The Judges
Michael Pinkus
Michael Pinkus, also known as The Grape Guy, is a multi-award-winning wine writer, educator and experienced national and international wine judge. He is the co-host and co-creator of the Two Guys Talking Wine podcast and served as President of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada from 2010 to 2015.
For more than two decades, Michael has covered the Ontario wine industry and wines from around the world, earning a reputation for knowledgeable, candid and passionate commentary. His extensive experience tasting, reviewing and judging wine has taken him to competitions across Canada and internationally.
Through his writing, judging and podcasting, Michael remains focused on helping wine drinkers better understand what is in their glass while championing the people, places and wines that deserve recognition.
André Proulx
André Proulx is an Ontario wine writer, broadcaster, producer and wine competition judge with more than a decade of experience tasting, reviewing and talking about wine.
He is also the co-host of the Two Guys Talking Wine podcast, where he and Michael Pinkus taste, debate and explore wines from Ontario and around the world.
His work has appeared across Canadian media, including Canadaland, CTV News Channel, Global Morning Show, CP24, Toronto Life, Torontoist, Quench Magazine, Metro and Sun Media. His focus has long been Ontario wine, with a particular interest in discovering emerging wineries, talented winemakers and bottles that showcase the potential of the province.
André is also co-founder of 80x Wine Company, a small-batch Niagara winery. Working on the production side of the industry has given him firsthand experience with the decisions, challenges and variables that take a wine from vineyard to bottle.
As a judge, André brings together the perspectives of wine critic, communicator, and producer, with an emphasis on quality in the glass, regional character and thoughtful, independent evaluation.
2026 Special Guest Judge - Tony Aspler
Tony Aspler is one of Canada’s most respected wine writers, educators and competition judges, with more than 50 years of experience writing about wine.
A former wine columnist for the Toronto Star for 21 years, Tony has authored or contributed to dozens of books on wine and food and has written for publications including Decanter, Wine Spectator and Quench. He was also the Canadian contributor to Jancis Robinson’s Oxford Companion to Wine and other major international wine publications.
Tony brings extensive judging experience to Ontario’s Ultimate Wine as a guest judge. He served for 15 years as Panel Chair for Canadian wines at the Decanter World Wine Awards and is the creator of the Ontario Wine Awards, giving him a uniquely deep perspective on the evolution, quality and character of Canadian wine.
His contributions to wine and Canadian culture have earned numerous honours, including appointment to the Order of Canada in 2007 and induction as the first Canadian into the New York Media Wine Writers Hall of Fame in 2012.
For Ontario’s Ultimate Wine, Tony brings decades of tasting experience, an encyclopedic knowledge of Canadian wine and a long history of recognizing excellence in the glass.
