Michael Godel

Judge at the 2026 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada

Tasting through 426 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2019 at Benvenuto Brunello in Toronto - November, 2023

For the past 13 years Michael Godel has been tasting and assessing wine as a critic and partner at WineAlign. Godel has spent the better part of his writing career travelling and crafting more than 36,000 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 on his website godello.ca. The nickname “Godello” just happens to be a Spanish grape.

Michael hung up his whites after a 25-year culinary run in restaurants and catering when in December of 2013 he sold his company All Our Favourite Foods. He teamed up with Chef David Neinstein to open Toronto’s Barque Smokehouse where he has served as Wine Director for 15 years.

Wine travels have spanned the globe but Italy has commanded much of Godel’s attention, with more than 50 excursions in the last 10 years, more than half of them to Tuscany. In February 2018 the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico made Godel one of their first five recipients of an Ad Honorem title, Ambasciatore. He educates on behalf of the Tuscan territory’s Gallo Nero and their noble Sangiovese. Michael has also served as an educator for the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato, Consorzio dell’Asti DOCG, Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini, ICE-ITA Toronto, Rioja Wines, Wines of South Africa, Vins de Bourgogne, Wines of Portugal and Vinho Verde.

Since 2013 Godel has been a judge for the annual WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada, always proud to taste, assess and award medals alongside great colleagues from across Canada. This year he took the baton from David Lawrason to serve as National Wine Advisor to Canada’s Great Kitchen Party.

Michael’s first published book on Tuscan wine families will be released in the Fall of 2026.

Instagram: @mgodello
X/Twitter: @mgodello



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