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Sports, Food and Drink - Interview with The Sporty Sommelier

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!

superdome new orleans the sporting blog.jpg

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

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

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!

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