2019 Sommelier Committee

Montréal Passion Vin activities are choreographed like a fine ballet. Our committee of sommeliers ensures that the event runs smoothly and that it pays the greatest respect to the rare wines that are served throughout the weekend! 

VÉRONIQUE RIVEST

Committee President

Highly respected sommelier on the national and international stages, Véronique Rivest has over 30 years’ experience. She namely placed second in the World’s Best Sommelier Competition, becoming the first woman in history to ascend the podium of this prestigious competition. In 2014, she opened SOIF Bar à Vin in Gatineau. Through conferences and features in magazines and shows enjoyed all over the world, she conveys her passion for wine and the culinary arts.

VINCENT LAFORTUNE 

Trained as a sommelier as well as in food and restaurant management, Vincent Lafortune is the man behind Un monde Exquis, a company that specializes in developing wine and gastronomy-related projects. He oversees the Salon International des vins et spiritueux de Québec as well as the Festival Québec Exquis! He is also the President and Editor of Exquis magazine and the instigator of Somm360. These days, he tends to broaden his sphere of activity to other markets, including New York, Chicago, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto and Bruxelles.

JEAN-SÉBASTIEN DELISLE 

A professional sommelier, Jean-Sébastien Delisle has worked as head sommelier in a number of restaurants. He also teaches at the École Hôtelière de la Capitale as well as being the wine preparation Chef de Brigade of the Sélections Mondiales des Vins Canada Competition for over 10 years. In order to develop closer relationships with winemakers and promote the ecological aspect of cultivating a terroir, for the past decade, he has dedicated himself to his wine agency, Symbiose Vins, which boasts over 90 producers from around the world.

ÉMILIE ALTHOT-ROBITAILLE

Émilie fell under the spell of the wine world during her studies in restaurant management. Curious to learn more about it, she specialized as a sommelier and interned at an Alsatian vineyard. This is where curiosity turned into passion. After spending a few years in Québec restaurants, she became director of events alongside Vincent Lafortune, the President of Un monde Exquis. For the past four years, she has worked for this company, which namely produces the Salon International des vins et spiritueux de Québec, the Festival Québec Exquis! and Somm360.

The HMR Foundation thanks them wholeheartedly!