Meet The Mentors
John Szabo, Master Sommelier
Master Sommelier John Szabo was the first Canadian to add the “MS” after his name in 2004, and he holds the WSET Diploma with honours, as well as the Canadian Sommelier guild diploma. Today, John is a partner and principal critic for WineAlign.com, Canada’s largest wine publication, and buyer for the WineAlign Exchange wine club, as well as columnist at Modalina, MarQuee and Monarch magazines. Most recently, he joined the team at CellArt as content contributor (words and wine!), a company fusing art and design with function in one-of-a-kind luxury wine cellars. John is co-host of the podcast Wine Thieves with WineAlign partner Sara d’Amato, host of IGTVs 5-7 Winedown on johnszaboms, and also contributes occasionally for international publications such as Wine & Spirits Magazine, Meininger’s, Wine Enthusiast, Canopy, and VinCe Magazine. His latest book, Volcanic Wines: Salt, Grit and Power, earned critical acclaim including the André Simon award for best drinks book. On the consulting side, John has built wine programs across Canada, and is currently sourcing wines for Accor/ Fairmont/ Sofitel Hotels in Québec. He speaks regularly in Canada and internationally and (used to) spend many weeks each year travelling wine country worldwide to keep on top of this fascinating industry.
Areas of Mentorship: consulting, writing, teaching/presenting, tasting/wine judging