A Somm’s Tale Sommelier Scott Patrick Cowan
Scott Cowan has been a certified sommelier for a dec- ade and has been a dyed-in-the-wool hospitality con- sultant, floor presence, columnist, teacher and man- ager for nearing two decades, holding the title of Best Sommelier of Atlantic Canada (ASI) between 2021 and 2023. His passions are grounded in guest experience, re- search and development, travel, food and beverage harmony, and collaboration. On a day to day, Scott finds inspiration from customized client experiences and regionality as a centre point. He leads a foraging rooted beverage program and evolving wine cellar for the Fogo Island Inn. In his home life, he values family, friends, chipping away at a manuscript, blind wine tasting and celebrating the outdoors.
THE SUBTLE DEPARTURE OF TRADITIONAL WINE PAIRINGS
Up until I read Alex’s story about a Tim Hortons’ apple flip, my mind was spinning with luxuriant Marie Antoinette-style elixirs: stick-to-your-teeth level of sugar in a glass of something that sinks to the bot- tom of a goblet like a pearl. Something to find in the hallway of mirrors at Palace Versailles. Then I realized there’s still room for Marie Antoinette and decadence— ah, phew. The best pairing for a donut is Champagne; but Demi-Sec Champagne, meaning half sweet. The old princes, tzars, dukes, and duchesses had a much more specific taste in Champagne than we do. They liked their Champagne as sweet as Icewine, and barely bubbling. It may be the reason why Champagne keeps in shipwrecks for so long, alongside a myr- iad of perfect storage conditions like the motionless dark. Sugar is a natural preservative. It’s also a per- fect companion to sweets, but not cake. Many glass- es of brut Champagne have been shredded by a hunk of wedding cake.
For an apple flip, imagine the bubbles in a lively, tongue tingling Champagne unfurling the layers of pastry in a flip. Enrobed in notes of toasted almond cream, brioche, baked apple, candied lemon zest, and crystallized fruit. The bottle to try is the one you can get your hands on. Try Pol Roger “Rich” Demi-Sec from the Alberta website zyn.ca. It carries the seal of Buckingham Palace, as Demi-Sec Pol Roger was served under Queen Elizabeth II’s warrant. Regular old Pol Roger was also served at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. It’s ru- moured that Tim Horton’s double doubles could be had by the people that didn’t have the taste for luscious Champagne.
What if you don’t have Champagne and apple flips every day, like your humble sommelier writer? (Right.) To the brave, try this…
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