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Quick bites with

Claudie Simard

Sommelier, Hy’s Restaurant

Photos and questions by Maureen Provençal

PQ: What’s your wine philosophy?

CS: All wines are great. You have to know them and appreciate them for what they are.

PQ: One wine you can’t live without?

CS: Champagne.

PQ: What drink should people be more open to trying?

CS: All girls should drink scotch – it’s sexy!

PQ: Weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

CS: Sautéed cockroaches with salt & vinegar. They taste like chips.

PQ: Most memorable meal you’ve ever eaten?

CS: Having lunch with Robert Mondavi at his winery in Napa.

PQ: Exact moment you decided to become involved with wines?

CS: It’s a passion that came from my love of travelling, history and culture. What better way to know the people of the country than by their wine history?

PQ: What’s your solution for a last-minute meal?

CS: I’m too organized to have a last-minute meal.

PQ: Best trend in food/restaurants?

CS: Going back to local organic produce.

PQ: Greatest professional moment?

CS: Having Robert Mondavi kiss my cheeks.

PQ: Where would you go to eat if you could go anywhere in the world?

CS: Les Trois Gros in Lyon or the French Laundry.

PQ: Where would you go for your last meal in Whistler?

CS: I would come to Hy’s and have a Gorgonzola fillet with a great bottle of Australian wine.

PQ: What brought you to Whistler?

CS: I moved here to learn English.

PQ: Personal hero.

CS: Terry Fox.