Le Sommelier Wine Agency was founded in 2000 to connect Ontario with amazing producers and premium wines from around the globe. It’s what continues to drive us forward today, 20+ years later, with a portfolio of more than 150 wineries across dozens of wine regions. We work closely with restaurants, sommeliers, and collectors across Ontario, as well as with the LCBO, where many of our wines are found.
Bernard Stramwasser, President & Founder
“Cabernard Franc”
President and founder of Le Sommelier, a leading Ontario wine agency focussing on premium quality producers and wines around the world. The company, now in its 24th year, is one of Ontario's highest respected and regarded agencies, growing from a single producer that Bernard met during travels in France, and signed in 2000, changing the course of his life. That boutique producer, J.M. Sohler, is still with Le Sommelier today. Though Bernard hadn’t foreseen his future in wine, he was certainly uniquely situated for the industry. He is widely travelled, having lived in France, America, and Canada, and speaks numerous languages including Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, German, and Portuguese. His university studies and previous career in economics and investment was very beneficial in building a company from scratch, and growing into a team of 10 employees today. He completed the rigorous International Sommelier Diploma certification in 2006, with honours, and is an active member of Ontario’s liquor industry, sitting on the board of directors of Grapes for Humanity since 2016. Bernard continues to travel widely, visiting his 150+ producers around the world, and seeking out new ones. His portfolio is built on wineries who farm and produce wines sustainably, with a respect for terroir, and time.
Florence Alexandre, Senior Administrator & Accountant (CPA)
“Florencruzado”
Florence’s experience in accounting began almost 20 years ago when she went to work for a small company in Mississauga, and discovered her skill for and love of numbers and accounting. Florence joined Le Sommelier in October of 2011, and now oversees all the company bookkeeping, as well as coordinating the busy schedule of weekly deliveries. When not working with numbers, she loves spending time with her daughter and family.
Shaun Merritt, Senior Manager, Operations & International Logistics
“Shaunin Blanc”
Born in the East coast, Shaun moved to Toronto for University, graduating with a history degree before going on to study public policy at graduate school. Throughout, he took wine classes in the evenings through WSET and with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS), and quickly found himself far more interested in oenology than government policy. He decided to pursue his wine passion full time, working at such Toronto restaurants as the Ritz Carlton, Terroni, Reds, The Forth, and Momofuku. He also spent time in the Cayman Islands, working for The West Indies Wine Company. He joined the Le Sommelier team in March 2018 and is our main LCBO liaison. His expertise has helped numerous clients find the exact wine they were looking for.
Ace Russell, Product Flow Manager & Sales (Toronto, Prince Edward County)
“Aceyrtiko”
A full-blown nerd, Ace discovered his propensity for research and hoarding in his teens through records, sneakers and technical outerwear. That obsessive need to know every detail and understand the processes naturally transferred full time to wine over time. He left a 15 year career in fashion, footwear, and apparel, and went back to wine school to obtain his WSET certification in 2019. He’s new to the industry, but not new to sales or product knowledge by any means. His favourite grapes are Carignan, and Chenin Blanc, and he prefers his bubbles to be Pinot dominant. “My favourite wine is the one I haven’t tried yet!” Ace is our most recent team member, joining Le Sommelier in 2020.
Aaron Shaw, Sales (Ottawa)
“Airén Shawdonnay”
Aaron studied winemaking in France before working as a flying winemaker between Cahors, France, and Australia’s Barossa Valley. Upon return to Ontario, he won the Tony Aspler award for Ontario’s Best Professional Blind Taster. He has been a professor for the Sommelier program at Algonquin College for the past 13 years, and currently teaches their Vinification and WSET courses. Aaron has overseen the on-premise Ottawa market for Le Sommelier since 2008.
