John Szabo, MS

Master Sommelier John Szabo was the first Canadian to add the “MS” after his name in 2004, and he holds the international Wine & Spirits Education Trust Diploma with honours, as well as the Canadian Sommelier Guild diploma. He’s principal critic for WineAlign, Canada’s premiere wine resource, and co-host and producer of the podcast Wine Thieves with a global following in the trade. He contributes frequently to many international trade and consumer publications.

Books by John include Pairing Food & Wine for Dummies, and the critically acclaimed Volcanic Wines: Salt Grit and Power. On the same theme, he’s also co-founder of Volcanic Wines International, an annual conference in New York City dedicated to celebrating wines grown on volcanic soils worldwide. He’s currently co-writing on a book on wine chemistry.

On the consulting side, John builds wine programs across Canada, and is currently sourcing wines for Accor/Fairmont/Sofitel Hotels in Québec. He has hosted exclusive events and provided expertise for countless financial institutions, law firms and corporations over the years. 

Over his nearly quarter of a century in the wine business, John has travelled to virtually every wine producing country on earth in pursuit of fine wine and fascinating stories, many several times. When he’s not travelling, tasting or writing, you’ll find him tending to his own regenerative organic field blend vineyard and orchard in Prince Edward County, Ontario, where theory becomes practice.

Instagram @johnszaboms X/Twitter @johnszabo