Steamed mussels, butter, white wine, and a glass of Pouilly-Fumé - simple, briny, and wildly satisfying. This classic dish gets a French accent, a flinty Loire pairing, and just enough swagger to turn weeknight seafood into something worth lingering over.

Foie gras is a once-a-year indulgence that demands intention, and the right wine. Its richness calls for contrast: sweetness, acidity, and structure. Classic pairings like Tokaji Aszú or Sauternes balance fat with honeyed intensity and sharp lift, turning excess into elegance. Dry whites or Champagne can work, but this is advanced play. Foie gras isn’t about restraint; it’s about choosing indulgence wisely. Happy New Year 🥂

Christmas Eve at our table travels far. Scandinavian gravlax meets Canadian maple and Japanese yuzu sake, woven together by tradition gently bent. A pescatarian ritual rooted in memory, this dish pairs Nordic restraint with citrus brightness, cured slowly and served with quiet ceremony. Champagne bubbles echo the salt and silk of the salmon, while yuzu lends winter sunshine and floral lift—proof that geography matters less than balance, intention, and a table that knows how t

Paprika isn’t background seasoning—it’s a system. In Hungary, it’s the backbone of cooking, dissolving into fat and building flavour quietly while stews take the credit. Elsewhere it changes accents: Spanish pimentón brings smoke and swagger. I built a three-course menu around Hungarian paprika—some dishes traditional, some happily not—to show how one red powder can anchor a meal, bend the rules, and still hold everything together. Cheers.

Calgary may be buried in December snow, but I found a spark of joy in a full Rioja tasting paired with cheeses- a tiny rebellion against winter. From bright Joven to stately Gran Reserva, matched with everything from soft and mild to gloriously stinky, it became a cosy ritual of seasonal denial. For one evening, the blizzard felt less like a burden and more like a reason to sip, savour, and pretend the tundra was Spain.

Sicily is Italy’s largest wine region and boasts a diverse array of exquisite wines that reflect its rich terroir and cultural heritage. While there are numerous options to explore, I will highlight just a few exceptional selections that you can readily find in local stores here in Alberta, Canada.

Vacherin Mont-d’Or is Switzerland’s fleeting winter treasure: a rich, woodsy, irresistibly molten cheese from the Vaud Alps. Appearing only in the cold months, it arrives in its signature spruce box like a miniature seasonal festival. Its classic partner is Chasselas, Switzerland’s crisp, quietly elegant white wine, whose freshness lifts every decadent, spoonable bite.

Aromatic white wines are a shortcut to impressing even the pickiest wine snob. Think bottles bursting with terpenes: floral Muscat, dramatic Zibibbo, bold Gewürztraminer, sharp Riesling, or flirtatious Torrontés. These grapes glow with citrus, flowers, and herbs, whether dry or sweet. When lost in a wine shop, just whisper “terpenes” and follow the aromas, your most fragrant allies.