Coming soon: Public Wine Classes at Stratford Chefs School
In January 2025, the School will launch a series of Wine Classes for the public, taught by Alexandra Evans, Sommelier and a member of the School's Faculty. Read on to learn more about Alex's background, her passion for wine, and her plans for these new classes.
Meet Sommelier Alexandra Evans
Alexandra Evans is Stratford Chefs School's Wine and Service Instructor, and Sommelier. She was born and raised in downtown Toronto. Her mom is from Paris, France, so Alex spoke French before she spoke English, and attended a French elementary school and high school. Many summers were spent in France while growing up, and Alex lived in Paris for a year with her aunt when she was 18. Fantastique!
In 1999 her sister asked Alex if she wanted to take a wine class; Alex agreed and the rest is history! The instructor was Jacques Marie, a seasoned French wine teacher who became an inspiration and true mentor.
Alex's career evolved once she got her Sommelier Diploma. She is a certified Sommelier through the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and George Brown College, where she graduated with Honours in 2005. She says: "I love putting together a wine list and helping people navigate it, finding hidden gems along the way. If they gave me an indication of style and price, I wanted to over-deliver on both, so they trusted me the next time they came in. I also loved fine dining. The details, the ingredients, the steps of service. I loved making someone’s big night perfect."
Working for a decade at Toronto's illustrious Scaramouche (photo below) was the pinnacle of Alex's career. She worked alongside Peter Boyd and Ian Clark, who all shared the same philosophy: To make the environment comfortable for guests to talk wine without feeling intimidated, something Alex still tries to do when talking and teaching about wine.
Current Role and Workplace
In 2020, after more than 30 years in the restaurant business, Alex wanted a change, especially from the physical demands of restaurant work. She also wanted a quieter life than the hustle of Toronto. Alex and her partner decided to move to Stratford and as luck would have it, Stratford Chefs School had an opening for a wine and service instructor!
Alex tells us: "Putting together the wine list at the School is a lot of fun. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. I love poring over the agents' portfolios to find the right fit for what I want to teach and also what I want to pour for the guests coming in for dinner. It’s finding that balance that’s fun."
The transition to teaching at Stratford Chefs School was the perfect segue for Alex. All her hospitality and wine knowledge could now be shared with the younger generation. She loves teaching and tapping into the students' enthusiasm.
"After classes, it's great to hear what wines they’ve tried over the weekend with their family or friends. I love watching them evolve and finding different flavours and aromas in wines. I also love watching the first year students clearing a table properly or interacting with guests. I hope to have inspired them in learning things in the Front of House that they didn’t expect. Who knows, maybe if one of them decides they love Front of House more than the Back of House, perhaps I had a small hand in that!"
Five Questions for Alex
Favourite restaurant?
Anything Bistro. Le Select Bistro is close to the top of the list and Le Paradis restaurant, both in Toronto. I worked at Le Paradis for 13 years. Love the casualness, hustle, and bustle. Comfort food on a cold winter night.
Favourite wine varietals?
Love Rhone Valley white blends. If I could afford to drink white Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape every day, I would; also, South African Chenin Blanc is my favourite. In the reds, Grenache (French), Garnacha (Spain), Cannonau (Sardinia) are the top three. A great Bordeaux or Brunello for a splurge!
Favourite wine regions?
I am an Old-World wine drinker: France, Italy, Spain - and when it’s time for a New World wine I always gravitate to South Africa. Well-priced wines that over-deliver is my jam!
Emerging trends in winemaking?
I have many students in the last few years that opt not to drink wine during classes, so for exams I get them to write an essay. This year, the topic is related to global warming in the wine world. With vineyards being transplanted to the UK because of heat, will it still be called Champagne?
An interesting topic is how the wine world will deal with adapting to our unpredictable weather. Otherwise, I’m a traditionalist. Natural wines and Orange wines aren’t my favourites!
Plan for new Wine Classes?
For the new public Wine Class Series at the School, I plan to mirror the curriculum that I’m teaching our full time students. The first class will be Wines 101, teaching things such as the difference between warm climate grapes and cool climate, and what that means to a glass of wine. We will talk about acidity and tannins, the Old World and the New World, how to taste and what are we tasting. After that, we will move into exploring the wines of different countries.
Not surprisingly, I am well versed in the wines of France and plan to do two classes on that subject, one to showcase the most popular, more important regions and the second to look at the hidden gems that get less attention. I will then move onto wines of Italy, Spain, and then classes on New World wines, including those from Ontario and British Columbia, and much more.
Attendees will learn about various regions, their history and tradition, tasting techniques, food pairing essentials, with expert instruction and hands-on, guided tastings that will refine the palate and enhance appreciation.
I hope that those who attend my wine classes will leave having a better understanding of not only wine regions and tasting, but food and wine pairings, and why they work. Also, that when they walk into the LCBO, they will feel a little more comfortable navigating the different grapes and regions.
Reserve your spot in Alex's upcoming Wine Class series, weekly on Monday evenings beginning January 6, 2025!
Learn More
Click the link below to see the class schedule. Buy the full nine class series, or purchase single classes individually. Classes are limited to 25 participants each. https://www.exploretock.com/stratfordchefsschool/
Photos by Terry Manzo, excluding Scaramouche photo: https://vineroutes.com/scaramouche/