Jeff Payne, Sales (Greater Toronto Area)
“Jeffrey Chambertin”
Jeff's passion for wine began in 2005 after spending a month traveling in France. Over the course of the next 15 years he nurtured this passion through work, wine education, and travel. He has lived in Toronto, Calgary, and the Okanagan Valley, working in fine dining, retail wine sales, and wine appraisal, all experience that led him to the Le Sommelier family in 2016. Jeff continues his constant wine education through regular tastings and travel with the Le Sommelier team, and is an active part of the dynamic wine industry in downtown Toronto.
Damien Detcheverry, Sales (Barrie, North Toronto)
“Damiencia”
Passionate about cooking from an early age, Damien has been working in the hospitality industry since he was 15, and went on to enroll at hospitality school in Nice, France, in 2001. He spent the early part of his career moving between back and front of the house, before switching fully to the service side in his early 20s. After graduating in 2007, he worked in hotels and restaurants in Monaco, and his home island of St. Pierre et Miquelon. He moved to Canada in 2009, working for Master Chef France Didier Leroy in downtown Toronto. Damien moved to New Zealand in 2011, where he passed his certified sommelier exam with the highest score of that class. He returned to Toronto in 2012, and has managed restaurants such as Mogette, Fiorentina, and La Société before switching to wine sales in 2019, and joining the Le Sommelier family. Damien takes advantage of every opportunity he has to learn more about wine, and has visited wineries in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, and Italy. Damien was featured as a Young Blood Sommelier by Good Food Revolution.
Cindy Sands, Sales (Collingwood Area)
“Cindy Cinsault”
Cindy has more than 20 years’ experience in the Food & Beverage arena. Working as a certified Wedding Planner and Events Organizer gave her many opportunities to work with chefs in developing menu and wine pairings. She developed a love and curiosity for all beverages; teas, coffee, spirits, beer, and wine, and the latter was where she focused and made her career. Traveling many parts of the world exploring wineries led her to pursue formal wine studies including WSET, and the Wine Specialist Certification at George Brown College. Now as a wine agent with Le Sommelier since 2013, she has come full circle, working again with restaurants and wine pairings, as well as conducting tutored tastings for her clients.
Bob Latham, Sales (Stratford)
“Bobal”
After retiring early from a 30-year career as a college professor, Bob enrolled in the International Sommelier Guild (ISG) professional wine program, graduating in 2005 with a professional sommelier designation. Shortly after graduation, Bob formed a wine buying group which has grown steadily. He has judged both at the amateur and professional level, and has worked with restaurant and private clients in developing cellar acquisitions. He continues his love affair with wine by attending as many industry tastings as he can. One offshoot of his wine studies has led him into wine tourism which he finds to be fun and rewarding. While acknowledging that wine is, after all, “only fermented grape juice”, Bob loves to encourage everyone to taste wine and learn to appreciate the long history in the glass. He has been Wine Program Director and Instructor at the Stratford Chefs School since 2014, and with Le Sommelier since 2012.
Phil Albuquerque, Sales (Greater Toronto Area)
“PhiLiebfraumilch”
Phil’s interest in wine began at George Brown College for Culinary Arts, when he was intrigued by the elements involved in food and wine pairing. He worked in Italian restaurants and steakhouses for many years, continually building an appreciation for how important wine is to food culture. In 2012 he left the restaurant industry and began his next chapter, working as a sales rep for various Ontario wine importers, while developing wine lists for restaurants. Phil has visited wineries in Portugal, Italy, Spain, and France, searching for hidden gems for Ontario.
Glenn Barley, Sales (South Western Ontario)
“Glennache”
Montreal born, Glenn was exposed to the world of wines by his wine loving aunt and uncle, with a magnum of 1958 Mouton Rothschild kicking off his lifetime passion for wine. He started in the back of house in restaurants at 17, before gravitating out front to wine steward, and working in Senator diner, Centro, The Four Seasons, and Mad Apples. Frequent wine tastings and subsequent wine travels lured Glenn to join the agency side, where he has been busily working with consignment wines and restaurants for the past 25+ years. Glenn joined the Le Sommelier team in late 2021.