On one of my first dates with Chef, he brought over a bottle of wine for us to share while watching a movie. To me, the date went fine, but apparently (as I only recently learned) I had in fact committed something of a deal breaker on that date.
Turns out the wine was fancy, with a price tag hovering at around $100, and therefore it was not right to a) pour the wine into multicoloured plastic cups from Ikea, b) drink it with the same enthusiasm as one would boxed wine and c) suggest keeping the leftover to use as cooking wine.
Chef likes wine, and I… I like to add maraschino cherries and cola to Maria Christina on special occasions. So whose palate is really better? Could mine be that different from his? Last night, I went to visit Chef at his restaurant, where we tried to uncover an answer to this question over five samplings of wine.
Being a wine bar, his restaurant’s bounty made for ideal pickings. Of course, for those planning to spend their Valentine’s Day at home, you can pick up any of our selections from the LCBO or directly from the local wineries.
Below, our he-said, she-said guide to finding the perfect bottle to share with that special someone this Valentine’s Day. Who’s palate will you trust?
Hidden Bench, 2010 Chardonnay
Colour
Chef: Deep yellow.
Me: Pretty yellowish.
Smell
Chef: Butterscotch, banana medicine and oak.
Me: Baked goods and butterscotch.
Taste
Chef: There’s a whiskey quality to it, with some oak and banana.
Me: Week-old shortbread cookies and/or almost-stale Werther’s Originals.
Rom-Com Movie Character Most Likely to Drink It
Chef: The mother from Monster-In-Law (Jane Fonda). Tough lady.
Me: Olive from Popeye (the ’80s movie). She seems older than she is.
Cave Spring Cellars, 2009 Chenin Blanc
Colour
Chef: Pale with a green tinge.
Me: Almost clear like water, but coloured with something like a drop of spun sugar.
Smell
Chef: Floral, with stone fruit.
Me: Hmmm… grapes, with some hay… smells pretty alcohol-y.
Taste
Chef: Lots of peach and potpourri notes.
Me: Immediate burning; leaves a lingering tartness.
Rom-Com Movie Character Most Likely to Drink It
Chef: The wife from Love Actually (Emma Thompson).
Me: Rita Hayworth in Gilda, a bold femme fatale with a memorable sting.
Rosehall Run, 2009 Cuvée County Pinot Noir
Colour
Chef: Very light, cherry red.
Me: Thin, like purple grape juice with added water.
Smell
Chef: Chalky, waxy notes, with cherry.
Me: Vinegary.
Taste
Chef: Very light on the palate, with some cooked cherry. Unusual chalkiness, though not unpleasant.
Me: Reminds me of red Twizzlers. Not that strong in flavour, and it leaves a warming sensation.
Rom-Com Movie Character Most Likely to Drink It
Chef: Amélie from Amélie (Audrey Tautou). She’s offbeat in an interesting way.
Me: Kate Hudson in Something Borrowed. Her idea of luxury goes over the average person’s head.
Cave Spring Cellars, 2008 Cabernet Franc Dolomite — His pick!
Colour
Chef: Deep burgundy, light.
Me: Deep red, very thin.
Smell
Chef: Jalapeños, black pepper and cherry.
Me: Slight scent of nail polish remover.
Taste
Chef: Jalapeños, black pepper and cherry. (Note: I think he cheated and read the bottle.)
Me: Chocolate flavour, with some light burning and a bit of woodiness. (Note: Chef corrects me here. Apparently instead of “woodiness,” I meant to say “vegetal character.”)
Rom-Com Movie Character Most Likely to Drink It
Chef: Adam Sandler in Spanglish. This is a chef wine.
Me: Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer. She seems perfect at first, but her deeper complexity is too much for some to handle.
Colaneri Wines, 2009 Stellucha Riesling — Her pick!
Colour
Chef: Golden with a green tinge.
Me: Light, slightly golden tone.
Smell
Chef: Green apple.
Me: Hmmm… grape (again)… sweet grape, and maybe some honey.
Taste
Chef: Green apple Jolly Rancher, with a tartness to it.
Me: Tart, with bit of apple, and no burning.
Rom-Com Movie Character Most Likely to Drink It
Chef: Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates. She has an easy going and light personality.
Me: Ginnifer Goodwin in He’s Just Not That Into You. She’s sweet, but not a total pushover, she’s got character.
Toronto-based writer Jennifer Lee is the editorial director of FILLER magazine, an online fashion and culture journal. She is also the co-editor of Hardly magazine, an arts-centric online teen publication for Canadian girls.