Jay is a sommelier and assistant winemaker currently based in Prince Edward County. 

His love of wine developed a lifetime ago while living in British Columbia, working in hospitality at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. From there, he took his passion for wine to the UK where he worked with the Gordon Ramsay group in One and Two Michelin Star Restaurants, The Savoy Grill and Petrus, respectively. He later returned to Whistler, and The Fairmont Chateau, where he put his now global wine experience to task, working as the wine buyer for the hotel.

During the slow season in Whistler, he worked three harvests at Orofino, a small boutique winery in British Columbia’s Similkameen Valley. He eventually went on to join Orofino as cellar hand and assistant winemaker full time.

Jay later made his way to Vancouver to join the opening team at Hawksworth restaurant where he helped create a multi-award winning wine program. 

Later on, with Hawksworth well established, he moved to Toronto to be closer to family and take on new challenges in a larger market. There, he has been instrumental in building wine programs for numerous restaurant openings, including: Colette Grand Cafe, the re-established Peter Pan Bistro and BlueBlood Steakhouse, Casa Loma’s first fine dining restaurant.

His love of wine production has found Jay back in the cellar in Prince Edward County, a small wine region on the North shore of Lake Ontario. He has worked two vintages at Trail Estate and one with The Grange of Prince Edward County. Yet he still spends evenings in hospitality at Flame + Smith restaurant in Bloomfield. 

Jay has completed diplomas through both the International Sommelier Guild and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. Along the way he has been the recipient of a Master Napa Valley award through the Napa Valley Vintners Educational Program, was named Whistler’s Best Sommelier by the readers of The Question Newspaper, and won the International Culinary School wine professional challenge.

Recently, his love of native Italian grapes has led Jay to study under Ian D’Agata and is currently one of four educators in Canada of Ian’s 3iC school.

His writing has appeared in publications including Eat Magazine and Good Food Revolution and The Wellington Times.