Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the Southern Ontario Sommelier Alliance as well as how the competition was organized and the scoring system. I must say that I was impressed with the level of professionalism and thorough evaluation of the wines involved. Read the results of the wine competition here. I look forward to more great initiatives from this group that will support the Ontario wine industry. What would you like to see this group do? What Is SOSA? SOSA is, the Southern Ontario Sommelier Alliance. We are a group of Certified Sommeliers, educated in Ontario, certified by both the Canadian […]
Sommeliers & Restaurants
Restaurant Wine Lists: Vintage Tips Video
In this video chat, Lance Hurtubise, CEO of the Vintage Group, a collection of restaurants based in Alberta and Prince Edward Island, chats about great wine lists and service. Wine plays a central role in both Lance’s restaurants and in his life. He’s also just launched his own line of wines. Before we dive into this topic, tell me about your race-car driving mother. You were very young when you started in restaurants: how old were you and what did you do? You started Moxie’s restaurants in 1986: how did you come up with that concept? Let’s talk […]
Canada’s Best Sommeliers: Celebrating our Wine Wizards
A toast to Véronique Rivest who won the Best Canadian Sommelier Competition in Halifax on September 17, as well as to the finalists, Will Predhomme and Élyse Lambert. Semi-finalists included Bruce Wallner, Robert Noel and Bertrand Eichel. They all participated in extensive written exams, blind tasting, wine list correction and an hour-long simulated restaurant service in front of a live audience in their second language. You can watch two video interviews about the sommelier competition with semi-finalist Bruce Wallner. Winner Véronique Rivest Les Fougères Restaurant Chelsea, Quebec Congrats to our hometown gal on her extraordinary win: we are so […]
Pairing Wine and Dessert with a Sommelier and Wine Importer
Andrew von Teichman This interview was published in a recent edition of my column in Homefront Maagzine. Andrew von Teichman, Toronto sommelier, winemaker and wine importer, talks about wines to pair with summer desserts. You’re a sommelier by training, but now own a winery and wine agency. Why did you go into those fields? My father was a co-founder of Pelee Island Winery in southwestern Ontario, so I had a chance to work in the vineyards and cellar during high school summers. I wasn’t forced to do this; I just decided to apply for a job there one summer and […]
Restaurant Wine Service: the Good, the Bad and the Gross
In part two of our video chat below, Scott shares his most memorable wine experiences in restaurants, including a hilarious story about the worst one (watch him in the small screen with the bottle when he explains what the waiter did) The International Culinary Center Bastianich Adriactico Friulano A floral white with mouth-watering acidity and a pleasantly dry, bitter and refreshing finish. Drink 2012 – 2014 277467 13% XD 750 ml $18.95 Score: 87/100 You may also enjoy these video chats: Master Sommelier Video: What it Takes to be a Restaurant Wine Expert […]
Best Ontario Sommelier Competition and Gala Dinner – April 22nd Toronto
Best Ontario Sommelier Competition and Gala Dinner The Fifth Restaurant, Toronto, Ontario April 22, 2012 There are only a few more days to get your tickets to the CAPS Best Ontario Sommelier Competition Gala Dinner and Celebration Party, being held at The Fifth on April 22nd! The evening of celebration follows a full day of competition at The Fifth, with a great line-up of sommeliers competing for the title of CAPS Best Ontario Sommelier – 2012. The ticket price for the Gala Dinner and Celebration Party is an excellent value and includes the following: a cocktail reception, a three […]
Ritz-Carlton TOCA Sommelier Lorie O’Sullivan on BBQ wines, restaurant wine lists
In this segment of Tasting Notes, I chat with Lorie O’Sullivan, sommelier at the Ritz-Carlton’s TOCA restaurant in Toronto about wines for barbecued meats and veggies. She also shares tips on choosing great bottles from a restaurant wine list. This interview was originally published in the luxury lifestyle magazine Homefront. Where did you study to become a sommelier? In 2006, I took the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers course at Niagara College. The course was held on Sundays, which was great because at the time I had another full time job in another profession. Two years later, I went to […]
Canoe Restaurant Sommelier Will Predhomme Tips for Tasting Wine
In this interview, I chat with William Predhomme, Senior Sommelier Canoe Restaurant + Bar in Toronto about winter wines and pairings. This interview was originally published in the luxury lifestyle magazine Homefront. What’s the best thing about being a sommelier at Canoe? The variety of wines and spirits that I get to sample on a daily basis. I’m fortunate to taste from the weird to the wonderful and everything in between: this is my job every day. I also love the wine regions I’m invited to visit around the world. What’s the most expensive bottle in your collection at the […]
Royal York Sommelier Jimson Bienenstock Shares His Secrets for Enjoying Wine
In this interview, I chat with Jimson Bienenstock, Head Sommelier, The Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto about pairing wine with cheese and other vinous matters. This interview was originally published in the luxury lifestyle magazine Homefront. What was your first memorable wine? In 1990, I went to Paris to become bilingual in French. My first visit to a winery was to the small, artisanal Château Gobinaud in the Listrac Haut Medoc region of Bordeaux. It actually wasn’t a “château” at all—more like a big old shed. We bought one barrel of wine from Jean “Papi” Gobinaud, who then showed […]
