A financier by trade – he is the vice president and co-founder of First National – as well as a lifelong lover of wine, Moray Tawse could also be called a terroir collector.
After realizing the potential of winemaking in Niagara, Moray purchased his first 6 acres of vineyard in 2000. In 2005 he opened Tawse, the winery that bears his family name. Today, having acquired over 200 acres and being named Canadian Winery of the year in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016, Tawse Winery now produces 30,000 cases of wine and has one of the largest portfolios of organic and biodynamic wines in the Niagara region.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Moray also secured vineyards in his beloved Burgundy and founded Marchand-Tawse, his project with acclaimed consulting winemaker Pascal Marchand. Finally, 2015 saw the much anticipated opening of Redstone, the newest addition to his portfolio and his second project on the Niagara Escarpment.
Former carpenter and graduate of Niagara College's Winery and Viticulture program, Paul adopts a "non-interventionist as far as possible" philosophy. He is a firm believer that the start of every great wine begins in the vineyard and he is passionate about crafting wines that express a sense of place.
Rene grew up in the backyard of the Hunter Valley wine region but it's working in hospitality in the United Kingdom that he became captivated by wine. After choosing to make winemaking his profession, he returned to his native Australia to secure his Bachelor of Wine Science from Charles Sturt University.
After a few vintages down under, Rene landed in Canada for a vintage at Tawse in 2006. He was back permanently in 2007 and has been an integral part of the Tawse award-winning winemaking team since.
Daniel's passion for wine evolved from his love of food. An avid cook since childhood, Daniel studied Marketing and Nutrition at Laval University and later became a professional culinary instructor. He then pursued his budding interest in wine to become a certified sommelier and went on to work at the LCBO for 6 years in a variety of positions including Product consultant and a Vintages writer.
It is the prospect of a new challenge and the opportunity to work with a leading organic and biodynamic producer that brought Daniel to Tawse in 2008. In his role, he is responsible for driving Licensee, LCBO and Export sales and overseeing internal sales representatives as well as external agencies. Daniel's keen palate was recognized this year as he was crowned "Grand Award winner" of the 2015 Wine Tasting Challenge!