David Lawrason (Co-Chair and Co-Founder)
Judge at the 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada
Based in Toronto, David has been one of Canada’s best known and busiest wine writers and reviewers for over 35 years. He was the weekly wine columnist for the Globe and Mail for 13 years, then columnist and reviewer for Toronto Life magazine for almost two decades. He was also the founder of Wine Access magazine which became Canada’s leading wine magazine. In 2001, he co-founded the National Wine Awards of Canada and is now co-chair along with Anthony Gismondi. In 2008 he joined WineAlign, the largest wine review and editorial website in Canada, where he remains a principal critic. He was wine advisor to Canada’s Great Kitchen Party until December 2025, stepping aside to launch Lawrason’s Guide to Canada’s Best Wines, a website with detailed reviews and backgrounders of current releases from coast to coast.
Instagram @davidlawrason