What to Ask the Sommelier with Lesley Brown, Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers

Introduction Lesley Brown has been a part of the Canadian Wine Industry for the past 17 years and works with several high profile wine agencies. She holds an International Sommelier Diploma and has taught wine courses to hundreds of students. Lesley is currently the BC Regional Sales Manager for The Bacchus Group and she also sits on the board of directors for the Import Spirit and Vintners Association and has recently taken over as the President of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) BC and the Vice President of the CAPS National Board. Highlights How did Lesley’s travels […]

From Sommelier Scandals to Food Pairing Myths with San Francisco Chronicle Wine Columnist Esther Mobley (Video)

What’s it like to interview one of the biggest rock stars on the planet about her new winery where she’s actually the winemaker? Which food and wine pairing rules are complete bunk? And which actually have merit? Who are the most interesting people and places in the world of wine? That’s exactly what our guest on the Sunday Sipper Club will reveal to us this evening. Our guest this evening has been The San Francisco Chronicle’s wine critic since 2015, covering California wine, beer and spirits. Previously she was an assistant editor at Wine Spectator magazine in New York. She […]

What Does It Take to Become a Master Sommelier with Geoff Kruth

Master Sommelier Geoff Kruth is President of GuildSomm.com, a non-profit membership organization of over 10000 wine professionals. He is one of less than 200 people worldwide to have ever earned the designation of Master Sommelier. He was featured in the 2012 documentary film SOMM, co-produced the film SOMM: Into the Bottle and was a producer of Esquire TV’s Uncorked; he also hosts the GuildSomm audio podcast. Connect with Geoff: Facebook: @geoff.kruth

How to Become the World’s Best Sommelier with Arvid Rosengren (Video)

Our guest was born and raised in Sweden and initially studied Nanotechnology Engineering, but decided to change his career path to food and wine. He has worked at several of the world’s best restaurants in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Britain and New York City. In 2016, he won the World’s Best Sommelier competition, competing with 60 other top sommeliers. This grueling competition held only every three years and tests theoretical knowledge, blind tastings of various beverages and practical service in front of a live audience. And he joins me live now from his restaurant Legacy Records in Manhattan: Welcome to the Sunday […]

Wine Tasting Event Brings Together Top Writers and Sommeliers

March 15, 2018March 15, 2018 Natalie MacLean Leave a comment

During our team tasting this past Sunday, our nation’s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered to taste more than 70 wines throughout the day, with different members attending at different times. You’ll find all of our reviews, scores and tasting notes here. Many of these reviews are published in the magazines and newspapers to which our team contributes. Some members use this as an opportunity to find wines to feature on the television or radio segments. The LCBO also often uses the reviews posted here to publish in their LCBO Vintages Magazine. Our next team tastings will be May 6, […]

Video: What Should You Ask a Sommelier?

Our guest this evening has been an active member of the Canadian wine industry for 17 years, working with several high profile wine agencies. She holds an International Sommelier Diploma and has taught wine courses to hundreds of students. She is also the new BC president of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). And she joins me live now from her home in Vancouver: Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club Lesley Brown! Want to know when we go live? Click on “Get Reminder” on the page below: www.nataliemaclean.com/live Click on “Get Notified” at the link above to know […]

How Do You Become a Master Sommelier: Video with Elyse Lambert MS

Our guest this evening has not only earned the coveted Mater Sommelier designation, but she also was named Canada’s Best Sommelier and came fifth in the World’s Best Sommelier event. She has lots of tips and tricks for us when it comes to learning about and appreciating wine. … and she joins me live now from her home in Montreal: Welcome to the Sunday Sipper Club Elyse Lambert! If you’d like to read the comments for this tasting, or make a comment yourself, visit: https://www.facebook.com/natdecants/videos/10155749534974845/ Here’s a sampling of our lively discussion from our Elyse Lambert Video Chat: […]

Live Video Wine Tastings: From Sommeliers to Screwcaps

You won’t want to miss our live video chat with ! Join us Sunday, January 21 at 6 pm EST right here (click on this link below): www.nataliemaclean.com/live Click on the “Follow” and “Like” buttons on this Facebook page to get notified when we go live. Click on the arrow above to hear her story about obtaining the prestigious title of Master Sommelier. Watch previous episodes of the Sunday Sipper Club (SSC) and find out who’s coming up next. Upcoming Video Wine Tastings and Topics Elyse Lambert, MS January 21 […]

Ontario’s Best Sommelier to Compete for National Title

Last night, we were joined by special guest Emily Pearce-Bibona who has just been named Ontario’s Best Sommelier in a gruelling day-long competition. Click on the arrow above to watch the video. We went behind the scenes with Emily to chat about what it was like to compete (and win) in this competition hosted by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. Plus, she shared her expert tips on tasting and enjoying wine, including how to choose a great bottle from a restaurant list, with the help of your sommelier, of course ;) You can read 69 comments here and […]