Though far too young to appreciate it at the time, I remember clearly that night in 1968 when our house was crammed full of Canadian Open revellers and at least one PGA star of the day.

I grew up in Toronto’s west end, very close to St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Etobicoke, host of the 2010 Canadian Open and home of the 1968 Open. My father, Roy, was a member of the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club, itself a frequent host to the Canadian Open in those days, and a friend to more than a few PGA tour players. He decided, as an avid golfer and a good neighbour, to host a party for tour players and friends during Canadian Open week.

The party was held on a rainy Saturday night on the weekend of the Open. Not a lot of tour players showed up even though play had been suspended because of rain at St. George’s. One player who did arrive was the gregarious Julius Boros, a popular and entertaining presence on the tour in those days. I remember he handed me an autographed American bill as a tip for leading him into our house under cover of an umbrella.

The party was a huge success and Boros was one of the last to leave even though he was teeing off early the next day (he had his best round of the week Sunday at the 1968 Open that finished on a Monday because of rain, and was won by lefty Bob Charles). His drink was scotch, lots of scotch, as most libations in those days consisted of hard liquor and very little in the way of fine wine, unless, of course, you consider Baby Duck fine wine.

It was like that at most clubs back then. Vodka, gin, rye, Scotch, bourbon, beer and the like were the staples behind the bar, with dinner, and after the meal on the patio with a big, fat stogie. Wine was scarce and certainly not something that was even considered in those bad old days.

Well, these aren’t the bad old days anymore.

That’s why it’s so impressive to see the wine list at St. George’s today. It truly is a well-rounded list that appeals to anyone who appreciates wine with a good selection from around the world at all price points.

Clubs, whether private or not, are recognizing the importance of wine in their dining rooms and bars.

Robin Kemp, the new food service manager and sommelier at St. George’s, has put together in a short amount of time a well-rounded wine list with an inventory in access of $100,000 in the cellar.

While cocktails ruled the day back in the ‘60s, they’re now the private club’s lowest seller, says Kemp, who puts most of his beverage energy into a dynamic list of wines that appeal to a broad spectrum of members and guests.

St. George’s has an eclectic list of wines from around the world with special emphasis on California, Italy, France and a growing interest in Niagara wines. Prices range from $30 for a crisp Sauvignon Blanc from France or Niagara, all the way up to $950 for a bottle of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Bordeaux) 1983 from the St. George’s cellar.

In between is a vast selection of wines, many of which you won’t find at the LCBO or Vintages. Kemp has put together one of the finest wine lists I have seen at a golf course. His exquisite selection from California (“our members are partial to California wines,” he says) is quite impressive with all the major players from Napa Valley represented, as well as many hidden gems that are just hard to find anywhere, let alone Ontario.

Also successful, says Kemp, is the “by the glass” program that allows diners to purchase wonderful wines by the glass. The temptation with a program like that is to put two or three wines on ice or left opened on the counter, but St. George’s has a broad selection of wines at different price points. It allows diners to try different pairings with the food without buying a full bottle.

“Mike Weir (wine) by the glass sells like crazy,” he says.

Kemp has only been at St. George’s a few months but has already made his presence felt with an aggressive wine program that seems to have captured the attention of members’ tastebuds. His biggest task is yet to come with the Canadian Open returning next year.

His plan is to attend the Open at Glen Abbey and get a feel for what the professional tour players are looking for in terms of wine choice and work toward building an even better selection than what the club has now.

I like the fact that St. George’s has a wine menu that is affordable (starting at $28), has some wonderful collectible wines, draws from the main wine regions of the world, jumps on the newest trends in wine drinking (South America) and includes some great Canadian wines.

Your wine list should be a reflection of your menu and have the diversity needed to match the food your chef is whipping up on any given day. The whites off the list at St. George’s have it all — oaky Chardonnays, crisp Sauvignon Blancs and Rieslings, and interesting white blends.

The red list, as well, hits all the right notes with the lighter Pinot Noirs, sweeter Italian reds, refined Bordeaux, big Shirazes and a selection of full-bodied reds from Ontario. The selection can easily satisfy anything on the menu.

On top of all that is a great selection of champagne including Veuve Cliquot, Mumm’s and Dom Perignon.

No doubt there will be a lot of that going around come Sunday at the 2010 Canadian Open at St. George’s. They may want to stock up on the champagne.

Got a question about your wine list? Email me at:rickwine@hotmail.com

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