so reinforcing?
 
About Charles Knowles
Charles Knowles is Professor of Surgery at Queen Mary University of London and a colorectal surgeon. He is author of the book "Why We Drink Too Much: The New Science of Alcohol" which was published by Macmillan in the UK, Commonwealth, US and Canada in January 2026. The book entwines his own journey with an understanding of the effects of alcohol in the body and brain, and how this informs rational approaches to stopping or moderating consumption.
 
 
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/389.

Why does buying from a good cheese shop often beat picking up a wedge from the supermarket? How do people underestimate the physical labor and other demands of being a cheesemonger? How does using a cheese iron reveal where a wheel of cheese is in its life?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Michael Finnerty, author of the terrific new book The Cheese Cure: How Comté and Camembert Fed My Soul.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Giveaway
Three of you are going to win a copy of Michael Finnerty's new book, The Cheese Cure: How Comté and Camembert Fed My Soul. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at [email protected] and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!
 
Highlights
Why do so many people underestimate the physical labor and other demands behind life as a cheesemonger?
How does using a cheese iron reveal where a wheel is in its life?
Why can two wheels of the same Comté taste noticeably different?
How do grading systems help protect cheese quality?
Why do locally made cheeses sometimes outperform famous imported cheeses?
What are the advantages of visiting a cheese shop over supermarkets and bulk retailers?
How do cheesemongers tell the difference between a cheese that is flawed and one that is stronger than their taste preferences?
What causes washed rind cheeses to develop those famously funky aromas?
What made the Hervé Mons 1924 Bleu so unforgettable that Michael describes it as a narcotic cheese?
Why should you always taste a cheese before buying it?
 
About Michael Finnerty
Michael Finnerty is a cheesemonger, journalist, and author based in both London, UK, and Montreal. After almost 30 years of success and acclaim working for the CBC, BBC, and The Guardian, he found joy and a new life selling cheese at London's iconic Borough Market. Mike has a weekly column on Pénélope on Radio-Canada, works part-time at Global Montreal, but for most of the year, you can find him slinging cheese with the other mongers. Critically acclaimed, The Cheese Cure is his first book.
 
 
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/388.

Why do some wine and cheese pairings taste better together than either one alone? Why do some wines collapse when paired with certain cheeses? What will surprise you about cheese that's similar to wine?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Michael Finnerty, author of the terrific new book The Cheese Cure: How Comté and Camembert Fed My Soul.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Giveaway
Three of you are going to win a copy of Michael Finnerty's new book, The Cheese Cure: How Comté and Camembert Fed My Soul. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at [email protected] and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!
 
Highlights
Why do some wine and cheese pairings taste better together than alone?
Why did a natural red wine collapse when paired with Camembert?
How do acidity and bubbles transform rich cheese?
How does cheese age differently from wine?
Why do tyrosine crystals in aged cheese create both crunch and pleasure?
Why can older cheeses develop surprising flavors like rum and raisin rather than simply becoming sharper or saltier?
How do cheese appellations work, and why are names like Roquefort or Parmigiano legally tied to place?
What is the difference between a cheesemonger and an affineur?
How did Michael Finnerty's midlife pivot from journalism to selling cheese begin?
Why did selling cheese feel more meaningful to Michael than covering wars, elections, and other major news events?
What makes Borough Market special beyond the food itself?
 
Key Takeaways
Why do some wine and cheese pairings taste better together than either one alone?
I had tasted a medium bodied wine with some nice minerality that also had some savoury notes and some citrusy notes. When you paired it up with the Ossau-Iraty, which is a higher fat cheese, the two of them paired together, one lifted the other. It was just that perfect example of how when you hit a pairing right, when you're spot on, the wine is improved and the cheese improved. Both are lifted.
Why do some wines collapse when paired with certain cheeses?
So we were tasting a red, it was bright and fruity. And then we had some Camembert. And Camembert is a big cheese and it's a hard cheese to pair. It's more pungent than Brie. For me, it has a real garlicky side to it. It's always going to depend on where it is on its little journey in life. which is much shorter, obviously, than a bottle of wine's. But when you get a Camembert that starts to get riper, it is going to have a quite a punch and quite a garlicky taste. With this natural red and Camembert, both started to taste not very nice to be honest.
What else do you think wine and cheese share that might surprise us?
First of all, if people didn't realize that cheeses have appellations as well, which are granted based on applications that are made to a central authority. That comes with what the French call a cahier des charges, so kind of a manual on how to make the cheese. The first one having been in 1925, now there's loads of appellations. And they're not just French cheeses. Of course, things like Parmigiano are appellations as are raclette in Switzerland. You'll get some cheeses that like, for instance, Brie. Those are going to be loads of Brie, but there's only one Brie de Meaux, which is the appellation.
 
