Originally from Seattle, WA, USA. Paul studied theatre in NYC. There he waited tables between acting gigs, and eventually fell into fine dining. During parts of his 13 years in New York City, Paul worked as a dining room captain at the then 3 michelin starred restaurant Jean-Georges. From there Paul took several wine programs under the American Sommelier Association before studying up for the CMS certified exam, which he decided to take in Toronto. For the next two years after passing, Paul went on to to work as a junior sommelier at Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group. During this time, Paul and his wife Cathy who is originally from Welland, Ontario decided to move north to be closer to family. After landing in Hamilton, Paul connected with a former USHG alum, Sommelier Jose Luis Fernandez and worked under him at Quatrefoil Restaurant in Dundas, Ontario. During this time, Paul took classes at the SommFactory in Toronto leading up to preparing for the CMS advance exam. He then moved onto to work at Chef Ryan Crawford's farm to table restaurant Backhouse in Niagara-On-The-Lake alongside Sommelier Bill Mochoruk. Paul is currently back in Hamilton working at Victoria's Steak and Seafood as their resident sommelier and hopes to continue his education when Covid-19 subsides.

WSET and Italian Wine Scholar who has a passion for discovering the various terroirs of the world and eventually getting into wine-making and vineyard management.

Mike Wong is the Assistant Wine Director at @Chambar_Restaurant, a uniquely cultural Belgian-Moroccan restaurant in the heart of Vancouver, BC.

Mike is currently pursuing his Level 4 Diploma in Wines with the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) @wsetglobal, and he is also a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers @mastersommeliers_americas

Born and raised in Vancouver, Mike had a multi-cultural upbringing: growing up Canadian while being the offspring of his Vietnamese mother and Chinese father. He grew up learning Chinese, playing the piano and had the privilege of hard-working parents who valued education and hard work.

Although he pursued a university degree in Communication from Simon Fraser University, there was something about the restaurant industry that pulled him out of writing papers and attending lectures. He loved being in a bustling environment where camaraderie, teamwork, and passion for excellence all come together to make people happy and have a great experience.

His love for hospitality can be traced back to his formative years. When he was 17 years old, he first cut his teeth working at a busy English Bay restaurant, where he started out seating tables before moving through the ranks, ending up tending the bar. From here he knew he wanted more and ventured out looking for bigger things, working at several upscale restaurants and bars in the city before considering a move into management.

That opportunity came knocking when he landed in an Italian restaurant where they were in need of a Sommelier. He said yes, started taking his wine courses, and he hasn’t looked back since.

I'm a sales rep in Rogers & Co. I moved to Toronto from Hong Kong about 4 years ago. I got my WSET 3 and CMS (Introductory) in Hong Kong; I finished Italian Wine Scholar in IWEG; now I'm self studying a Niagara wine course.
My first love is Bordeaux Grand Cru - thanks to the 1986 Clerc Milon my friend's dad opened in 2012. I then joined a Left Bank Bordeaux Cup blind tasting competition in 2014. My team was the champion in Hong Kong and we got sent to Bordeaux for the final competition with participants from 7 other countries. The final competition was held in Chateau Lafite's cellar, and this experience has become one of my most memorable wine experience. I'm glad that I then took WSET 3 that introduced me wine from all over the world to make me a more open-minded drinker and wine lover.
I share my wine reviews on Instagram, handle is @uncorksomething.

Over the past decade, a successful career in digital marketing & sales in three countries provided many opportunities to travel and meet people across various industries. During this time I developed a love for wines and met many people with fascinating careers in the wine industry. I’d always imagined that someday I would be a part of this industry and took the first step in this direction by signing up for Wines-I at George Brown College. This was followed by Wines-II and I enrolled in the Certified Sommelier program at George Brown College. The program was an incredible journey into the world of wines and after graduating in November 2019, I was convinced that I needed to make a transition in my career.

Over the past year I have been an active part of the industry, from volunteering at events to doing my stage at George and tasting and exploring wines with fellow sommeliers. Presently working with WineAlign, and enrolled in WSET Level 3 program, I plan to further continue my education. As Canadian wines become more popular and pique interest around the world, I’d like to play a small part in promoting our industry and welcoming newbies to our ‘Sommunity’.

I found the transition from the corporate world to the world of wines quite challenging. I’d like to work towards creating a smoother path for new sommeliers/non industry professionals to the wine industry.

