Looking at the World, One Glass at a Time
It’s a Friday night. You could be hosting a dinner party for your friends or be out at a nice restaurant somewhere. You could be on a date, a business meeting, or gathering with your close friends. Perhaps it is like any other day after work - you just want to binge-watching your favourite shows at home. Perhaps it is finally time to pick up a book you have been meaning to finish - with light jazz or chill pop music playing in the background. Wouldn’t it be nice to take the whole experience to another level? During these days, creating the same level of experience at home has been a longing for many.
Imagine, you are in a nice restaurant and ordered a lobster. The waiter just handed you the wine list and your date is staring at you. Do you order a Shiraz, a Pinot Noir, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a Piña Colada or a Lager and why?
Mountains of bottles, which one do you pick?
What if you are at a liquor store staring at shelves after shelves of bottles and can’t help but feeling lost? So many bottles to choose from, some have scores by top critics, some with fancy bottling, and some have long names written in foreign languages. So you B-Lined to a bottle you are most comfortable with - perhaps with labels that have a footprint, a kangaroo, or a walking man on the bottle. It is very common not knowing what to pick; it is also very common that restaurants or liquor stores do not have knowledgable staffs to help you out. In the province of BC alone, wines and spirits sales totalled over $2 billion in 2019. I have to wonder, how many bottles actually got consumed the way they were intended? Are they properly appreciated, experienced, and remembered?
A story in every glass
Growing up, I was one of those who would always order the same dish every time - because it is familiar and fail-safe. Experimenting with the new was not something I was comfortable with. Over 10 years ago, I started to fall in love with Scotch Whisky - that matured, complex, and smokey sophistication somehow get imprinted onto myself when I hold a glass in my hand. For the longest time, drinking wines and spirits has been about how “classy”, “refined”, or “educated” the act of appreciation makes me feel rather than simply appreciating what is in the glass. I did not know enough. After 4 years of avid learning and deeper appreciation through the qualification courses by Wines and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), I went from not knowing enough to truly understanding just how little I know. Only this time, I have the proper foundation to really explore the world of infinite possibilities.
It does not matter where you are on the journey to wines and spirits appreciation, know that nobody started out already knowing everything and can taste everything - it is actually impossible. All you need to do is learning to get the most out of each bottle. There is always a beautiful story behind every bottle that has been made with love, care, and respect. These stories are brought to you from every possible corners of the world. Appreciate them, one glass at a time.