About VineRoutes

Helping you navigate the world of wine

VineRoutes has quickly established itself as one of Canada’s leading wine media brands, with its website, newsletter and social channels reaching a steadily expanding consumer audience.

With a combined focus on local, national and international coverage, VineRoutes provides influential content and independent advice to a global readership. Our editorial ethos embraces wine and drinks lovers of all levels, with a focus on trade and lifestyle topics through the beverage lens.

As the newest consumer wine publication in Canada, VineRoutes was founded in Ontario in 2020 by Carmelo Giardina following the success of his wine and spirits columns published across multiple publications.

Furthermore, it was a brainchild of Paula Henriques and Shannon Mastaler, two marketing entrepreneurs with a success-driven track record in publishing, content development and business branding. The duo, in collaboration with Giardina, had a goal to develop a national-level publication property, featuring a collective voice.

Our small, but wine savvy network of writers provide an accessible and expert view on the world of wine and beyond for curious readers with an affinity for drinks culture, travel, modern food and dining and approachable wine education.

VineRoutes Media’s fast-growing consumer and trade touchpoints include a thriving website, a social media platform boasting 25,000 followers, and a highly engaged online newsletter. Our Restaurant Awards program launched in 2025, and there’s more exciting initiatives to come very soon.

Ultimately, we aim to help our readers navigate the world of wine, spirits and beer through the interesting people and places behind them.

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Contact the VineRoutes team

Email

Editorial: editorial@vineroutes.com

Partnerships & Advertising: paula@vineroutes.com

Restaurant Awards: restaurants@vineroutes.com

Telephone

1.844.378.8463 (Canada)

Editorial Team

Carmelo Giardina – Founder, Brand Principal

Carmelo is a former journalism graduate and now marketing and PR professional working with major clients that include Rockstar Energy Drink, Coca-Cola, White Claw and Miller-Coors. He began writing about wine as a freelance writer for luxury lifestyle publication West of the City Magazine in 2017. A variety of publications spread across Canada now feature his writings on wine and spirits. In addition to being the lead writer for VineRoutes, Carmelo is the brand’s point person for strategic partnerships, content development and brand expansion.

Regions of interest: Ontario, British Columbia, Tuscany, and the Douro Valley.

Paula Henriques – Co-Founder, Managing Editor

Paula has been in the publishing business for nearly 30 years, first working as an editor & features writer for a number of newspapers/magazines, and eventually co-founding PS MediaHouse in 2012 – a full-service marketing agency based in the Greater Toronto Area. Paula’s role is crucial in the management of VineRoutes. As someone who rallies the team and keeps things organized (and on time), she works closely with the editorial team on the operations side, while also keeping her finger on the pulse of sales & marketing and prospective partnerships.

Favourite regions and varietals: Niagara; The Douro for its Port wines; Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

Shannon Mastaler – Co-Founder, Editor

Shannon has been in publishing for over 20 years, previously working as a restaurant and spa reviewer, luxury travel writer, and as an editor and designer at a variety of Ontario newspapers and magazines. She is now co-owner of marketing agency PS MediaHouse, with Paula Henriques. As a co-founder of VineRoutes, Shannon helps develop a brand strategy that works best and can be further understood by our growing audience.

Favourite regions and varietals: Niagara for its Rieslings and Pinot Noir; Spain for its Cava; Bolgheri for its super Tuscans.

Tod Stewart – Senior Editor

Tod has more than 40 years of professional writing experience. An award-winning journalist and published author, he has worked as a consultant, trainer and educator to the hospitality industry, the Ontario wine industry, and the beverage alcohol trade. He holds numerous professional certifications in wine, spirits and sake, and was a past instructor for the Toronto chapter of L’Academie du Vin, and a Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) panelist and verifier. He is a Whisky Ambassador and has acted as a judge for the Toronto International Sake Challenge, and, currently, the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition.

Favourite regions and varietals: Premium spirits from around the world; Syrah-based red wines; Chenin Blanc-based white wines.

Alana Lapierre – Editor, Eastern Canada & International

As an editor and magazine contributor, Alana has followed her passion for wine in parallel to an international career as a human resources executive. Certified in Wine (WSET Levels 2 & 3), Champagne (Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne), and a Le Cordon Bleu–trained food and wine writer, she has written for a range of publications as well as for wineries and import agencies. She has lived, written, worked, and sipped her way across five continents and now calls Montréal home. Her contributions to VineRoutes spotlight Eastern Canada—including Montreal, Nova Scotia, and Quebec wines—while further developing VineRoutes’ international reporting.

Regions of interest: Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Europe.

Leah Spooner – Contributing Editor

Leah has a diploma in Tourism Management that includes Wine Appreciation. She headed straight into the wine industry that she’s now been a part of for almost 20 years and obtained certification from the Wine Council of Ontario (now Ontario Craft Wineries). After achieving her Sommelier L1, she made her way to WSET3. Along the way, she has added a South African Wine certification, Canadian Wine Scholar, and is currently working on her French Wine Scholar certification. She also manages a popular wine review page on her Instagram @leahspooner_wine.

