The tale of 3 wine services

The Tale of 3 Restaurant’s Wine Service

Il Caminetto: Anthony Buchanan Pétillant Naturel Muscat 

Wild Blue: Road 13 Sparkling Traditional Method Chenin Blanc 2017

Bearfoot Bistro: Blue Mountain Blanc de Blanc R.D Methode Traditionelle 2013

Wine service is always something I focus on when I am dining out. Without a professional wine service, an impressive wine list means nothing. All restaurants with a notable wine list will have a wine professional/sommelier in house. He or she is invaluable to how the restaurant is perceived by a wine snob.

I believe that a fine restaurant’s sommelier might be one of the most difficult jobs in the restaurant. They need to seek out who the clientele is for the evening or afternoon. Well, they should. Are there any regulars and those that are not? What wine will they be seeking out or should pair with the menu of the night?

I believe whenever a diner looks at the wine list intensively, the sommelier should go and see if they need any help or just show their face so they know he or she is there for any questions. I always spend more than 5 minutes looking at the whole wine list. It surprises me that sometimes the sommelier will never approach me or even any of the staff will approach me to ask me if I need any assistance with the wine.

Dining out is expensive, and you are paying upwards to 2 to sometimes 4 times the retail price of any bottle, and that is before any service charge/tips that you add on at the end of the bill for the whole dinner. That is a lot of markup to dine out and have a bottle that you might not usually drink or buy. The wine service goes a long way in why you are paying this premium.

I agree. I am not a regular diner who just wants to have a glass of house wine or take whatever the sommelier suggests. I have my own opinion on wine and what I like and don’t like. I trust when any sommelier talks to a wine snob, they should know within a minute that this diner might not be looking for a glass of Chardonnay. Even if the sommelier wasn’t there when a table of 2 orders a bottle of wine, from what they are ordering, the sommelier should take note and could derive what type of diner they are.

This story brings me to the 3 restaurants that I’ve recently dined in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada in the winter of 2025. Yes, Whistler is not your typical North American ski resort. A ski day pass costs upwards of $300 Canadian dollars. There are a number of great restaurants that are getting better over the years. As a Canadian growing up in Vancouver, I’ve been skiing in Whistler for the past 30 years. Although, for the past 15 years, I’ve been skiing mostly in Europe (cheaper, better food/wine), ok, but the story is about Whistler, a North American Vail resort that people might think is a bit snobbish, but without the substance to back it up other than the slopes.

Over the week, I’ve dined in these 3 restaurants in Whistler: Il Caminetto, Wild Blue, and Bearfoot Bistro.

Of course, they all boast a fantastic wine list, which is the main reason I wanted to go. I always drink local wine whenever I visit a country that produces its own wine. Okanagan, British Columbia, is making some fantastic wines now, and whenever possible in B.C., I will drink Okanagan wines.

Anthony Buchanan Pétillant Naturel Muscat 

Road 13 Sparkling Traditional Method Chenin Blanc 2017

Blue Mountain Blanc de Blanc R.D Methode Traditionelle 2013

These are the 3 bottles I’ve ordered in each restaurant. None of these bottles costs more than $100 Canadian and they are about 2.5x markup on all these restaurants compared to retail. That’s my budget and I think I’ve chosen these bottles within my budget and wines that I know I would like. 

Anthony Buchanan is one of those cult winemakers in Okanagan. I’ve had a number of their wines but never the Petnat before. I like their wines and it’s a Petnat from Muscat Blanc which is rather interesting for a BC Wine. 

I spent some time reviewing the wine list, and although the staff asked if I needed assistance, I typically respond with a polite “no.” To me, it’s the gesture of asking that truly matters; my answer can be “no,” and that’s perfectly fine because I know what I want.

When it comes to ordering the only Petnat on the menu, I believe that most people who choose it are well aware of their selection. After placing my order, the sommelier returned with the bottle and asked, “Have you had this wine before, or did you just randomly pick one?” I found the latter remark somewhat distasteful; even if such thoughts cross one’s mind, it’s best not to vocalize them. However, he was very polite and helpful, so I brushed it off.

I responded that I had enjoyed wines from this producer before, but this was my first time trying their Petnat. I’ve always had a fondness for Petnats. He seemed relieved to know that I was informed about my choice and proceeded to share more about the producer, expressing his own fondness for Petnats as well. Then he asked a question that I believe every sommelier should pose when a customer orders sparkling wine: “Would you prefer it served in a flute or a larger white wine glass?”

I inquired about his recommendation, to which he replied, “I would suggest a larger white wine glass for a better bouquet and to allow the wine to open up.” This was precisely the answer I was hoping for. Knowing what glass I wanted, he affirmed my preference, making my dining experience even more enjoyable. The sommelier demonstrated his knowledge and willingness to engage in conversation about the wine I had ordered. I learned more about the producer, and that’s exactly why I chose to dine out, to spend a little extra for an experience that goes beyond merely drinking wine.

