Sharon McLean
Founder, Education Director

Sharon is a certified sommelier through the International Sommelier Guild and an award-winning wine educator. She is the French Wine Programs Director for the Wine Scholar Guild, author of the French Wine Essentials program and lead instructor for the Guild’s Bourgogne Masters, Champagne Masters and Bordeaux Masters offerings. She is a leading instructor for Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and Wine Scholar Guild courses on

Sharon McLean
Founder, Education Director

Sharon is a certified sommelier through the International Sommelier Guild and an award-winning wine educator. She is the French Wine Programs Director for the Wine Scholar Guild, author of the French Wine Essentials program and lead instructor for the Guild’s Bourgogne Masters, Champagne Masters and Bordeaux Masters offerings. She is a leading instructor for Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and Wine Scholar Guild courses on Vancouver Island, and the Education Director at Vessel Liquor Store. In 2009, she completed the WSET Diploma with the highest marks in Canada. She has since become a French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Scholar, Spanish Wine Scholar, accredited Bordeaux Tutor, Certified Sherry Educator, and Certified Rioja Educator.

Outside the world of wine, Sharon is a highly sought-after management consultant with over 30 years of international experience.

Treve Ring
Founder, Communications Director

Treve Ring is a wine writer and editor, judge and speaker, and perpetual traveller. She is based on Vancouver Island, Canada, though is most often found on a plane or in a vineyard. After completing her Art History degree with Distinction from the University of Victoria and being exposed to the world of wine business at Christie’s in London, England, she switched gears, leaving the realm of art for the world of wine.

Treve Ring
Founder, Communications Director

Treve Ring is a wine writer and editor, judge and speaker, and perpetual traveller. She is based on Vancouver Island, though is most often found on a plane or in a vineyard.

After completing her Art History degree with Distinction from the University of Victoria and being exposed to the world of wine business at Christie’s in London, England, she switched gears, leaving the realm of art for the world of wine. She is a certified sommelier, WSET diploma holder, Champagne Master, Wine Scholar Guild instructor, and certified Sherry instructor, and has been presenting on wine internationally since co-founding Cru Consultancy in 2012. She is the current Chair of the Vancouver Island Sommelier Association.

Treve began writing professionally in 2001. Her work has been published in World of Fine Wine, Meininger’s Wine Business International, Wine & Spirits, Sommelier Magazine, Wine Enthusiast, WineAlign, The Alchemist, Quench Magazine, Vitis, Lonely Planet Travel, Cidercraft, and others. In addition to her role as Correspondent Anorak at WineAnorak, she is the executive editor and senior critic at Gismondi on Wine. Previously she was the longtime wine editor for EAT Magazine, editor at large for Scout Magazine, and SIP Northwest Magazine, as well as the National Managing Editor for WineAlign.

She tastes thousands of wines each year, and is an established senior wine judge in Canada, the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Though her travels take her all over the wine world, Treve has spent the last few years concentrating and researching sparkling wine globally, with a focus on Champagne. 

Andrea Eby
VINsanity Founder, VinCru Partner

Andrea Eby transitioned to the wine industry after nearly a decade of teaching in the public education sector. Her passion for wine fueled her career as a buyer and educator at one of Canada’s top wine retailers for over ten years, before she joined the Wine Scholar Guild in 2020.

Andrea's impressive credentials include a Post-Baccalaureate in Special Education, a Level 4 Diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust®

Andrea Eby
VINsanity Founder, VinCru Partner

Andrea Eby transitioned to the wine industry after nearly a decade of teaching in the public education sector. Her passion for wine fueled her career as a buyer and educator at one of Canada’s top wine retailers for over ten years, before she joined the Wine Scholar Guild in 2020.

Andrea's impressive credentials include a Post-Baccalaureate in Special Education, a Level 4 Diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust® (graduating with distinction and earning the Prowein Scholarship for academic excellence), Certified Sommelier (ISG), Vinitaly Ambassador (VIA), Certified Specialist of Wine (SWE), French Wine Scholar, Spanish Wine Scholar, and Italian Wine Scholar.

As a Sommelier Instructor with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS/ACSP) and a member of the CAPS National Education Committee, Andrea is deeply involved in wine education. She also serves on expert judging panels for prestigious competitions such as the Decanter World Wine Awards, International Wine & Spirits Competition, International Wine Challenge, and Vinitaly 5 Star Wines. In 2020, she founded Vinsanity Consulting in Winnipeg, Canada, and is also the proud owner of Vinsanity School of Wine in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Andrea’s dedication to learning has led her to enroll in the Masters of Wine program, where she is currently a Stage 2 student. Her frequent travels to Italy allow her to immerse herself in its wines and culture, and she is actively working towards fluency in Italian.

