Sports, Food and Drink - Interview with The Sporty Sommelier
Sports, Food and Drink - Q & A with The Sporty Sommelier
Since we can’t get to a game, we took the game to Jacqueline Kirby, aka The Sporty Sommelier, and asked her a few questions about her experiences with food, drink and sports!
Help get your sports tourism bucket list sorted with some inspiration from a pro!
An easy one to start, what is your favourite sports venue for food and drink?
My favourite venue for food & drink is probably the Superdome in New Orleans. I feel like their food culture is so distinct and they do such a great job of bringing the party and the culture into the stadium.
Do you think that stadium F&B has improved over time, or have we lost the down-to-earth nature of years gone by?
This one is tricky. It’s certainly changed over time but it’s a toss-up of whether or not it’s better. I think we have moved away from the classic peanuts & hot dog at a baseball game which I still prefer over anything. Most stadiums do a great job though of trying to incorporate local flavour.
Giants Vs Texans - NFL in London - Wembley Stadium
Are you a tailgater or do you prefer to get inside the stadium to soak up the atmosphere?
Both! I grew up going to tailgate early in the morning.
If it’s a home stadium I’ve been to a million times I’ll tailgate longer. If I haven’t been before I like to try the tailgate and then have enough time to explore the stadium.
Stadia have become increasingly multi-purpose and F&B counts for a huge portion of match-day income. Does this affect your routines and traditions in terms of how you take in a game?
For me, yes. I worked in sports for a long time so when I would go to another stadium I was eager to see what they did and if it was something I wanted to bring back for our fans.
Since I’ve been able to go solely as a fan I still like to seek out anything a stadium does to stand out.
Are there any venues that serve a decent glass (or bottle!) of wine?
I would say the best wine options I’ve had are at Yankee Stadium in City Winery and at Nationals Park in the Diamond Club.
Citi Field - Home of the New York Mets
We are all missing sport right now, so let’s dream a little. You are planning your perfect sporting day, talk us through how that would go.
I am seriously dreaming of game day right now! On a perfect day, I would get up, make a mimosa and pack up stuff for a tailgate.
Then get to the stadium early for a beautiful sunny day, warm but not too hot. We’d have a big group all drive up together to the stadium so we can park nearby and have a big set-up. A tent over the truck to shade the food, the radio blasting great music, and a cornhole game being played between the cars.
After a few hours of tailgating, we would head into the stadium, check out the team store to see if we need any new gear, grab a bucket of popcorn, a soft pretzel, and a beer and make it to our seats to watch our team win! PS- NEVER leave before the game ends!
What is currently at the top of your long-term sporting bucket list?
I was due to attend Roland Garros and Euro 2020 as part of my honeymoon but unfortunately, those plans have changed. Now in a perfect world, I can go to Lambeau Field in December to see my Carolina Panthers play the Green Bay Packers.
Finally... can you recommend a crisp white to watch tennis in the summer and a warm red to hunker down to NFL in the winter?
For tennis, I would say either a bottle of Montlouis Sur Loire Les Tuffeaux or Clean Slate Riesling. For a bold red to cheer your team on while the snow falls, I would go with a Chateauneuf du Pape.
Check out The Sporty Sommelier for more on food, drink and sports!
