Last weekend, some out-of-town friends, Eric and I did a progressive meal around New Haven (CT). We had different courses at different restaurants, giving my Tennessean guests a true taste of Elm City.

While sharing an entree at a restaurant in New Haven (one that’s named for a Spanish city), we asked the waiter which wine of the few we selected did he think best accompanied the seafood paella. His responses to our questions were vague, making it obvious to us he knew very little — if anything — about wine. So we asked, “do you have a sommelier?”

He looked bewildered, stopped to think about it and responded, “We don’t serve that.”