Issue #17: Spring 2007

The Wine Guys

by Adrienne Watt

I recently met these two UBC grads at a local Gastown café that was not unlike the two of them; eclectic, casual and funky. These guys are about as far from the wine writer stereotype as Baby Duck is from Dom Perignon. The two had been conducting media interviews all day to promote their newest book, Had a Glass: Top 100 Wines for 2007, and stopped to enjoy a late lunch. Wine is so much a part of their daily lives that over lunch (in the unlicensed café) they sneakily crack open a bottle of white wine and sip it out of coffee mugs. This is the way they think wine should be enjoyed: without pretension, with friends, with simple good food, part of life.

Wine tasting tip #1
Be adventurous. It’s OK to experiment and there is nothing wrong with picking a wine based on the look of the label.

Kenji Hodgson, BASc’01 and James Nevison, BCom’99 first found their appreciation for wine while enrolled as undergrads at UBC. Instead of showing up to parties with the requisite flat of cheap pilsner, they brought bottles of wine. The more James and Kenji talked to people at these parties, the more they found out that their fellow party goers were also interested in wine. They just found buying and tasting wine intimidating. After graduating, Kenji and James began working in a wine store and hosting wine tasting parties at local Vancouver restaurants. To increase the educational aspect of the parties, they created postcards containing information about the wines they were serving, and distributed them to attendees.

“We did the tastings in a casual way – the way we think wine should be enjoyed,” says Kenji.

“People liked that they were learning about the wines as well. They enjoyed the education aspect just as much as the social aspect,” says James. 

Wine tasting tip #2
Take notes. It can be as simple as scribbling the name of the wine you are enjoying at a restaurant on a napkin.

After their first forays into the wine world, their interest just continued to grow. Kenji and James both obtained certificates from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust of London and both traveled the world seeking and sampling great food and wine. The guys have compiled quite the resume, including penning two bestsellers, Have a Glass: A Modern Guide to Wine and Had a Glass: The Top 100 Wines for 2006 while at the same time appearing as regular wine columnists in the Vancouver Province, the Yaletown Review and the Kitsilano Review. They have also written for a variety of national magazines including Wine Access, Wine Tidings and CityFood, and have made regular appearances on television on Global Noon News, The Shopping Bags and Balance Television. In addition, they teach a variety of wine courses, including a course for UBC students on wine appreciation at the ams Minischool. This is one of their favourite classes to teach, and apparently it’s very popular, because it is always at capacity.

Wine tasting tip #3
Have a wine tasting party. Set a theme i.e. wines from France or wines under $20. Hide the wines in paper bags when serving, taste the wines and get everyone to write down their opinions. Discuss and then unveil the wines.

Maybe it’s their youthful energy that makes them so popular with a younger audience. They say this is what sets them apart from other wine writers.
“When we first got into this, we were young and we resonated with a younger and more general audience. We think we’ve been able to keep up that youthful approach – we reference pop culture in our writings and we approach wine with no pretension, just full glasses. There is a general shift that is occurring in the wine world to a more accessible culture,” says James.
“The book provides info that is accessible, what you should do with wine, how it can be part of your lifestyle. For example, what you should use as a base for sangria,” says Kenji.  

The pair falls into niches reflective of their educational choices. James likes the marketing and business side of wines while Kenji relishes in the technical aspects of wine production. In fact, Kenji has spent the last two vintages at two different wineries. While the pair doesn’t always agree on what is a good wine, the disagreements force them to defend their positions. They say that is the point of the book.

“It shows that there are many different opinions that can be formed on one wine. Discussion is the heart of wine tasting. It’s so subjective,” says Kenji.

Wine tasting tip #4
When buying wine, be wary of the 100 point system at wine and liquor stores. Use the descriptors more (the notes that often accompany wines), that way you will be more likely to find the type of wine you are looking for. Or visit some of the independent/private wine stores and ask the staff as they are generally very helpful. This is where you can say, “I want something that tastes like… or, I need a wine that pairs well with…”

The guide reviews 100 wines for 2007 and comes without the complicated terminology and pretension often associated with wine books. Kenji and James do, however, recommend food and wine pairings and suggestions for coordinating wine with occasions as well as providing a few recipe ideas and tips on wine enjoyment.

What would they be doing if they didn’t do this? Kenji doesn’t miss a beat, “I would be making wine,” says the self described methodical one.

Wine tasting tip #5
Visit the wine regions. Nothing beats tasting wine at the area of production. ¤

Adrienne Watt is a Communications Coordinator with UBC Alumni Affairs.