Michael Godel

Michael Godel
Followers (297)
Reviews (31960)
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For the past 13 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 31,000 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 2024 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 10 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 60 trips in ten years with more than half of them to Tuscany and in particular Chianti Classico. In February 2018 the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico made Godel one of their first five recipients of an Ad Honorem title, “Ambasciatore.” As Canadian ambassador he educates on behalf of the Tuscan territory’s Gallo Nero and their noble Sangiovese. Twelve 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 DOCa, Vins de Bourgogne, Le Marche, Barbera d'Asti e vini del Monferrato, Asti Wines 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 mgodlelo

Latest Reviews (31442 in total)

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  Wine Rating Price Quantity  
Boschendal Chardonnay Appellation Series 2021, Wo Bottle Boschendal Chardonnay Appellation Series 2021, Wo
Elgin, South Africa
Tastings
Review added: July 29, 2024
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$40.00 Shopping_bag
Leaning Post The Fifty Chardonnay 2022, VQA Niagara Peninsula Bottle Leaning Post The Fifty Chardonnay 2022, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada
578864
Review added: July 29, 2024
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$24.95 High
(412)V+(65)O
Hidden Bench Estate Organic Chardonnay 2022, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment Bottle
Nwac24_silver_thumbnail
Hidden Bench Estate Organic Chardonnay 2022, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment
Ontario, Canada
68817
Review added: July 28, 2024
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$31.95 High
(1000+)E+(34)O
Domaine Queylus Tradition Chardonnay 2022, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula Bottle Domaine Queylus Tradition Chardonnay 2022, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada
Winery
Review added: July 28, 2024
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$29.95 Shopping_bag
Flat Rock Nadja's Vineyard Riesling 2006, VQA Twenty Mile Bench Bottle Flat Rock Nadja's Vineyard Riesling 2006, VQA Twenty Mile Bench
Ontario, Canada
578625
Review added: July 27, 2024
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$19.95 None
(0)V
Flat Rock Cellars Nadja's Vineyard Riesling 2021, VQA Twenty Mile Bench Bottle Flat Rock Cellars Nadja's Vineyard Riesling 2021, VQA Twenty Mile Bench
Ontario, Canada
Tastings
Review added: July 27, 2024
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$32.95 None
(0)
Leaning Post Blanc De Blanc Traditional Method Sparkling 2018, VQA Beamsville Bench Bottle
Nwac23_silver_thumbnail
Leaning Post Blanc De Blanc Traditional Method Sparkling 2018, VQA Beamsville Bench
Ontario, Canada
18586
Review added: July 27, 2024
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$55.00 Shopping_bag
Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2013, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula Bottle
Nwac_plat2016_thumbnail
Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2013, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada
1552
Review added: July 27, 2024
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$26.95 None
(0)V
Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2021, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment Bottle
Nwac24_silver_thumbnail
Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2021, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Escarpment
Ontario, Canada
1552
Review added: July 27, 2024
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$34.95 Medium
(19)W
Hidden Bench Chardonnay Felseck Vineyard Unfiltered 2021, VQA Beamsville Bench Bottle Hidden Bench Chardonnay Felseck Vineyard Unfiltered 2021, VQA Beamsville Bench
Ontario, Canada
21276
Review added: July 27, 2024
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$50.00 Shopping_bag
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