Michael Godel

Michael Godel
Followers (293)
Reviews (29360)
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For the past 12 years Michael Godel has been tasting and assessing wine as a journalist, a critic and partner at WineAlign.com. He is often called “Godello,” a nickname that just happens to double as a terrific white Spanish grape. Godel has spent the better part of his writing career travelling planet wine in search of varietal truth and in that time has crafted more than 28,000 lengthy tasting notes, most of them positive, all of them thorough. He processes his thoughts, musings, stream of consciousness and experiences on wine, travel, music and pop culture at his eponymous website godello.ca.

Chef Michael hung up his well-used, 25 year-old whites when he closed up shop in December 2013 after a rewarding 25-year culinary run in Toronto restaurants and with the catering business he owned called All Our Favourite Foods. In March of 2011 he teamed up with Chef David Neinstein at Toronto's Barque Smokehouse and March 2023 will mark his 13th anniversary as Wine Director of the Toronto restaurant. He also makes a line of small lot wines out of Chianti Classico in Tuscany and the Niagara Peninsula, including Corretta Chianti Classico, All Day Rosé, Interloper Cabernet Franc, As Is Field Blend and Paramour Gamay.

Investigative wine travels in the last seven years have included destinations like British Columbia, Nova Scotia, California, New York, Argentina, South Africa, Germany, France, Portugal and Spain, but Italy has commanded much of Godel’s attention. Fortune has smiled to the tune of 25 trips in seven years with half of them to Tuscany and Chianti Classico. In February 2018 the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico made Godel one of their first five recipients of an Ad Honorem title, “Ambasciatore.” Now as Canadian ambassador he educates on behalf of the Tuscan territory’s Gallo Nero and their noble Sangiovese. Ten excursions in Montalcino have also led to educating on behalf of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino. From 2016-2019 these Sangiovese investigations took the form of in person seminars and masterclasses for sommeliers, trade and media, but also restaurant staff education. In 2020 and 2021 the pivot led to lecturing more than a dozen online webinar sessions. Godel has also served as an educator for the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO), Rioja Wines, Vins de Bourgogne and Wines of Portugal, including for the wines of Vinho Verde.

Serving as a judge for the annual WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada since 2013 has been the greatest honour and Godello has always been proud to taste, assess and award medals alongside colleague David Lawrason at Canada’s Great Kitchen Party and with Tony Aspler’s Ontario Wine Awards. Michael lives in Toronto with his wife of 28 years and three children.

http://godello.ca

Latest Reviews (28915 in total)

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  Wine Rating Price Quantity  
Flat Rock Nature Pinot Noir 2017, Twenty Mile Bench Bottle
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Flat Rock Nature Pinot Noir 2017, Twenty Mile Bench
Ontario, Canada
15543
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$50.00 Shopping_bag
Dirty Laundry Cellar Series Malbec 2019, Okanagan Valley Bottle
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Dirty Laundry Cellar Series Malbec 2019, Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada
16223
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$29.99 Shopping_bag
Sumac Ridge Private Reserve Gewurztraminer 2020, Okanagan Valley Bottle
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Sumac Ridge Private Reserve Gewurztraminer 2020, Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada
157495
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$8.95 None
(0)W
Country Vines Reserve Merlot 2017 Bottle
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Country Vines Reserve Merlot 2017
British Columbia, Canada
14853
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$31.50 Shopping_bag
Baillie Grohman Gewürztraminer 2020, BC VQA Kootenays Bottle
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Baillie Grohman Gewürztraminer 2020, BC VQA Kootenays
British Columbia, Canada
16461
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$22.00 None
(0)
Liber Farm Grand Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2017, Similkameen Valley Bottle
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Liber Farm Grand Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2017, Similkameen Valley
British Columbia, Canada
16734
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$32.19 Shopping_bag
Fielding Estate Bottled Pinot Gris 2020, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore Bottle
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Fielding Estate Bottled Pinot Gris 2020, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore
Ontario, Canada
15766
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$21.95 Shopping_bag
13th Street Chardonnay 2020, VQA Niagara Peninsula Bottle
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13th Street Chardonnay 2020, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada
15712
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$24.95 None
(0)
Trius Distinction Divine White 2019, VQA Niagara Peninsula Bottle
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Trius Distinction Divine White 2019, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada
15940
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$22.75 Shopping_bag
Gaspereau Cuvee Brut Traditional Method Sparkling Bottle
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Gaspereau Cuvee Brut Traditional Method Sparkling
Nova Scotia, Canada
16374
Review added: October 26, 2021
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$27.99 Shopping_bag
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