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ANNE POPOFF - President As a certified sommelier, Anne Popoff is principal of Le Savoir-Vivre, her wine consulting firm. Prior to that, Anne spent many years with SOPEXA, a French marketing and communications agency specializing in French wine and food. Anne entered the wine business after an international career in investment banking. She has completed Level 4 (Diploma) of the Wine and Spirits Education Trust offered by the Independent Wine Education Guild and is a member of the Society of Wine Educators. Sommelier, Wine Consultant Le Savoir-Vivre 292 Indian Grove Toronto, ON M6P 2H5 Tel: 416- 815-8555 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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MICHELLE MCCARTHY - Vice-President and Education Chair Certified Sommelier, wine educator and writer, holds the Diploma of Wine from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, and is on the Board of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS). Michelle is committed to the education and training of staff within the industry and honed her skill at program development and delivery while Chair, Continuing Education Hospitality & Tourism, at George Brown College. She is the lead on the CAPS Sommelier Certification Program. Currently she teaches at a number of Colleges, the Wine and Spirit Education Trust programs, and conducts private and corporate seminars. Michelle is a member of CAPS, the Society of Wine Educators, Women’s Culinary Network, Eau de Vie and Associate Member of the Institute of Wine. Tel: 519-766-2955 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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MARY JANE BAXTER - Membership Chair Currently Manager of Catering and Special Events at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Mary Jane has been actively pursuing her knowledge of wine over the last few years. She was awarded her Advanced WSET certificate in 2008, and went on to achieve her designation as a Certified Sommelier through CAPS and subsequently through the Court of Masters in 2009. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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JIMSON BIENENSTOCK - Hospitality Liaison Co-Chair Jimson grew up in small-town Ontario, and left Canada in 1979 bound for London. Armed with a Masters of Molecular Biology from Cambridge University, he worked his way around the world as a Production Manager in the cane sugar business. He went to Paris in 1990 to learn French at the Sorbonne, and became hooked in the bar business while working as a bartender in the trendy cocktail bar and restaurant – Café Pacifico – in left bank Paris - Montparnasse. Over the next 15 years, he helped launch Foster’s Beer in France by setting up a chain of bars and restaurants, and set up four of his own boutique wine bars in Paris. He still owns the tiny wine bar, Bubar, 50m from Place de la Bastille. He also has a bilingual English and French executive MBA received with “félicitations du jury” - the highest honours - from Paris’ ESSEC business school in 2003. He returned to Canada with his Swedish wife and two young French born daughters to raise his family in the best city in the world – Toronto. Living in the Beaches, he is currently the General Manager & Sommelier of George Restaurant, and Food and Beverage Director & Sommelier of Verity Women’s Club. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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JP Chalet – Hospitality Liaison Co-Chair Currently the Chef/Owner of ICI Bistro and owner of JP & Company, JP has been the Executive Chef at several of Toronto’s top restaurants including The Fifth, Le Select, Auberge de Pommier, Bouchon, the Windsor Arms and also Inn at Manitou. JP believes strongly in the training and development of skilled cooks and chefs and is a part-time Chef/Professor at George Brown Chef School. JP demonstrated his commitment CAPS and to the world of food and wine by also achieving his Certified Sommelier designation though CAPS (2006) and serving on the Board since 2003. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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SARA D’AMATO – Public Relations Chair Sara d’Amato is a Toronto-based wine consultant, sommelier and contributor to Vines Magazine. She has worked in cellars both in Niagara and in France and formerly as Sommelier of Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. A graduate of the University of Toronto and of Niagara College’s winery and viticulture technician program, she was the youngest and only woman to win the grand prize at Canadian Renaissance Wine Tasting Challenge in 2006 as featured in CBC’s Wine Confidential Documentary. Sara has been awarded The Ontario Hosteliery’s “Top 30 Under 30” Award and is a staunch promoter of local wine and gastroculture. . In addition to serving on the CAPS Board, Sara is a member of the Wine Writer’s Circle of Canada and participates in judging wine competitions across the country. Tel: 647 407 7728 email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it web: www.saradamato.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/saradamato Vines Blog:http://www.vinesmag.com/sitepages/?aid=266&cn=&an=Sara%20d%27Amato%27s%20Blog
