A Somm’s Tale Sommelier Scott Patrick Cowan
For 17 years Scott Patrick Cowan chained himself to restaurant life in St. John’s, taking one intermission to assist in the beverage program and training of seven restaurants at AAA-Four Diamond Fairmont Château Lake Louise, which had grossed the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. When he realized that he had to learn over 400 wines by memory without tasting, he was very frightened. Completing his certification in Seattle through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2013, Scott has delighted in helping guests and colleagues throughout the ever-growing expanse of restaurants in Newfoundland. Oftentimes remembering the wines on his list without tremendous fear, led by fluke. Guided by Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas of New Zealand and Seamus Dooley, who represented Canada in the Competition of Best Young Sommelier in the World held by Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Scott went onto win the Best Sommelier of Atlantic Canada award in 2021, and compete for the title of best Sommelier of Canada. While he was disqualified from the competition, they did allow him to accompany the others on numerous winery tours and master classes, where he stubbornly refused to spit.
While consulting, he has been fortunate enough to succeed in helping new restaurants land on the En Route Magazine Best New Restaurant Lists, Canada’s Top 100 Restaurant Lists, and Canada’s Top 50 Bar Lists. He is currently studying to compete again for the title of best sommelier in Canada for 2023, staggering through the rudiments of the Spanish language, finishing something between a novella and a novel, and enjoying the serenity of living next to Quidi Vidi Lake. You can find him at Mallard Cottage, being wildly unprofessional and silly on the dining room floor. He often bumps into bar stools after soliloquys about Italian wine.
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