Montréal Passion Vin 2018 is taking a woman’s perspective
19 June 2018
Five of the wine world’s most influential voices will be taking the helm to unlock the full potential of the eight prestigious wine tastings in store for you on November 9th and 10th. Joining us this year: Véronique Rivest, Élyse Lambert, Nadia Fournier, Véronique Dalle and Isabel Bordeleau, all of them passionate and experts when it comes to great vintages. World class sommeliers as well as renowned speakers and columnists, thanks to their many years of experience, the hosts of this edition will bring out the best of Montréal Passion Vin in every sip!
Véronique Rivest
Highly respected sommelier on the national and international stages, Véronique Rivest is a seasoned specialist with over 30 years in the hospitality industry as well as having experience as a trainer and consultant. She won the title of Best Sommelier of Canada in 2006 and in 2012, the year in which she was also named Best Sommelier of the Americas. In 2013, she 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, Véronique opened SOIF Bar à Vin in Gatineau, a place to share and learn around a glass of wine. A speaker and a columnist for several magazines and shows, she is an outstanding communicator who excels in conveying her passion for wine and the culinary arts. In 2017, Véronique became Air Canada’s official Sommelier.
Élyse Lambert
Élyse Lambert has held a number of positions in highly renowned establishments such as Relais & Châteaux L’Eau à la Bouche, Auberge Hatley and XO in Hotel Le St-James. Head Sommelier at Le Local for 5 years, she then worked with the team of sommeliers at the Ritz-Carlton’s Maison Boulud. She now shares her passion as a consultant and a columnist for the Journal de Montréal and Radio-Canada. She won the competition for Best Sommelier of the Americas in 2009. In 2015, she won Best Sommelier of Canada and placed 5th at the World’s Best Sommelier Competition in 2016. She recently completed the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers Program, becoming the 4th Canadian and the very first person from Québec to be awarded the title of Master Sommelier.
Nadia Fournier
In 2007, Nadia Fournier began her collaboration as a writer of the Guide du vin alongside her mentor Michel Phaneuf. Since 2011, she has single-handedly held the reins of the bestseller, which is celebrating its 38th anniversary this year. She is also a partner and the head wine critic of the Chacun Son Vin website, in addition to contributing to Exquis and L’Actualité magazines, in which she pens the wine of the week and Goût d’ici columns, dedicated to Québec food and alcohol.
Véronique Dalle
Sommelier and co-owner of Moleskin, Véronique Dalle was also a member of the ITHQ faculty for many years. Passionate about wine and the culinary arts, she is committed to conveying the notion of drinking well and to supporting agriculture and viticulture that aim to bring out the flavour of the terroir.
A professional musician and graduate of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, Véronique also graduated from the ITHQ and from the Sommelier-Conseil Program of the Université du Vin de Suze-la-Rousse. She was awarded scholarships from the Fondation Marc Bourgie, the AHQ and the Fondation Gérard-Delage. In addition to working for the Roux brothers in Europe, she also taught Sommellerie at the ITHQ from 2004 to 2015 and was Head Sommelier at Pullman for 13 years.
Isabel Bordeleau
A graduate of the ITHQ, Isabel is passionate about wine and food and she loves to travel. After a four years as Élyse Lambert’s right hand at Le Local, in 2012, she was offered the position of Head Sommelier at Daniel Boulud’s highly renowned restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Montréal. Named Sommelier of the Year in 2016 by the internationally renowned Gault et Millau guide, today, she is Head Sommelier at the Pullman Wine Bar in Montréal as well as penning the Maison Boulud Chef’s food and wine pairing column in La Presse +.
