Ontario Wine Clubs

by Thomas Craughwell

Joining a wine club allows you an opportunity to meet people who share your passion for wine, to become acquainted with wines you have not tried, and to deepen your appreciation of fine wine. Many wine clubs in Ontario, Canada, sponsor gourmet dinners and special wine-related events in addition to regularly scheduled meetings where members can sample and discuss several wines.
Ontario Wine Society

Founded in 1991, the Ontario Wine Society offers its members eight to 10 "guided tastings," as the club calls them each year. Meetings are usually held in a restaurant where members can sample gourmet foods while tasting the wines. A guest expert such as a vintner or wine writer introduces each wine to the members and leads a discussion about such topics as the vineyard and the type of grape or grapes used in the wine. Members of the society also receive discounts on select wine-related magazine subscriptions and, as of this writing, free shipping on orders from the Black Prince Winery in Prince Edward County. The Ontario Wine Society has three chapters: Ontario Wine Society  P.O. Box 519  Station K  Toronto, ON  M4P 2G9 (416) 921-9798 contact@ontariowinesociety.com Ontario Wine Society  P.O. Box 381  Vineland, ON  L0R 2C0 (416) 921-9798 contact@ontariowinesociety.com Ontario Wine Society  P.O. Box 219  Georgetown, ON  L7G 4Y5 416-921-9798 contact@ontariowinesociety.com ontariowinesociety.com

Winetasters of Toronto

The oldest wine club in Ontario, Winetasters of Toronto was founded in 1978. Winetasters helps wine lovers develop a discerning palate by holding "single blind" tastings at their meetings (the club usually meets monthly from September to June). Members come to the meeting knowing that night they will sample, for example, syrahs and merlots, but they will not be told which wine is which; they must arrive at a conclusion based the characteristics of each wine. In addition to special dinners and wine seminars, the club participates in charitable events such as Vita della Vino, an evening of sampling Italian cuisine and wines to benefit the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery. Winetasters Society of Toronto c/o Peter Curran 2656 Misener Crescent Mississauga, ON L5K 1N1 (416) 690-0281 (evenings only) winetasters.ca/?q=contact winetasters.ca
Society for American Wines---Toronto Chapter

With five chapters across Canada, the Society for American Wines is dedicated to appreciating the vintages produced in the United States. Almost every meeting of the club is a special event featuring gourmet meals, or a wine tasting at an art gallery, or a "challenge match" that pits American wines against wines from Chile or Argentina. The Society for American Wines---Toronto Chapter P.O. Box 20006 Applewood Village Post Office 1077 North Service Road Mississauga, ON L4Y 4L2 sawtorontoevents@gmail.com americanwine.ca

Ontario Wine Society