John Szabo, MS
John is Canada’s first Master Sommelier. He’s a partner and principal critic for WineAlign and authors the bi-monthly Vintages Preview Report, also published on nationalpost.ca and he is wine editor for Toronto’s CityBites Magazine. His freelance work has been seen in Wine & Spirits Magazine, En Route, the Globe and Mail, and Grapevine Magazine among others, and his views are heard regularly on Classical 96.3FM. He is author of Sommelier Management used by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers, and of Pairing Food and Wine For Dummies.
John also designs wine programs, with the Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto, OTG management at Pearson International Airport, and Cafe-Bar-Pasta among current clients, and is head buyer for the Sommelier Service Wine Club. He teaches, speaks, judges and travels around the world, and to round out his experience and get closer to the land, he also owns a small vineyard in Eger, Hungary, the J&J Eger Wine Co. And as a holder of a 3rd degree black belt in Goju-Karate-do, his grapes are well protected, too.
Read our interview with John below…
1. How many years have you been working with wine?
Closing in on twenty. Oh my.
2. What was your first wine related job, article, or assignment?
The first article I wrote was a piece on Hungary and tokaji in 2001 for Wine Access Magazine. David Lawrason was the editor. He thought it was worth printing, thankfully. Other than that, I’ve studied, bought, sold, served and taught about wine at various periods over the last two decades.
3. Is there a grape or style of wine you are personally attached to?
Any wine that doesn’t get repetitive, like a scratched record, after the first sip.
4. What was your first Canadian “aha” wine moment?
Something from an Ontario winery in the late eighties. I thought, wow, this is really bad; any more of that Chilean wine kicking around? (Note: Ontario wines have improved considerably since then.) My first positive aha was the 1998 Temkin-Paskus Chardonnay from Niagara, a co-pro between wine writer Stephen Temkin and winemaker Deborah Paskus, who had set out to do just that- wow folks with how good local chardonnay could be.
5. Which grape(s) do you feel is/are Canada’s best bets in terms of producing top quality wine?
Chardonnay, cabernet franc and gamay in Niagara, chardonnay and pinot noir in PEC, syrah, chardonnay and pinot gris in the Okanagan, chardonnay and l’Acadie Blanc in Nova Scotia. Riesling also works just about everywhere, but the truly top quality sites are fewer than most people will tell you.
6. What would you like consumers to know about Canadian wine?
The best stuff is made from fresh, not frozen grapes.
7. How many years have you judged Canadian wine?
Err, ten or eleven I think.
8. What do you enjoy most about judging at The Nationals?
Getting a detailed look at the state of Canadian wine from coast to coast, stimulating discussions with fellow judges, meeting and talking with winemakers during outside events, and general immersion in the wine scene – it’s a unique opportunity. Frisbee at lunch is also fun.
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