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  
Spoken Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Columbia Valley Bottle Spoken Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Columbia Valley
Washington, Usa
13239
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$24.95 None
(0)V
Fontevecchia Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico Superiore 2017, Doc Bottle Fontevecchia Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico Superiore 2017, Doc
Marche, Italy
11140
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$14.95 None
(0)V
Clemens Busch Nonnengarten Pündericher Ortswein Riesling 2016, Vdp Bottle Clemens Busch Nonnengarten Pündericher Ortswein Riesling 2016, Vdp
Mosel, Germany
13247
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$37.95 None
(0)V
Cuvée Joseph Talmard Mâcon Chardonnay 2018, Ac Bottle Cuvée Joseph Talmard Mâcon Chardonnay 2018, Ac
Burgundy, France
392712
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$16.95 None
(0)V
Whitehaven Chardonnay 2018, Certified Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island Bottle Whitehaven Chardonnay 2018, Certified Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island
Marlborough, New Zealand
12621
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$22.95 None
(0)V
Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Marlborough, South Island Bottle Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Marlborough, South Island
Marlborough, New Zealand
190454
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$19.95 None
(0)V
Xanadu Djl Chardonnay 2018, Margaret River, Western Australia Bottle Xanadu Djl Chardonnay 2018, Margaret River, Western Australia
Western Australia, Australia
12653
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$21.25 None
(0)V
Creekside Iconoclast Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2017, VQA Niagara Peninsula Bottle Creekside Iconoclast Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2017, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada
520627
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$23.00 None
(0)V
Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2017, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario Bottle
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Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2017, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment, Ontario
Ontario, Canada
68817
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$29.95 None
(0)V
Noble Hill Syrah 2016, Wo Simonsberg Paarl Bottle Noble Hill Syrah 2016, Wo Simonsberg Paarl
South Africa
12686
Review added: February 13, 2020
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$18.95 None
(0)V
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