Meet Verduno Pelaverga, Barolo’s eccentric cousin: a pale, fragrant Piedmontese red with a serious white-pepper streak. Discover its curious history, Burlotto’s role in saving it, and why it makes a brilliant match for seared tuna.

No family recipes or formal training, just curiosity and a love of Korean flavours. These four favourite dishes, from kimchi sundubu jjigae to bulgogi with japchae, are paired with wines and shared through the perspective of a home cook inspired by cooking, reading, and eating across the city.

Truite aux amandes is one of those simple dishes that feels effortlessly special—flaky trout, golden almonds, and a buttery lemon sauce. Paired with a crisp Riesling from Trimbach, it’s a perfect introduction to Alsace, its terroir, and the incredible versatility of its wines.

Pissaladière is a classic Niçoise onion and anchovy tart. Not a pizza. A thick, bread-like crust is topped with slow-caramelized onions, anchovies, and black olives: no tomato, no cheese, by design. Paired with a dry Provençal rosé, it’s an instant escape from Calgary’s winter to the south of France. Comforting, snackable, and perfect Friday-night movie food.

Steamed mussels with butter, white wine, and a glass of Pouilly-Fumé. Simple, briny, and deeply satisfying. A little French flair turns an easy seafood dinner into something worth lingering over.

A pot of lentils so good it deserves its own headline. Earthy, comforting, and endlessly adaptable, these heroic lentils play beautifully with crisp-skinned salmon or rich, savoury pork. Add a glass of Canadian wine - bright Riesling or a confident Cabernet Franc - and suddenly dinner feels intentional, cozy, and a little bit celebratory. Proof that simple food, done well, is never boring.

Our Christmas Eve table always travels a little. This year, Scandinavian gravlax met Canadian maple and Japanese yuzu sake. A pescatarian tradition gently reinvented. Paired with Champagne, the salmon’s silky richness, citrus lift, and delicate bubbles made for a quiet winter celebration.

Spanish Godello from Bierzo shines with bright minerality, orchard fruit, and a clean, elegant texture shaped by high-altitude vineyards and gentle oak aging. César Márquez crafts expressive wines that reflect their landscape, making this Godello a natural match for dishes like baked salmon, fennel, and butter beans, where citrus, herbs, and richness meet its fresh, saline finish.

Pantelleria is a tiny volcanic speck between Sicily and Africa, a place where wind, sun, and sea shape everything, including its vibrant Zibibbo wines. Floral, citrusy, and touched with salt, they taste like the island’s own heartbeat. Paired with delicate sole and the island’s legendary capers, the flavours form a bright, aromatic trio that turns a simple dish into a sun-soaked Mediterranean escape.

La Oveja won me over from the first sip: bright, floral, and full of peach, pear, and citrus notes. Made from organic Torrontés by Santa Julia in Mendoza, it was a beautiful match with Thai coconut-poached fish.