Michael Godel

Michael Godel
Followers (293)
Reviews (29691)
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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 (29225 in total)

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  Wine Rating Price Quantity  
Stoneboat Pinot House Pinot Noir 2019, Okanagan Valley Bottle
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Stoneboat Pinot House Pinot Noir 2019, Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada
429332
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$22.25 None
(0)W
Bordertown Syrah 2019, Okanagan Valley Bottle
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Bordertown Syrah 2019, Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada
17445
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$35.00 Shopping_bag
Magnotta Riesling Icewine Niagara Peninsula Limited Edition 2019, VQA Niagara Peninsula (375ml) Bottle
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Magnotta Riesling Icewine Niagara Peninsula Limited Edition 2019, VQA Niagara Peninsula (375ml)
Ontario, Canada
33546
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$49.95 None
(0)W
Big Head Wines Viognier 2020, Niagara Lakeshore Bottle
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Big Head Wines Viognier 2020, Niagara Lakeshore
Ontario, Canada
18715
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$38.00 Shopping_bag
Planters Ridge Sparkling Mead, Nova Scotia (375ml) Bottle
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Planters Ridge Sparkling Mead, Nova Scotia (375ml)
Nova Scotia, Canada
14104
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$17.00 None
(0)
Megalomaniac Narcissist Riesling 2020, Niagara Peninsula Bottle
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Megalomaniac Narcissist Riesling 2020, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada
67587
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$18.95 None
(0)W
Blasted Church Syrah 2018, Okanagan Valley Bottle
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Blasted Church Syrah 2018, Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada
15812
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$32.00 None
(0)
Van Westen Vivacious 2021, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley Bottle
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Van Westen Vivacious 2021, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada
18677
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$22.50 Shopping_bag
Rainmaker Malbec Rattlesnake Vineyard The Risk Taker 2019 Bottle
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Rainmaker Malbec Rattlesnake Vineyard The Risk Taker 2019
British Columbia, Canada
17644
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$40.00 Shopping_bag
River Stone Stones Throw 2018, Okanagan Valley Bottle
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River Stone Stones Throw 2018, Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada
17196
Review added: July 13, 2022
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$38.99 Shopping_bag
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