Iain Philip
Instructor - Vancouver

Iain Philip gained his Wine & Spirit Education Trust diploma in 2001 and has actively been teaching all levels of WSET classes ever since. He has subsequently gained both his French Wine Scholar (FWS) and Spanish Wine Scholar (SWS) with highest honours. He currently teaches both of these

Iain Philip
Instructor - Vancouver

Iain Philip gained his Wine & Spirit Education Trust diploma in 2001 and has actively been teaching all levels of WSET classes ever since. He has subsequently gained both his French Wine Scholar (FWS) and Spanish Wine Scholar (SWS) with highest honours. He currently teaches both of these courses for the Wine Scholar Guild and was recognised by them as the SWS Instructor of the Year in 2023. Iain is an Italian Wine Ambassador as granted by the Vinitaly International Academy, a VDP Wine Ambassador from Germany and a Cavaleiro in the Port Wine Brotherhood. He is a sought-after educator and presenter representing wine regions from all over the world.

Mark Shipway
Instructor - Vancouver

Mark Shipway is a UK born, Vancouver based wine & spirits consultant, educator and wine professional with over twenty years of teaching experience. He completed the WSET Diploma in 1999 with Distinction grade and holds an Associate’s Degree in Wine Production from the University

Mark Shipway
Instructor - Vancouver

Mark Shipway is a UK born, Vancouver based wine & spirits consultant, educator and wine professional with over twenty years of teaching experience. He completed the WSET Diploma in 1999 with Distinction grade and holds an Associate’s Degree in Wine Production from the University of Brighton. To Mark’s credit, he was instrumental in bringing the Wine Scholar Guild programs to Canada and introduced the Court of Master Sommeliers certification to Vancouver, a program in which he passed the challenging Advanced Sommelier examinations on first attempt. Mark has moderated panels at Vancouver International Wine Fest and other industry events. He loves to share his passion for French and Italian wines with a particular fondness for Burgundy & Champagne - he is the only official Ambassador for Wines of Bourgogne in western Canada as well as successfully completing the Comité Champagne’s own education training program in Reims in 2016. Mark is currently the Director of Education and Training for Christopher Stewart Wine & Spirits and teaches Italian Wine Scholar in Vancouver for Cru Consultancy.

Aleksandar Simic
Instructor - Toronto

Aleksandar Simic is a WSET Diploma graduate class 2019, and Wine Scholar Guild French, Italian and Spanish Wine Scholar and Champagne Master. He dove into the world of wine a decade ago and is yet to surface for the air. He acquired Wine Scholar Guild’s  Italian, Spanish Wine Scholar

Aleksandar Simic
Instructor - Toronto

Aleksandar Simic is a WSET Diploma graduate class 2019, and Wine Scholar Guild French, Italian and Spanish Wine Scholar and Champagne Master. He dove into the world of wine a decade ago and is yet to surface for the air. He acquired Wine Scholar Guild’s  Italian, Spanish Wine Scholar and Champagne Masters  Certifications with highest honours. Aleksandar has been a wine educator since 2017.

Caitlin Ferguson
Instructor - Toronto

Caitlin’s wine career began 18 years ago in London, UK where she completed her WSET Level 4 while working at one of the city’s top wine bars. Her love for travel and wine took her to France and New Zealand where she worked several harvests, and then back to Toronto, Canada where she started a

Caitlin Ferguson
Instructor - Toronto

Caitlin’s wine career began 18 years ago in London, UK where she completed her WSET Level 4 while working at one of the city’s top wine bars. Her love for travel and wine took her to France and New Zealand where she worked several harvests, and then back to Toronto, Canada where she started a boutique wine import agency called Bogie’s Best Imports. Today the agency is thriving, and has become well-known for importing quality wine, cider and beer from France and Spain. Over the years several regions and countries have emerged as Caitlin’s specialities, in 2014 she completed the Sherry Educator’s Course in Jerez, followed by a master’s degree from the Open University of Barcelona completing a thesis titled “A Systems Analysis of Sherry: Challenges to and Opportunities for its Renaissance”, a clear indication of her passion for Sherry! Caitlin has been a wine instructor for many years in Toronto, teaching WSET Level 3 and Level 4 as well as the Wine Scholar Guild’s French Wine Scholar and Spanish Wine Scholar where her passion and knowledge for both countries and their wines really get to shine!

