 I never did so well at academia as when I was tasting wine for credits. Algonquin turned a passion into a profession and instilled within me a vision towards a career in the wine business. My experience here also inspired me to pursue further studies at the Niagara College Teaching Winery. I soon realized that as much as I had gathered concerning the sensory evaluation of wine there was still a whole world yet uncovered. It’s really the beauty of the subject – “the more you know, the more you realize you know nothing!” At the conclusion of the program I thought that winemaking was the route for me and worked harvests and in the vineyard at both Le Clos Jordanne and Stratus Vineyards. This was undertaken while continuing to work as Resident Sommelier in what I consider to be the best restaurant in the Niagara Peninsula – The Stone Road Grille (with apologies to fellow Algonquin alum James Treadwell). Here I was proud to have the only exclusively VQA wine list in Ontario, with well over 100 gems that I thought best represented the region. In 2007 a wine tasting tour brought me to the Okanagan Valley. While not intending to stay, I took a look around, tasted the juice, and decided to jump ship and experience the other side of the Canadian wine industry. I began to get my bearings while working in the vineyards at Black Hills Winery and shortly after got the position of Head Sommelier at Mission Hill Family Estate. Today I get to share my experiences and knowledge with people from all over the world while enjoying some of the best wines in the country and indeed beyond. I will always be thankful to the Algonquin Sommelier program for providing a foundation with which to jump whole heartedly into the world of wine. You can contact Jesse at
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Last Updated on Monday, 14 September 2009 00:33 |
