Steve Thurlow

At WineAlign, Steve Thurlow is a principal critic and a partner who is presently focused on spirits with a specialty in single malt scotch and boutique gin. He travels widely throughout the world and writes features on spirits and wines from time to time.

He has been tasting whisky for almost 50 years and has taught spirits since the 80s but it is only in the last five years that he has started to write about spirits. His regular visits to distilleries in Scotland were brought to an abrupt halt in 2020 when COVID-19 arrived.

Since 2001, he has been a consultant to international wine and spirit exporting organizations assisting with the growth of their imports to Canada.

He was a contributor to Wine Access, Canada’s national wine magazine, from 2001 until it ceased publication in 2013. Prior to Wine Access, he was an importer of wine and spirits for many years.

However today Steve mostly concerns himself with his wine education and communication business where he leads groups of wine and spirits lovers on several travel trips each year all over the world to explore the wine, spirits, food, culture and history of producing regions.

Steve was the Education Director for IWEG for over a decade. IWEG delivers the International WSET wine and spirits education program in Ontario and has been educating the trade and wine/spirit lovers since 1977. Graduates of IWEG are among the “Who’s Who” of the Ontario and Canadian Alcohol Beverage Industries.

In the past he also spent much time organizing Toronto’s annual international wine festivals. For example, Steve was on the executive team of the Santé Wine Festival from 2003 to 2008

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