I wanted to start a new segment on the blog which delves a little further into this whole secret land of mystery that is food and wine pairing.  We will look at classic pairings and why they work, we will examine regional food/wine pairings, and try to discover our own great pairings.  Stay tuned here for the first edition of Food and Wine 101 – Goat Cheese and Sauvignon Blanc.

“A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” - Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, ‘The Physiology of Taste’ (1825)

Let’s face it, the province I adore with all my heart isn’t world renowned for its progressive thinking.  I have seen states in the southern US that were more forward-focused.  Remember when we were the last to the party on something as simple as allowing Sunday shopping? A feature that wasn’t even thought about in other parts of the world, they just did it because it was what you did.

Yes, I know, our aging population is definitely a big part of why we sometimes act like we are stuck in the dark ages, but every so often, someone says “Hey, let’s be the first ones to get this right, and have others follow us for a change”.  This is the case today.

The government took a stance, and chose to support our budding industry and farmers, and to give their residents better access to Canadian wine.  They decided to downplay the claims by their provincial liquor board monopoly who stated that the loss of tax revenue due to this would hurt them financially.  They simply put, made the right decision that now has the rest of the country in envy of Nova Scotia.  Who would have thought?  Even Ontario, home to the most vines in Canada, cannot yet do what we will be able to due to their provincial liquor board putting their foot down.

All in all, this is a great step, but the work is far from over.  Even yesterday as I read the comments on the article, it seems that people are very unfamiliar with Canadian wine, due to the selection here in Nova Scotia being poor for so long.  Let me tell you, that Canadian wine is the real deal.  I will be doing everything I can to show the people of Nova Scotia how great these wines are, and why it makes sense to support people that sing the same national anthem as you.  Do you even know the national anthem of Chile?

It’s a phrase I’ve heard countless times (or something similar), especially in the sales world. It’s a phrase I absolutely loathe in any scenario, especially in the wine/resto industry.    Basically it means just what it says: if you don’t know what you are talking about, lie.

An article I read online recently stated that when ordering wine in a restaurant, you should pretend to know what you are talking about, and “fake it” for fear of being looked down upon by your dining companion(s), guests, or the server.  I would like to point out, right away, that that is the stupidest piece of “advice” I have ever heard, and the person who gave it should spend more time becoming educated on ethics, rather than faking it.

If you are that self-conscious about your level of wine knowledge, and are too proud to ask the server/sommelier for help, then let me give you some real advice:  Educate yourself.  You should read more, taste more, and ask more questions!  Faking it is not the way to go in any situation. If you don’t have the time to educate yourself, then swallow your pride and ask for help, especially if there is a sommelier on staff.  For some reason, sommeliers have the reputation of the sleazy used-car salesman (think Bill Paxton in True Lies), and they will try to dupe you at the drop of a hat.  This is simply not the case.  Sure, there are some jerks that will try, but you can’t paint us all with the same brush.  Sommeliers love to educate about wine, and most of the time we try to help you find something you will enjoy for a great price, not try to goat you into a higher-priced bottle.

Would you fake it when you went to buy a house?  Of course not.  You do your research, you bring someone along who knows, and you get it inspected.  You wouldn’t pull off the “Yeah, I think that foundation looks fine” if you don’t know what you are talking about, because you don’t want it to bite you in the you-know-what.  Wine is the same way.  Do some research, ask some questions, and above all, eat some humble pie.  Your date/clients/server will think much higher of you if you do instead of acting like a douchebag.

Fake it until you make it?  Get out of here.

Keep visiting us regularly for events, new education classes,  blog posts/articles, wine reviews and more information on some exciting ventures we are rolling out in 2013.

JW