Danielle Chandler
Instructor - Toronto

Danielle Chandler is a wine consultant and educator with previous careers as a lawyer and strategic HR consulting with a specialization in adult education and learning. Danielle is the Principal of Chandler Wine Consulting where she creates and facilitates bespoke wine tasting and education

Danielle Chandler
Instructor - Toronto

Danielle Chandler is a wine consultant and educator with previous careers as a lawyer and strategic HR consulting with a specialization in adult education and learning. Danielle is the Principal of Chandler Wine Consulting where she creates and facilitates bespoke wine tasting and education events for companies, professional firms and private functions. She is also an instructor of both the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET courses) as well as thebWine Scholar Guild courses focussing on French, Spanish and Italian Wines. Danielle sits on the VQA tasting and sensory panel for the province of Ontario. She has completed her Level 3 Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Certification and she also carries the Italian, Spanish and French Wine Scholar designations, having graduated with High Honours in each specialty. Danielle is currently working towards her Masters in Bourgogne Wine. Danielle’s philosophy about wine and wine tasting is that it should be an enjoyable and welcoming experience. As an educator, she prides herself in teaching people about the wide world of wine and what all it has to offer. It is one thing to know all about wine but its another thing to share one’s knowledge in an approachable way.

Kim Berdusco
Instructor - Toronto

Kim’s wine journey started in the United Kingdom where she lived for 18 years.  While working in the trading room for a large banking organization, Kim started taking WSET courses at the head office in London, UK.  Once immersed in wine studies, she never looked back!  She completed the Diploma

Kim Berdusco
Instructor - Toronto

Kim’s wine journey started in the United Kingdom where she lived for 18 years.  While working in the trading room for a large banking organization, Kim started taking WSET courses at the head office in London, UK.  Once immersed in wine studies, she never looked back!  She completed the Diploma with WSET in 2011.  After returning to Canada in 2012, she became a Certified Sommelier by both the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers.  She is a certified educator with WSET and a director on the Board of the Toronto Winetasters Society.  She does private tastings and events and is the wine representative for the Toronto Newcomers Club. Kim teaches WSET courses at George Brown College, and also teaches the Spanish Wine Scholar and the Italian Wine Scholar with the Wine Scholar Guild.

Recognizing Kim’s passion for “all things wine”, she was awarded the “Teacher of the Year” at IWEG in 2017.  Other interests include running, reading and playing bridge.  She is currently a student for the Master of Wine qualification and has recently completed the Winemaking Certification Program at UC Davis.  This year she is making wine in Niagara.

Robert Miller
Instructor - Kitchener-Waterloo

Robert Miller, a Certified Sommelier, has been involved in the wine & restaurant trade for over 3 decades now. Mr. Miller has worked the floor as Sommelier at some of the top restaurants on the continent including Langdon Hall, Alo, Giulietta and Daniel (Daniel Boulud’s eponymous ** Michelin

Robert Miller
Instructor - Kitchener-Waterloo

Robert Miller, a Certified Sommelier, has been involved in the wine & restaurant trade for over 3 decades now.

Mr. Miller has worked the floor as Sommelier at some of the top restaurants on the continent including Langdon Hall, Alo, Giulietta and Daniel (Daniel Boulud’s eponymous ** Michelin Star restaurant in Manhattan, NYC). Mr. Miller is certified with both the International Sommelier Guild and the Court of Master Sommeliers. He holds the prestigious Diploma from the Wine & Spirits Trust in the UK, an organization he also teaches for. As well as a Certificate in Oenology & Viticulture from the University of Guelph, Mr Miller also holds certifications from the Wine Scholar Guild, Society of Wine Educators, Vinitaly International Academy, and both Wines of Chile & Wines of Portugal.

Mr. Miller spends his days selling wine for The Vine Agency in Ontario - a medium sized import agency that focuses on family owned wineries from California, France & Italy and is partnered in Ontario with Cave Spring Cellars.

Callie Hawe
Administrator

With over 11 experience years working in the hospitality industry, Callie's wine journey has been a combination of passion and dedication for creating memorable experiences, particularly through the art of wines. As Administrative Director at Cru Consultancy, she brings this commitment to every

Callie Hawe
Administrator

With over 11 experience years working in the hospitality industry, Callie's wine journey has been a combination of passion and dedication for creating memorable experiences, particularly through the art of wines. As Administrative Director at Cru Consultancy, she brings this commitment to every aspect of our operations. Callie achieved distinctions in both WSET Level 1 & 2 certifications and looks forward to continue her education. She is driven by a desire to better care for her customers and hospitality community. When she is not working she can be found in her vegetable garden.