Regions of interest: Niagara, Prince Edward County, Okanagan Valley, and Argentina.

Gillian Marks, PhD – Contributing Editor

Gillian is a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist (CSWS®) from the Wine Scholar Guild and has a Wine and Spirits Education Trust – Level 2 Certification in Wine. Her career in Nutrition, Toxicology and Risk Assessment has brought her from England to Southern California and she has lived and worked across the US, South Korea and Canada. Gillian is presently the Senior Director of Environment, Health & Safety and Risk Programs at San Diego State University, and when she is not fully engaged in keeping SDSU safe, she exercises her passion for Sherry and French wines seeking out opportunities to educate, write and learn as often as possible.

Regions of interest: Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Paso Robles and Spain.

Contributors

Matt Steeves – Senior Contributor (Buyer’s Guides & Collecting)

A Canadian wine writer, on-air sommelier (TV, radio, and Sirius satellite), Valpolicella Wine Specialist, and former Director of the National Capital Sommelier Guild, Matt is an accredited member of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and the editor and co-founder of Quercus Vino, a Canadian-based wine and spirits review platform. Based in Ottawa, Matt brings both national perspective and international depth to VineRoutes’ growing focus on collecting, cellaring, and informed buying.

Regions of interest: Valpolicella, Sicily, Champagne, and the Okanagan Valley.

Carl Giavanti – Senior Contributor

A former winery publicist with more than 15 years of experience in wine PR, consulting, and industry writing, Carl has built his career around people, access, and narrative. His work reflects a long-standing belief that wine’s most compelling stories live with the individuals who make it. Carl has written for Wine Business Monthly, Wine Industry Network, Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine, The Grapevine Magazine, and Oregon Wine Press, and for more than five years has hosted a Wine Writer Interview Series with Wine Industry Advisor.

Regions of interest: Pacific North West, Greece, and Spain.

Andrew Coppolino (Food and Drink)

Restaurant reviewer, book author and food columnist, Andrew’s work has published in newspapers and magazines in Canada, the United States and England. In 2022, he was the “Joseph Hoare Gastronomic Writer-in-Residence” at the Stratford Chefs School – where he has also taught at. His writing has been dedicated to telling the stories and narratives of food and promoting and nurturing culinary businesses at the same time advocating for local chefs, restaurants and food businesses.

Favourite food and drink: Pasta carbonara or a good Bolognese; A Negroni cocktail; the versatility of a good Prosecco; a big, full-bodied cab sauv.

Lidija Biro

Lidija’s interest in wine began over 35 years ago when she founded a wine club, The Grape Friends, in order to learn more about wine regions, grape varieties, and food & wine pairing. After retiring from teaching, Lidija enrolled in the Winery and Viticulture Technician program at Niagara College to deepen her understanding of winemaking and grape growing, graduating in 2015. Since then she has earned a French Wine Scholar certification and has earned her WSET Diploma. Lidija blogs about wine and travel on her personal site divinevines.wordpress.com.

Regions of interest: Ontario, Loire Valley, Sicily and Hunter Valley.

Nicola Brown

A freelance writer and editor with 15 years of experience, Nicola brings a strong background in travel, food, and lifestyle journalism. Her work has appeared in The Toronto Star, Time Out, Toronto Life, EnRoute, WestJet Magazine, Travel Life, Canadian Traveller, and several others. Nicole’s reporting adds a refined, reader-friendly perspective well suited to VineRoutes’ coverage of dining, travel, and wine culture.

Favourite regions and varietals: White and red Burgundy; Willamette Valley Pinot Noir; Maipo Valley reds; Jura vin jaune; and the Pécharmants of southern France.

Tony Aspler (Special Contributor)

Tony is an internationally known writer, speaker, and wine expert, based in Niagara. Tony has been writing about wine for over 50 years – he was the wine columnist for The Toronto Star for 21 years and has authored 27 books, most of which are on wine and food. In December 2007, he was awarded the Order of Canada. In 2012, he was the first Canadian to be inducted into the New York Media Wine Writers Hall of Fame. In that year he was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal. In 2017, Tony was awarded Spain’s Officers Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, Spain’s highest civilian decoration. And in 2000, Tony co-founded the charitable foundation, Grapes for Humanity.

Favourite regions and varietals: Champagne; white and red Burgundy; the Syrahs of the Northern Rhone; white wines of the Loire; and Rheingau Rieslings.

Additional Contributors

Craig Haynes

Mandi Robertson

Kate Dingwall

Ellen Lainez

Merle Rosenstein

Priya Rao

Rest of Team

Rodrigo Flores – Online Developer

Gabriela Castillo – Creative

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