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  
Georges Vigouroux Pigmentum Malbec 2018, Ac Cahors Bottle Georges Vigouroux Pigmentum Malbec 2018, Ac Cahors
Southwest, France
18370
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$15.95 None
(0)V
La Ferme Du Mont Vendange Châteauneuf Du Pape 2018, Ap Bottle La Ferme Du Mont Vendange Châteauneuf Du Pape 2018, Ap
Rhône, France
309245
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$57.95 None
(0)V
La Nerthe Les Cassagnes Côtes Du Rhône Villages 2018, Ap Bottle La Nerthe Les Cassagnes Côtes Du Rhône Villages 2018, Ap
Rhône, France
494674
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$24.95 None
(0)V
Château Hourtou 2015, Ac Côtes De Bourg Bottle Château Hourtou 2015, Ac Côtes De Bourg
Bordeaux, France
630038
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$19.95 None
(0)V
The Chocolate Block 2019, Wo Swartland, South Africa Bottle The Chocolate Block 2019, Wo Swartland, South Africa
Swartland, South Africa
129353
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$39.95 None
(0)V
Stellenbosch Hills Shiraz 2017, Wo Stellenbosch Bottle Stellenbosch Hills Shiraz 2017, Wo Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch, South Africa
18702
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$14.25 None
(0)V
Wolf Blass Makers' Project Reserve Shiraz 2019, South Australia Bottle Wolf Blass Makers' Project Reserve Shiraz 2019, South Australia
South Australia, Australia
18345
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$17.25 None
(0)V
Bleasdale Broad Side Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec 2018, Langhorne Creek, South Australia Bottle Bleasdale Broad Side Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec 2018, Langhorne Creek, South Australia
South Australia, Australia
632091
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$18.95 None
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Paxton Aaa Shiraz/Grenache 2019, Mclaren Vale, South Australia Bottle Paxton Aaa Shiraz/Grenache 2019, Mclaren Vale, South Australia
South Australia, Australia
149898
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$21.95 None
(0)V
Escudo Rojo Reserva Carmenère 2019 Bottle Escudo Rojo Reserva Carmenère 2019
Colchagua Valley, Chile
14058
Review added: May 16, 2021
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$17.95 None
(0)V
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