National Tasting Panel

NATIONAL TASTING PANEL

The Wine Access National Tasting Panel includes some of the best wine writers and palates from across Canada.

Anthony Gismondi
Anthony Gismondi is Canada's most influential wine critic. He is currently in his tenth year at Wine Access, his third as the editor-in-chief, and he is completing eighteen years as the weekly wine columnist at the Vancouver Sun. A writer, broadcaster and speaker, his expertise is widely acknowledged throughout the international wine community. His comprehensive wine website, www.gismondionwine.com, attracts over 750,000 hits a month from 70 countries. An avid proponent of appellations and site-specific wines, Anthony spends at least three months of the year travelling the world's vineyards to experience the wine notion of “terroir” in person.

David Lawrason
As the founding editor of Wine Access, David Lawrason still contributes wine reviews to the magazine and the Canadian Wine Annual. He is the wine columnist for Toronto Life and has a blog at www.torontolife.com. He is also an instructor for the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and conducts consumer and trade courses in Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, Montreal and points in between.

Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson
Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson started in the Winnipeg wine industry over ten years ago, working in a variety of capacities including wine education, consultation and training. He has been the weekly wine columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press for the last three years, maintaining an online blog component, "The Grape Nut," as well. Ben is a regular contributor to Wine Access magazine adna frequent judge at both the IVWA and CWA. 

Craig Pinhey
Craig Pinhey graduated as a Certified Sommelier in 2000 and is a board member of the Atlantic Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, for which he also teaches. He makes his living writing, teaching, designing wine lists, doing restaurant service training and conducting educational tastings in the region's restaurants. Pinhey is wine writer for the New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, CBC Radio's Friday Wine Guy, and also writes regular beverage columns for New Brunswick's weekly: [here] newspaper, Halifax's The Coast, East Coast Living and Progress magazine. 

John Szabo
John Szabo is Canada's first, and currently only, Master Sommelier, earning the title in 2004. He has been working in the hospitality business for more than 15 years. John carries a lot on his plate as he lives and breaths wine while travelling the wine regions of the world, tasting wines and writing about them, teaching and consulting about wines as he manages an education and consulting firm, specializing in restaurant wine program design. He is the editor for the Wine Access First-in-Line eReport, and wine editor and columnist for Toronto's City Bites magazine.

Steve Thurlow
Steve Thurlow co-founded the International Value Wine Awards with Anthony Gismondi and was IVWA Competition Director for its first 2 years. Steve is a judge at many international wine competitions such as Decanter World Wine Awards, Vinitaly and Veritas in South Africa. In 2001, Steve established his wine education business, Wine for Life which teaches consumer, restaurant and corporate groups about wine and he is education director for IWEG that delivers education to the wine trade in Ontario.

Stuart Tobe
Stuart Tobe is a regular Wine Access contributor and tasting panel member, and is the Director of Tastings for Gismondionwine.com (www.gismondionwine.com). He has a BSc in Biochemistry/Microbiology, a MSc. degree in Enology from the University of California Davis, an MBA and is a CFA charter holder. Stuart has been active in the wine industry for more than 25 years. Stuart is also a Past President of the Vancouver Australian Wine Appreciation Society and is a council member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux chapter in Vancouver. 

William Zacharkiw
While he never took a formal course on wine, Bill refined his knowledge in the kitchens and tasting rooms of the Montreal restaurant scene. Twenty years later, he is the weekly wine writer for the Montreal Gazette, as well as the wine buyer and head sommelier at one of Quebec's most prestigious restaurants, L'Eau a la Bouche in the Laurentians north of Montreal. His writing career began with his blog, The Caveman's Wineblog, which was declared by the Wall Street Journal to be one of the five most interesting wine blogs on the web.

Jeff Davis
As the former archivist at the Hockey Hall of Fame, he has authored and co-authored several sports books. Jeff graduated with a diploma from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust in 2000, and has several years of experience writing and editing in a number of fields. 

Tom Firth
Tom Firth first started the wine business in 1996 when he worked for one of the largest private wine retailers in Canada in their fine wine department, and later with the Kensington Wine Market as one of their on-staff experts and buyers. He is a frequent contributor to Calgary’s City Palate and Wine Access.

DJ Kearney
DJ Kearney accumulates trillions of frequent flyer miles toiling for the International Sommelier Guild throughout North America. She brings a professional culinary background, presenter and judging experience to the many students she has instructed through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and the International Sommelier Guild. DJ's credentials include a Professional Sommelier Diploma, the WSET Diploma, a black belt and a marathon or three.