I have recently returned to Canada after working in Europe for two years. I have always been a wine lover and am hoping to make a career within the industry.

Graduated with a Bachelors of Commerce from Humber College (2016) and have obtained my WSET 2 in hopes of continuing my education. I have been working with wine, spirits and beer for over 10 years and looking to continue towards that path. A seasoned hospitality veteran (bartender and waiter) who is looking for opportunities within the wine industry. Currently obtaining a certification of Rioja wines.

Looking forward to sharing thoughts and information with all members going forward.

I have been passionate about all things wine and spirits ever since I started working in the hospitality industry about ten years ago. I worked as a junior distiller for several years in the Okanagan, right at the heart of Canadian wine country. Although my wine knowledge was pretty minimal back then, I collaborated with several local wineries through the distillery, which sparked my interest in wine as well. I moved to Vancouver, BC three years ago and ended up working at a wine bar in a managerial position, and hence, currently expanding my wine knowledge with WSET 3. My education background is in Environmental Sciences, so I hope to marry my two passions one day by pursuing sustainable viticulture.

I started my career in hospitality back in 2011 while I was living and studying in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to that I went to university for Accounting and worked in financial audit in my home country of Brazil.

In 2013 I joined the beverage team of a major cruise line company, where I had the opportunity to learn more about the world of beverages while traveling to some amazing destinations. In 2015 I decided to go back to college, and moved to Toronto, Canada, where I attended the Hospitality program at George Brown College, I graduated the program in 2017 with a 4.0 GPA and was the recipient of the International Scholarship Excellence Award.

My passion for wine started while I was attending George Brown College, I attended a basic wine course as part of my curriculum in which I excelled, so I decided to seek further knowledge. I took WSET Level 3, and eventually joined The Sommelier Factory program, which has been an integral part of my learning experience.

Between 2015 and 2018 I worked in Food & Beverage for Fairmont and Marriott Hotels. I had the opportunity to work as a Sommelier for Byblos Toronto, Air Canada Signature Lounge, and most recently, I was working under the mentorship of Master Sommelier, Bruce Wallner at Grand Cru Deli.

In 2018 I passed the Certified Exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers, and in 2019 I was also certified by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. That same year I had the opportunity to take the Advanced Sommelier Course with the CMS, and I hope to take the Advanced exam in the next few years.

Currently, I am living in Prince Edward County, where I am working as a Sommelier at Stanners Vineyard.

I hope to further my wine education and share my experiences and passion along the way.

Yvette began her interest in Mezcal after sipping Mezcal Artesanal los Danzantes for first time
at famous restaurant Nicos in Mexico City where she used to live. Before moving to Toronto
Yvette took the “History and Culture of Mezcal Course” at Promezcal Association where she
discovered her love affair with Mexican food and mezcal.

Months later, once settled in Toronto, Yvette started her studies in the fascinating world of
Wine & Spirits which includes:
- WSET levels 1 and 2 in wines, level 2 in spirits
- Sommelier Factory Foundation Program
- CEMMEZ (cemmez.org.mx) Creating Socially Responsible Mezcal Brands

Over the years Yvette has developed collaborations with key players in the Wine and Spirits
industry as an educator, conducting tastings, developing marketing plans and sales.

In 2016 she founded Mezcal People with two goals, guiding mezcal and tequila producers in the
process to enter the Ontario market, and creating a community of enthusiasts that embrace
this fascinating spirit, mezcal.

In the Wine world, Yvette developed a plan to grow the on-premise sales of 3 multi-awarded
Mexican wines and looking forward to expanding the segment of Mexican wine in Ontario.

Yvette also has been an active participant in the community as a volunteer with diverse
professional immigrant associations and non-for profits that helps companies to scale globally
from Toronto.

Yvette is active on Instagram and fb @mezcalpeople

Vidal Wu is a beverage manager at Donna’s, with previous stints at Grey Gardens and The Drake Hotel. He has completed WSET Level 1 and several classes at Sommelier Factory. Prior to restaurants, he worked as a writer covering race, sexuality and culture, with work in Canadian Art, The Outline and TIFF’s The Review. His social media has been featured in Teen Vogue, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Refinery29. He lives in Toronto with his dog, Audrey, and loves wines from Germany and Austria.