BOARD, COMMITTEES & STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ontario's Wine Appellation Authority is a not for profit corporation governed by an independent Board of Directors. Nine Directors are elected from winery members and one each appointed from the Ontario government, the Grape Growers of Ontario and the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association.

Of the elected Directors, 3 each are elected from large, medium and small class wineries with VQA wine sales of over 750,000 litres, 100,000 to 750,000 litres and under 100,000 litres respectively. Provision is also made for regional representation, including at least one Director from each primary appellation.

The Board of Directors is responsible for governance and setting strategic goals for the Appellation Authority. It oversees staff management and ensures effective policies are in place to carry out the regulatory and corporate functions of the organization. The Board of Directors meets 6 times annually.

A public Annual General Meeting is held each year, typically in July, to present a report on the Authority’s operations, present financial statements and conduct elections to the Board.

Board of Directors (July 2026)

• Derek Cartlidge, (President & Chair) Colio Estates Winery

  Derek Cartlidge has spent over 20 years in beverage alcohol and is currently
  the President of Thornbury Craft Co., a cider, beer and Ready to Drink producer
  owned by Colio Estate Wines. Derek grew up in Niagara wine country and is a
  graduate of Niagara College. He has held progressively senior management
  positions in the industry, most recently as Chief Financial Officer at Colio
  Wines. He became President of Thornbury Craft Co. in 2019 and has overseen a
  period of strong growth and expansion of the Thornbury production facility.
  Derek has been active in many industry associations, serving in various roles
  with Wine Growers Ontario and is an active participant in the cider and beer
  industry’s government relations programs and serves on the Boards of the
  Ontario Craft Cider Association and Cider Canada and numerous industry
  committees. Derek was elected to the OWAA Board of Directors in 2019 and became
  Chair in 2024.

• Brian Schmidt, (Ex-Officio Director and Past-Chair) Vineland Estates Winery

  Brian Schmidt is the Vice-President and Winemaker at Vineland Estates. First
  elected to the OWAA Board in 2006, Brian held the position of Chair from 2014
  until 2024. He now serves in the ex-officio position of Past-Chair. Brian was
  raised on the family vineyard in Kelowna, BC, and after coming to Ontario to
  help with harvest one year, he decided to stay. He has been making wine in
  Ontario’s Niagara region for over 30 years. Brian has experimented, researched
  and travelled extensively to study cool climate grape varieties and their
  connections to the land. He is widely recognized for his dedication to Cabernet
  Franc and Riesling grown in Ontario. When not engaged in OWAA affairs, Brian is
  most likely to be found on a tractor in the vineyard.

• Gabe Demarco, (Vice Chair) Cave Spring Vineyards

  Gabriel Demarco is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Head Winemaker of Cave
  Spring Vineyard and the COO of The Vine Agency. Gabriel is a graduate of the
  Oenology and Viticulture Institute (OEVI) at Brock University in St. Catharines,
  ON. Prior to his winemaking career, he completed a B.A. in theatre arts and
  world history at McMaster University and an Hon. B.A. in Performance from the
  University of Winnipeg, and travelled throughout Canada with the Canadian Naval
  Reserve. After moving to Toronto, Gabriel obtained his Wine & Spirit
  Education Trust Advanced Wine Certificate and realized that his true
  professional passion was in the wine industry. After completing his oenology
  degree, he became a full-time winemaker at Cave Spring and continues to strive
  for the expression of terroir in the wines he makes. Gabriel was elected to the
  OWAA Board of Directors in 2023 and currently serves as Vice-Chair.

• Nadia Senchuk, (Treasurer) Leaning Post Wines

  Nadia Senchuk is the President and co-owner of Leaning Post Wines, a premium
  Niagara-based winery focused on terroir-driven Canadian wines. With an MBA and
  a strong background in business strategy, sales, and marketing, Nadia oversees
  the winery’s growth, operations, hospitality, and market development
  initiatives. She has played a key role in expanding Leaning Post’s presence
  within the LCBO, export markets, and direct-to-consumer sales channels. In
  addition to her work at Leaning Post Wines, Nadia is actively involved in
  supporting and advocating for continued growth, quality standards, and
  recognition of Ontario’s wine industry. She was elected to the OWAA Board of
  Directors in 2021 and currently serves as Treasurer.

