Vancouver Magazine, January/February 2020

Page 32

Floor O’Clock Robert Stelmachuk in his natural element— greeting customers and pouring wine.

SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR

The Long and Winding Road This year we put the job of selecting the Sommelier of the Year to a group who knows a thing or two about the topic—our past SOTY winners. We think their choice was inspired.

ROBERT STELMACHUK

MOTT 32, 1161 GEORGIA ST.

“See that couple over there?” Robert Stelmachuk says as he gestures to a man and woman enjoying what appears to be a date night... at one in the afternoon. “I’ve served them for over 20 years.” It could be a throwaway line that demonstrates the breadth of his experience, but it’s the

way Stelmachuk—proper suit and full Windsor knot, even at midday—says it, with the emphasis not on the “I’ve” but on the “served,” that tells you all you need to know about this year’s Sommelier of the Year. In a society that uses the word profession synonymously with job,

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