CAPS Ontario

📣 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 🔗

CAPS Ontario | May Wine Brief 2

The sommelier is not at the end of the wine supply chain. They are in the middle of it.

A recently released Deloitte report commissioned by Wine Growers Canada maps the full economic footprint of Canada’s wine ecosystem, & what it reveals matters for every wine professional in this country.

Behind Canada’s wine industry sits a workforce of approximately 99,300 people, from viticulture specialists & winemakers to hospitality professionals, educators, researchers, & sommeliers.

📍 Where those roles exist:
▫️ 21,700 FTEs directly within the wine industry: grape growing, production, distribution, & retail
▫️ 77,600 FTEs across interconnected industries including hospitality, tourism, transportation, events, & culture

What reports like this do not always capture is the daily work behind the numbers: the sommelier introducing a guest to Niagara Riesling for the first time, the educator helping place a graduate into their first wine role, or the certified professional helping make the Canadian wine conversation credible at the table.

That is the work CAPS Ontario exists to support through certification, mentorship, education, & advocacy for the professionals carrying this industry forward.

As Canadian wine continues to mature globally, fluency in our own regions is increasingly becoming a professional differentiator within hospitality.

The industry has earned that attention, & so have the people who built it.

Where do you see the greatest opportunity for wine professionals in Canada right now?

📖 Report commissioned by Wine Growers Canada & prepared by Deloitte Canada.👇

Last chance to apply for the New Zealand Wine Sommelier Scholarship & ‘Sommit™’
Applications close this week!
This is your opportunity to represent Canada and travel to New Zealand in February 2027 for an immersive, once-in-a-career experience.
The journey begins with our “Somewhat Sommit” — a one-day, high-impact learning session led by Christopher Sealy and Master of Wine Jacky Blisson.
From all applications, 10 sommeliers from the East Coast will be selected to participate in these sessions. From there, one final candidate will be chosen to attend:
📍 Toronto – June 8 (open to all East Coast applicants, Ontario east)
📍 ✈️ Travel to these sessions will be covered
🍷 The Sommit™ (Jan 22–23, 2027)
🌿 Sauvignon Blanc NZ (Feb 2–4, 2027)
🍇 Exclusive winery visits and tastings across New Zealand
If you’re a working sommelier looking to deepen your knowledge and connect with the global wine community, now is the time.
👉 Applications close this week - Friday, May 8th
📩 Questions? Contact Melissa Stunden - [email protected]

Don’t miss your chance!