The gesture of house wine

Every season throngs of Ontarians run out to their local LCBO store to snap up the latest free edition of Food & Drink magazine. I myself have almost come to blows before a rack of these foodie magazines as I watched someone pilfer the last one available. The reason why they are so popular? With the turn of each page you literally lose yourself in a magical world of gastronomical delights. The magazine’s focus is the art of entertaining. Everything you need to be THE epitome of a good host is contained within these jaw-dropping pages.

Today I had my first opportunity to barricade myself in my bedroom and slowly & deliberately read each and every page of the magazine. I now have my menus set for the next couple of months! But, I also read an article that enhanced my perception of being a good host/hostess (whether it be a private dinner for close friends or a large party).

Every one of us has had the pleasure of sipping a nice glass of restaurant “house wine”. A house wine is by definition an economical signature wine created for or by an establishment to encapsulate its style. So why is it that this is only applicable to restaurants? This is the question that Natalie MacLean asks in her article: “A Wine to Call Your Own”. In it, she argues that “a house wine is not just a liquid gesture of hospitality and welcome, it’s also a starting point for a good story. Having a few cases of a particular wine in the house allows you to get to know it more intimately. You can see how it pairs with different dishes and how it ages…Of course, having a house wine doesn’t mean that you stop trying other wines. In fact, it may have the opposite effect – in the way that discovering a new artist you like prompts you to seek the works of his or her contemporaries…In the world of wine, both the faithful and the fickle are rewarded.”

In the end, being a great host or hostess is so much more than good food or even a great house wine. It’s about opening your home and your heart and sharing. I’m all for any experience that encourages intimacy (minds out of the gutter please)…and I love how creating your own house wine can enhance the ability to share something unique about you with your guests.