I finally got the chance to go to Vine and Dine the other night and was suitably impressed. For those that might not be familiar with Vine and Dine, this is a series of year-round Calgary dinner events hosted by CBC Radio’s Linda Garson. Vine and Dine puts together an evening centered around a multi-course meal that is paired with appropriate wines.

Before you think that all wine professionals do is just cruise around the globe drinking fine wine and eating sumptuous meals you should know that this is only a small part of what really happens. I spent most of the last 2 months going to wine shows and tasting events across Canada. A lot of time spent in airports and a lot of time working in hotel rooms. Wine Access has been at a number of excellent consumer shows this fall starting with the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival in Calgary and just recently ending with the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in Toronto.

I have over the last week drunk a lot of wonderful things with birds, in various locations, doing various things. It had been some time since I sat down with a bird and had an evening of good times, an evening filled with polite conversation and delicious wine.  Or for that matter an evening that was saturated with romance and gentle flirtations. Or even an evening filled with business and future developments and talks of the nows-and-the-maybes. Not even an evening spent lying around the house eating, drinking and reading the this-and-thats.