On International Women’s Day, my wife and I were talking about wines and spirits made by women. That conversation turned to the women shaping Ottawa’s beverage culture. I wish to place three on your radar.
Marie-France Champagne is coordinator of the sommelier and bartending programs at Algonquin College, wine director at in-demand restaurants Coconut Lagoon and Thali, and founder of Champagne & Wines, a consultancy and events business. For more than a decade, she has been shaping Ottawa’s beverage scene by training the people who blow our minds with extraordinary service and amazing beverage lists. Passionate about all things wine, Marie-France shares secrets for finding a delicious bottle through her courses, local media, and on social platforms.
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Yvonne Langen aims to take the intimidation factor out of cocktails and to help people to approach their home bar with more confidence. I’d say mission accomplished. Whether it is on social media, as host of “Corktales” on Gusto TV, during interviews on local radio stations, or in columns in print publications, Yvonne shares wisdom, wit, and the delicious cocktail recipes that she creates (full strength as well as alcohol free). She’ll make you a better beverage maker. That’s no lie.
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Natalie MacLean is a best-selling author, online wine and food course instructor, wine expert on CTV’s “The Social” and City-TV’s “Breakfast Television”, and recipient of the 2024 Canadian Wine Industry Champion Award. Among the reasons to know Natalie is that she makes it super easy to find delicious wines (and no alcohol free wines) that we can purchase in the Ottawa area. She does this by reviewing wines every month and publishing her reviews on her website. But the website is just the beginning. With her app, you can scan a bottle’s front label or its barcode to access her reviews. When you find a gem while dining out, you can use the app to learn which stores have the wine in stock so you can buy some there later to share with friends. What’s more, every week on her podcast “Unreserved Wine Talk” (it has over 2 million listens), Natalie tells stories about the wine regions we enjoy by interviewing growers, makers, writers and more. Natalie helps you find a wine that your taste buds will love.
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Marie-France, Yvonne, and Natalie. Three of Ottawa’s best.
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