photo – Karen Anderson
Fine wine delivers a small bouquet of joy.
Especially when that wine is paired with great food. Knowing which wine to pair with what food is the work of sommeliers.
Writing about a sommelier challenge that involved three incredibly talented sommeliers, three wine expert judges, two savoury dishes from one of my favourite chefs in town and 12 incredible wines can only be described as a plum assignment with spicy notes and an incredible finish.
I hope you’ll enjoy this very fun article about City Palate magazine’s annual Iron Sommelier Challenge. I sure enjoyed writing it. It was fun to capture the very playful scene it became and to learn from the experts. If you’d like a sneak peak into what went on in the background of this article please read on…
I hope these backgrounder photos show the joy our guests had in the food and wine available in Calgary. We’re a city loaded with fabulous wine stores and restaurants.
I learned a lot covering this assignment.
I admire the encyclopedic knowledge of the wine gurus I got to work with. They’ve inspired me to pay more attention to the wines I drink. I’m realizing there’s a fascinating story in each bottle.
I’d like to understand who the people are that take the time and care to make the wine I drink. I’d like to understand in greater depth what different grapes taste like when they are grown in different regions and in different years? I’ve learned to slowly savour each precious drop and to think about how wines change from the front to back of my palate. Most importantly for me – I’m always thinking about what foods each wine will taste best with.
These are fun questions in life. Wine is the answer. This is one answer that will surely bring a little joy while helping us savour it all.
