Lori DavisIn her capacity as a full time Product Consultant with the LCBO, Lori's position allows her to taste a wide variety of wines and spirits. She has also helped to develop a series of single evening wine appreciation seminars with the city of Kanata Parks and Recreation Department.
Lori is a graduate of Algonquin's Sommelier program where she has taught wine appreciation since 1998. She has taken her love of wine out on the road and toured many wineries in Italy, New Zealand, California and Niagara.
As well she has taken a number of cooking classes and excels at food and wine matching. She declares "her two passions in life are flashy horses and great wines!"
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 Cesare DiFrancoSomeone once said, "Barolo flows through his veins and his passion and respect for the vine is based in his DNA." An honours graduate of the Algonquin Sommelier Program, Caesar brings to the classroom a passion for wine and an enjoyment for public speaking. He was introduced to fine wine in 1997 by way of the Ottawa Wine and Food Show, where he discovered "what wine could be like." From that point on, his thirst for knowledge and discovery of wine has lead to considerable experience and much success in giving public and private wine seminars.
"My two greatest wine pleasures are to speak and educate people about wine, and to enjoy great wine & food with good friends."
Caesar endeavors to make each class fun, interesting and informative and hopes to instill a new respect for the wonderful world of wine.
|  Denise Dompierre
Denise Dompierre always had a passion for wine. After retiring as VP, Worldwide Professional Services for a software company, she completed the Sommelier Certificate from the School of Sommelier at the Algonquin College. She is also a graduate of the Sommelier-Conseil program at the Université du Vin in France. She lived and trained at a vineyard in the Rhone Valley where she worked with the winemaker learning the techniques of winemaking, the management of a vineyard and its operations, and the business of wine. Denise travelled extensively throughout France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, United States and Australia and visited many vineyards. While traveling, she has acquired a broad experience of the international wine industry and developed a keen ability for tasting and appreciating wine. She is also a wine educator. All these experiences have allowed Denise to become a well-rounded wine professional. | 
Natale LofaroA full time LCBO Product Consultant who tastes over 2000 wines a year, Natale has been an instructor in the Sommelier Certificate Program since the Spring of 1998. Attending the prestigious Napa College in the world famous Napa Valley, he earned certificates in 'Viticulture and Winery and Technology' and 'Wine Marketing and Sales'. A graduate of the Sommelier Program he has also completed the University of Guelph's Ontario Grape & Wine Industry Certificate.
Natale has worked for a number of Napa Valley wineries and is himself an amateur winemaker of note. He has toured extensively in the Niagara Peninsula, Okanagan, Napa and Sonoma Valley wine growing regions.
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Antonio MaurielloAntonio Mauriello developed a strong passion for Italian cuisine and for its inseparable companion, wine, while in his native Rome, Italy. He is a graduate of the Associazione Italiana Sommelier in Rome. Now living in Canada’s National Capital since 1997, Antonio is the founder and owner of DiVino Wine Studio, and a gregarious and enthusiastic wine and food authority.
He is a director of the National Capital Sommelier Guild, a sommelier consultant to the Italian Trade Commission and the Italian Embassy. He is an instructor with several wine and culinary associations and schools in Canada and Italy, such as the Algonquin College sommelier program in Ottawa and La Mia Pasta in Tuscany, Italy. Antonio also serves as a restaurant consultant, a wine columnist and a broadcaster, while traveling extensively researching grape varietals, wine producers and regional cuisine.
|  François RochonA recent graduate of the Algonquin Sommelier program, François is a writer/editor by day and a wine lover by night. (Although a small glass of wine at lunch to encourage the creative juices is not out of the question.) He enjoys the intricate marriage of wine and food and is always searching for interesting matches. François brings to the classroom his passion and enthusiasm for wine and strives to make every class fun, informative and tasty.
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Mark TandanMark has held Sommelier positions at both The Empire Grill and the 4-diamond Brookstreet Resort in Ottawa. With over 20 years of restaurant experience, he's had the pleasure of working with great culinary teams and is passionate about finding great wines to pair with great meals.
Prior to moving to Ottawa, Mark served and bar-tended his way through University, and held several restaurant management and consulting positions. Keen on sharing his knowledge, he has established a consulting company with a focus on training hospitality tradespeople in the arts of service and beverage knowledge. He's also done private tastings for groups ranging from financial and pharmaceutical companies to government organizations and white water rafting groups.
A graduate of Algonquin's Sommelier Certificate Program and winner of the Pilliterri/Vittoria Trattoria Sommelier Award of Excellence, Mark believes that wine should always remain fun and incorporates that aspect into every presentation. Now a part-time instructor and full-time consultant, Mark is especially keen about the promotion of quality wine through exceptional training.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 October 2008 01:04 |