About Michael Finnerty
Michael Finnerty is a cheesemonger, journalist, and author based in both London, UK, and Montreal. After almost 30 years of success and acclaim working for the CBC, BBC, and The Guardian, he found joy and a new life selling cheese at London's iconic Borough Market. Mike has a weekly column on Pénélope on Radio-Canada, works part-time at Global Montreal, but for most of the year, you can find him slinging cheese with the other mongers. Critically acclaimed, The Cheese Cure is his first book.
 
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/387.

How did a world memory champion, a theatre director, a voice coach, a TV actor, and a professional magician all help one person win the World's Best Sommelier Competition? How do top performers use nerves and adrenaline to their advantage? What do high achievers do when they accomplish the dreams they've been chasing for years?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Nina and Romané Basset, who have just published a commemorative edition of the book Tasting Victory: The Life and Wine of the World's Favourite Sommelier by Gerard Basset.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Giveaway
Two of you are going to win a copy of Nina and Romané Basset's commemorative edition of Tasting Victory: The Life and Wines of the World's Favorite Sommelier by Gerard Basset.  To qualify, all you have to do is email me at [email protected] and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose two people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!
 
Highlights
Why are narrative associations and humor often more powerful than rote memorization?
What did a brutally honest voice coach help Gérard change about the way he communicated?
Why did Gérard's near-perfect performance in Athens unravel?
What was the hardest part of the Master of Wine journey for Gérard?
How did studying The Economist help Gérard learn to think and argue in the style the Master of Wine exam demanded?
What happened when Gérard achieved the last great title that had driven him for years?
How did Gérard evolve when old methods were no longer enough?
Why did writing his memoir become so important to Gérard?
Why was a commemorative edition of Tasting Victory necessary?
 
About Nina and Romané Basset
Nina and Romané Basset are Co-Founding Trustees of the Gérard Basset Foundation, the Charity set up to fund education, mentorship and training in the wine, spirits and hospitality industries to honour the legacy of Gérard Basset.
 
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/386.

How did Gérard Basset discover wine and then go on to become the World's Best Sommelier? What does truly exceptional hospitality look like in practice? How did a man with no fine dining background develop such a deep understanding of what excellence looked and felt like?
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Nina and Romané Basset, who have just published a commemorative edition of the book Tasting Victory: The Life and Wine of the World's Favourite Sommelier by Gerard Basset.
You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.
 
Giveaway
Two of you are going to win a copy of Nina and Romané Basset's commemorative edition of Tasting Victory: The Life and Wines of the World's Favorite Sommelier by Gerard Basset.  To qualify, all you have to do is email me at [email protected] and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose two people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!
 
Highlights
What makes Tasting Victory different, and why does Gérard Basset's story resonate far beyond wine?
How did Gérard use competitions and certifications to transform himself?
What did working in a specialized bookshop unexpectedly teach Gérard about human behavior and the psychology of service?
How deeply was wine woven into family life in the Basset household?
How does Romane see Gérard's legacy as a gift?
How did writing a chapter help Romane process grief and rediscover his father?
How did the King's College Wine Society teach Romane that serious wine education can still be inclusive?
Why was standing on stage in Chile for Gérard's seventh attempt victory as World's Best Sommelier such a defining family moment?
How did Gérard's childhood shape his lifelong approach to relationships?
What does exceptional hospitality look like in practice?
How did Gérard mentor young team members?
What changed for Gérard once wine gave direction to his ambition?
 
About Nina and Romané Basset
Nina and Romané Basset are Co-Founding Trustees of the Gérard Basset Foundation, the Charity set up to fund education, mentorship and training in the wine, spirits and hospitality industries to honour the legacy of Gérard Basset.
 
 
 
To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/385.