CAPS Ontario

CAPS Ontario Career Board

A new opportunity has been shared with our community.

Authentic Wine & Spirits and Masi Agricola are currently seeking a Fine Wine Ambassador to represent Masi across Ontario.

This full-time, GTA-based role focuses on wine education, trade engagement, relationship building, and brand advocacy within Ontario’s fine wine community.

If you’re passionate about Italian wine, storytelling, and connecting with sommeliers, hospitality professionals, and collectors, this may be an opportunity worth exploring.

🔗For the full job description and application details, visit the link in our bio.

Good luck to all applicants.

🌍 INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH ASI

Exciting opportunity : Two volunteer opportunities for sommeliers interested in gaining international experience and contributing to ASI events.

🇵🇹 ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World 2026
📍 Lisbon, Portugal
📅 October 11–17, 2026

Volunteers are invited to be part of this exceptional international sommelier event.

🗓 Application deadline: June 10, 2026

🇧🇷 ASI Bootcamp 2026
📍 São Paulo, Brazil
📅 July 20–24, 2026

The sixth edition of the ASI Bootcamp offers a unique opportunity to learn how ASI organizes and manages these events and to apply that knowledge to local events in the future.

Volunteers will also have the chance to meet leading wine professionals and colleagues from around the world, including Sören Polonius, Marc Almert, Doug Frost, Isa Bal, Emily Wines, and others.

To apply, interested sommeliers should send their résumé, profile photo, and contact number to Kim Thygesen ([email protected]) by June 12, 2026.

ASI will provide accommodation and meals for selected volunteers. Transportation to São Paulo is the responsibility of the volunteer.

🗓 Application deadline: June 12, 2026

🔗 Application details and links are available in our Linktree in bio.

CAPS Brief — June 🍷

Global wine consumption fell to roughly 208 million hectolitres in 2025, the lowest level in more than 60 years. Closer to home, Canada’s direct-to-consumer alcohol deadline passed with most provinces still not fully open, Ontario VQA wines continued to gain shelf presence at the LCBO, and new Minimum Wholesale Prices for wine take effect June 22.

The themes are clear: a structurally smaller global market, evolving consumer behaviour, ongoing trade barriers, growing opportunities for Ontario wine, and increasing pressure on margins.

Swipe for the signal, not the noise.

Sources available in the comments.



CAPS Brief is a monthly roundup of the developments most relevant to sommeliers, educators, buyers, agents, wineries, and hospitality professionals.

‼️Last Chance to Register – Wines of Provence Broadcast

Registration closes in less than a week-
June 9th for this special Wines of Provence tasting and educational broadcast hosted by .

While Provence is celebrated around the world for its iconic rosés, the region’s story extends far beyond a single style. Join fellow wine professionals as we explore the diversity, terroirs, appellations, and evolving wine landscape of one of France’s most influential regions.

🍷 Guided tasting & discussion
📍 207 Queens Quay, Suite 401
🕜 Registration: 1:30 PM ET
🎥 Broadcast begins: 2:00 PM ET

🎟️ $25 CAPS Members | $35 Non-Members
📅 Registration Deadline: June 9

Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of Provence and connect with fellow members of the wine community

Registration available through the link in bio 🔗

🇫🇷 Provence is far more than just rosé.

CAPS Canada invites wine professionals to a special Wines of Provence broadcast on June 11 hosted by .

Known for their freshness, elegance & unmistakable Mediterranean character, the wines of Provence extend far beyond their iconic rosés. This in-person group viewing offers an opportunity to explore the region’s diversity, terroirs & evolving styles through guided tasting & discussion.

Provence is recognized globally for its expertise in rosé production, with rosé accounting for close to 90% of the region’s wine production.

📍 207 Queens Quay, Suite 401

🕜 Registration: 1:30 PM ET
🍷 Broadcast begins promptly at 2:00 PM ET

🎟️ $25 (CAPS Members) & $35 (Non-Members) per ticket
📅 Registration deadline: June 9

Registration details available through the link in bio 🔗

📣 CAPS Ontario members, a limited-time 20% member offer for the 2026 School of Cool at the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (I4C) is now available.

One of Canada’s most respected cool climate wine gatherings returns July 16 at White Oaks Resort with guided tastings, leading producers, educational sessions, and conversations shaping the future of cool climate wine.

A full day dedicated to learning, tasting, and connecting with wine professionals from across the industry.

Visit the CAPS Ontario website to access the member code and registration details.

Offer available until May 29.
➡️ Link in Bio 🔗

🍇 Uncork the Grape with CAPS Ontario: Chardonnay

🎂May 21, International Chardonnay Day

📍 Origin & Identity
Chardonnay originated in eastern France & is most closely associated with Burgundy, where it forms the foundation of some of the world’s most studied & age-worthy white wines. DNA profiling has identified Chardonnay as a natural crossing of Pinot Noir & Gouais Blanc.

From the limestone soils of Chablis to the Côte de Beaune, Chardonnay has become one of the world’s most widely planted & adaptable grape varieties, expressing climate, soil, & winemaking decisions with exceptional clarity.

🥂 In the Glass
Typically dry with medium to high acidity, Chardonnay ranges from lean & mineral in cool climates to rich & textural in warmer ones. Cool-climate expressions show green apple, lemon, chalk, & stony mineral character. Oak maturation & lees ageing contribute brioche, hazelnut, vanilla, & spice. Its restrained primary aromatic profile is part of what makes it one of the clearest expressions of terroir & cellar technique among white varieties.

🌍 Where It Thrives: 🇫🇷 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇮🇹 🇿🇦 🇨🇱

🇨🇦 Ontario
Chardonnay remains one of Ontario’s most important VQA varieties, particularly across the Niagara Peninsula.
Ontario Chardonnay continues to gain international recognition through the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) , returning to Niagara July 16–19. Since its inaugural event in 2011, i4C has brought together leading cool-climate producers, sommeliers, educators, & wine professionals from around the world, helping establish Niagara among the world’s leading cool-climate Chardonnay regions.
We look forward to joining the broader wine community at I4C.

🍽️ Classic PairingsShellfish, roast chicken, lobster with beurre blanc, mushroom dishes, triple-cream cheeses, & Comté.

✨ From razor-sharp & mineral to layered & complex, Chardonnay remains one of the clearest reflections of climate, site, & winemaking philosophy in a single grape variety.

🥂 What’s in your glass today?

🍷 Meet the Professionals Behind CAPS Ontario

This Wine Wednesday , we’re featuring our Education Director, Elsa MacDonald MW.

▫️ Master of Wine
▫️ Head of WSET Diploma-George Brown Polytechnic
▫️ International Wine Judge
▫️ Wine Educator & Industry Consultant

Elsa brings extensive experience across wine education, judging, consulting, and professional development within the global wine industry.

Her current roles include:
• Decanter World Wine Awards Judge
• WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada Judge
• Board Member- International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration
• Institute of Masters of Wine Committee Member

We’re incredibly proud to have her helping lead education at CAPS Ontario.

🇨🇦 Happy Victoria Day from CAPS Ontario

Whether you’re opening a special bottle, visiting wine country, enjoying a patio pour, or simply taking a well-earned pause, we hope the weekend brings a little sunshine & time to recharge.

Cheers to the unofficial start of summer ☀️