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ALEXANDRA EVANS – Competitions and Technical Committee Chair Currently at Scaramouche restaurant, Alex has previously been the General Manager at Celestin, Boba and Le Paradis. After successfully passing the George Brown Wine Education 1 and 2 she obtained the Sommelier Diploma in 2006 through CAPS. Alex also consults on wine lists and and purchases for personal cellars with her own company, “uncorked”. She has mentored many fledgling sommeliers and most recently, Alex successfully managed the Best Ontario Sommelier Competition. She would like to continue mentoring CAPS students and grooming candidates for future competitions. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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SARAH GODDARD - Secretary Sarah Goddard is a certified sommelier having graduated from the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers program in 2008. She is completing the WSET Diploma and is employed at 1800 Degrees. Sarah is president of her company, Simply Sommelier, which provides a number of consulting services. (http://www.simply-sommelier.com) She is also the Feature Writer for the Old World Wine section of the online magazine called, Suite 101. (http://OldWorldWine.suite101.com) and writes regularly in her wine blog Sommelier Scribbler. (www.sommelierscribbler.wordpress.com) She also occasionally writes for other online and print publications including Food and Drink Magazine and Cottage Life. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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JENNIFER HUETHER-VRANJES – Sponsorship and Special Events Chair Currently the Head Sommelier for Maple Leaf Sport’s and Entertainment Ltd. at the Air Canada Center, Jennifer oversees a large award winning wine program spanning several different restaurants, with an investment of wine in the hundreds of thousands, and leading a team of dynamic Sommeliers. Jennifer’s graduated ‘top of class’ at the International Sommelier Guild in 2000 and went on to gain the Diploma of Wine and Spirits from IWEG in 2003. Jennifer was then accepted into the Advanced Sommelier Program from the Court of Master Sommeliers and gained accreditation in 2004 in London, England. Now a Master Sommelier Candidate Jennifer is a very active member of the wine community. Jennifer won the title of ‘the Best Ontario Sommelier, 2006’ awarded by CAPS as well as being voted ‘the Best Sommelier in Toronto’ by wine guru Tony Aspler in 2006. Jennifer lends training and support to other Sommelier’s who are in competition or writing exams and mentors Sommeliers “stage” several times a year at the Air Canada Center. She also currently teaches the Service element of the Sommelier program for CAPS. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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ELSA MACDONALD – IT/Website Chair Marketing Manager with Vincor Canada, A Constellation Company, Elsa develops and promotes Canadian wines and wine brands. Elsa entered wine after a career as a Management Consultant in Telecom and Financial Services. Elsa was certified by CAPS as a Sommelier in 2006 and became an Associate of the Institute of Wine and Spirits in 2009 (diploma graduate). She received the Inniskillin Award for Top Academic Achievement in the CAPS program and the OIWSBA (Drinks Ontario) Brian Kirkwood Memorial Scholarship Award for top-achieving student in the IWEG/WSET Diploma Program. Tel: 905.564.3003 EXT 5720 email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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BRUCE WALLNER – Treasurer Chef-Sommelier for Paese restaurant. Formerly Chef-Sommelier Hotel du Vin UK and Palazzo Versace hotel, Australia. Bruce gained his Master Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers in November 2009. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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JENNIFER WILHELM – Regional Liaison Chair Proprietor of Wine Finesse and Wine Program Coordinator at Niagara College, Jennifer is heavily involved with the wine world. Based in Niagara she is also the InterVin International Wine Awards Program Coordinator, Toronto Gourmet Food & Wine Expo Coordinator, Resident Sommelier/Event Coordinator, Mark Picone Culinary Studio and a Wine Educator for CAPS & Niagara College. Jennifer is a CAPS certified sommelier and recipient of the 2010 Promote the Promoters Award (Education), CCOVI. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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Ex Officio
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LINDA BRAMBLE - |
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GILBERTO BOJACA - Founding Director of CAPS Gilberto J. Bojaca is a wine educator and certified sommelier. He has held positions including wine director, cellar master, restaurant manager and sommelier in prestigious establishments, most recently at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club in San Diego, The YORK Club, The Granite Club, and the Park Plaza in Toronto. Gilberto is co-founder and past president of CAPS, Ontario chapter and a member of the Society of Wine Educators. He was also founding member and past president of Sommelier Guild of Canada. Sommelier, Wine Educator |
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