I never heard of Road13, I never had their wine before, but a Chenin Blanc vintage bottle aged Traditional Method sparkling sounds interesting, although my experience with Loire’s Chenin Blanc sparkling or Crémant de Loire can be a hit or miss. But I am always open-minded, and it fits the bill. It’s again about 2.5x the retail.

The sommelier never came to my table, but the staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. He came with the bottle and said he went on an Okanagan winery trip this past summer, and this was one of his favourites. He bought a few bottles/cases himself. He said he loved the Chenin Blanc and it’s drinking great now. Even though he might be telling a fictional story to appease me, I still believed him, and he took the effort to tell me this story.

Dining out is always about the experience, and these stories are the ones that make you remember the night out and give you more enjoyment of dining out.

A great sparkling Chenin Blanc it is.

Bearfoot Bistro: Blue Mountain Blanc de Blanc R.D Methode Traditionelle 2013

I’ve never had Blue Mountain before, but a R.D. Récemment Dégorgé 2013 seems rather interesting for a BC sparkling. I reckon it’s not easy to find in retail.

When I sat at the table, there was a Moët & Chandon coupe glass in a stand. It was a bit of a turn-off when I saw that. I mean, no true restaurant focusing on wine will have such glassware. I am thinking Zalto, which surprisingly a few restaurants I’ve been to are using. Anyway, I thought maybe it’s just a table piece and they will ask me if I wanted to use it and what glassware I prefer, similar to Il Caminetto when I ordered the Anthony Buchanan Pétillant Naturel.

So I decided to order the Blue Mountain BdB, and the staff asked me if I wanted to saber it. I was a bit surprised, as I didn’t know if this was an option or if there was an extra cost to saber a bottle of sparkling. I said it’s OK and if it’s included, and she said, “Oh, you know sabering? We open the bottle with a sword.” I said yes, I know what sabering is, but I didn’t know if it was included or not, and she said, “Oh, we offer this for every sparkling or champagne bottle ordered.” I said, then of course, if it’s included.

After a short wait, we were taken downstairs to the restaurant wine cellar. It was pretty nice, and there was a party of diners where there was a private table inside the cellar for dinner.

The sabering concept is quite interesting, but it is more for show and social media, where they want you to film it and probably post it somewhere to promote the restaurant. Another staff member took us downstairs to saber the bottle and he said he was the marketing manager and asked us where we heard of the restaurant, etc. The sabering area had a screen to block the cork and splatter, and a huge logo of the restaurant was visible. To be honest, it looks like some underground dungeon for some terrorist group. OK, sorry, I am exaggerating, but I do like the concept, albeit a bit corny and for show. He took us down and asked who among us wanted to saber the sparkling. So my partner did the sabering successfully, and the staff explained to us how sabering works and guided my partner to a successful sabering.

There is nothing wrong with the sabering show and it’s a good concept as well, but no one bothered to tell me about the wine that I’ve ordered. The wine is the highlight and not the sabering for me. But I understand now that sabering is the show here. I was a bit disappointed because I’ve ordered an R.D., which is quite an interesting wine in my opinion.

So he took the sparkling back to my table and poured it into the coupe glassware set without asking me if I wanted to use that glassware or not. It was a complete turnoff. No matter how good the wine is, that glassware would not give the wine its respect and opportunity to shine. It actually ruined my dinner a bit no matter how great the food is.

I had a sip and I had to track down another staff member to ask her to change our glassware. She was very helpful and had no issues at all, but this shouldn’t need to happen.

I found the week at Whistler at these three restaurants quite an interesting experience. The food is great as they all have their own distinct differences, but the difference in the wine service is what really took me by surprise. I’ve been dining all over the world, and as a wine lover, I’ve seen many sommeliers and how they perceive many of their snobbish clients who could splash out thousands on a bottle of wine. I am not. I order selective wines that I think only people who are really interested in drinking a different bottle of wine would order. I am blessed that many of the restaurants usually have these peculiar bottles that I believe not everyone would order. This brings me back to the point where the sommelier should understand each table and the bottle of wine that they’ve ordered. I really think it would tell you what kind of diners they are and how you should approach them.

I never took any photos of the bottles because none of them placed the bottle on my table even after I’d finished the bottle. I was not asked if I wanted a photo of the bottle. It was my fault as well, as I never insisted on asking for the bottle. However, I do believe that any wine restaurant should place the finished bottle near the table or on the table for the diner. The bottle of wine is as important as the food for all wine snobs. The finished bottle is the most beautiful table decoration that a wine snob would want.