ABOUT iYELLOW WINE SCHOOL

iYellow Wine Club was launched in 2006 in an effort to build a strong community of wine lovers together. Now, 5 years later the club now has over 7000 members and still offers a free membership. The iYellow Wine Club offers members regular ways to learn about wine in a down to earth, fun, friendly and approachable format. Through social wine events, experiential wine tours, a regular e-newsletter and an online local wine store, however you want to learn about wine, iYellow can help build your wine confidence.

Noticing a demand for a formal way to learn about wine the iYellow Wine School launched their first Term in Fall 2009-it was a huge success. Now iYellow Wine School is run 3 times a year in Winter, Summer and Fall.

Join the Wine Revolution! www.iyellowwineclub.com

ANGELA AIELLO
iYELLOW FOUNDER

Founder of the Toronto Wine Revolution Angela believes in making wine accessible to everyone and has built iYellow around her vision of empowering people with “Wine Confidence”. iYellow Wine Club now consists of over 6500 members and hosts regular events, classes and tours to allow members to congregate and learn about wine in a fun, friendly, open and casual atmosphere. iYellow also has a powerful online social network and sends members monthly e-news and offers an interactive community based environment both online and offline. Angela is determined to help members build their own sense of wine confidence no matter how they learn about wine whether it’s socially at a wine event, formally at wine school or experientially on a wine tour.

As a respected wine and food expert, with over 13 years experience in the industry, she was the exclusive wine host for the CBC’s Steven & Chris Show, Le Gourmet.TV, as well as being a contributing writer for Toronto Star’s WineFox.ca, Grapevine Magazine (and grapevinemagazine.ca), and the iYellow Wine Club blog. Her passion for wine has taken her to all over Ontario, as well as Italy, Chile, California, France, London, UK, Germany and Argentina

TAYLOR THOMPSON
WINE DIRECTOR of RITZ-CARLTON, TORONTO

Young, vibrant and uber-approachable, 30-year-old Thompson’s enthusiasm and eagerness have quickly established him as an expert in the wine industry. The Ottawa native’s desire for wine knowledge was born of countless family dinners spent across the table from two avid wine enthusiasts. This home bred passion lead Thompson to pursue formal training as a wine expert.

After graduating from Algonquin College’s sommelier program, Thompson, then 21, became Ottawa's youngest sommelier as wine expert at Social Bistro in Ottawa. In 2004, he successfully completing the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certificate program at Ottawa's Vendange Institute and moved to Toronto where he joined Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar and Jamie Kennedy Restaurant. He joined reds in 2006 as assistant sommelier and in 2007 was appointed sommelier at reds. In his role, Thompson also oversaw the wine lists at Signature Restaurants Far Niente® and Four™. Thompson is now the current Wine Director & Sommelier for Toronto's Ritz Carlton.

Thompson has been recognized for his stellar ability to arrange the perfect marriage between what is on the plate and what goes in the glass. Thompson recently captured the privileged Grand Award at the Wine Tasting Challenge (2009), held at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel in November 2008. With a growing purse in excess of $100,000 in prizes, cash, trips, stemware and scholarships, this competition is the largest and one of the most noted wine tasting competitions in North America. It is world-class in its scope, with prizes covering the entire globe and contestants flying in from all over the continent. Such acclaim has established him as a rising star on the Canadian wine scene.

Perhaps Toronto's most eager and enthusiastic wine expert, Thompson will guide iYellow Wine School students starting in September 2009 on a journey into the world of wine. From novice to aficionados Thompson is sure to delight and entertain participants with his sparkling personality and depth of knowledge.