• Erika Neudorf, (Secretary) Arterra Wines Canada

  Erika is currently the Marketing Director for Innovation at Arterra Wines
  Canada. She has worked in the wine industry for over 20 years in numerous roles
  spanning marketing, consumer insights, market development, and winemaking -
  both in Canada and abroad. Her prior experience includes Corby Spirit & Wine
  Ltd, Andrew Peller Ltd, Wine Australia, CCOVI, and Wine Intelligence – bringing
  together a global perspective and strategic thinking with her local knowledge
  and experience. Erika holds a Masters in Wine Business from the University of
  Adelaide in Australia, a BA from the University of Western Ontario, and an
  Executive Certificate in Sustainability from the University of Cambridge. Born
  and raised in Niagara, Erika is an avid wine enthusiast and supporter of the
  Canadian wine industry, showcased through her work on family passion project in
  Niagara, The Farm Wines. Erika was elected to the OWAA Board of Directors in
  2023 and currently serves as Board Secretary.

• Louise Engel, Featherstone Estate Winery

  Louise Engel is a co-founder of Featherstone Winery, established in 1999
  dedicated to creating small batch wines of the finest calibre. Louise has
  'worn many hats' over the years and has a deep understanding of the wine
  industry that is predicated on a hands-on approach to running a successful
  brand. An early advocate of sustainable farming on its 19-acre site on the
  Twenty Mile Bench, Featherstone is best known for employing a roving flock of
  sheep to help with leaf removal in the summer months. Louise was elected to the
  OWAA Board in 2012.

• Tim Kuepfer, Broken Stone Winery

  Tim Kuepfer is the proprietor of Broken Stone Winery, a small winery located in
  Prince Edward County. He oversees all aspects of the business from the vineyard,
  winemaking, infrastructure, wholesale, retail, hospitality and business
  management. Tim holds a business degree from the Ivey School of Business at
  Western University and trained at UC Davis in winemaking. Before starting the
  winery, Tim began his career in economic research and progressed through
  account management and sales positions to a role providing financial data and
  software solutions to the investment industry. Tim is currently the Chair of
  the Prince Edward Winegrowers Association and an active participant in the
  local wine community. He was elected to the OWAA Board of Directors in 2026.

• Shiraz Mottiar, Malivoire Wine Company

  Shiraz Mottiar is Director of Winegrowing at Malivoire Wine Company. Shiraz
  graduated from the oenology and Viticulture program at Brock University and has
  worked in progressively senior winemaking and management positions in Ontario
  for over 25 years. He currently holds the Chair of Brock University’s CCOVI
  Advisory Council and is a member of the Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario
  Committee, past member of the International Cool Climate Chardonnay
  Celebration’s Board and Education Committee, and participant in CCOVI’s Fizz
  Club Steering Group. Shiraz is committed to winemaking excellence, education,
  research and development, with a clear focus on a sustainable and prosperous
  future for the Ontario wine industry. He was elected to the OWAA Board of
  Directors in 2024.

• Mary Shenstone, Government of Ontario

  Mary has over three decades of public policy, management and government
  relations experience gained through a distinguished public sector career. She
  was formerly an assistant deputy minister and (Interim) Fairness Commissioner
  in the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade.
  Mary also served as an assistant deputy minister with the Ontario Ministry of
  Intergovernnmental Affairs, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and the
  Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal. She has extensive experience with
  board governance and the administrative authority model, having served on the
  boards of the Resource Productivity and Resource Authority (currently Vice
  Chair), the Real Estate Council of Ontario, and the Technical Standards and
  Safety Authority. She also served as vice-chair of the board of Trinity College
  in the University of Toronto. Mary holds an ICD.D designation. Mary was
  appointed to the OWAA Board of Directors in 2005.

• Paul Speck, Henry of Pelham

  Paul and his brothers Matthew and Daniel planted the original vineyards and
  began the business development of Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery with
  their father in 1984. In 1989, Paul became President of Henry of Pelham and has
  led it to become one of the leading growers and producers of VQA certified
  wines. Henry of Pelham owns and operates 420 acres of premium vineyards in the
  Short Hills Bench and Twenty Mille Bench in Niagara. Paul was a Founding
  Director of VQA Ontario, now the Ontario Wine Appellation Authority, and he
  continues to play an active role in promoting and developing the premium wine
  industry in Canada. Paul also serves on the boards of Ontario Craft Wineries
  and Wine Growers Canada. Paul was first elected to the Board in 2000, serving
  until 2024, and was re-elected in 2026.

• Mark Torrance, Andrew Peller Ltd.

  Mark Torrance is the Vice President of Estate Wineries at Andrew Peller Limited,
  a position he has held since September 2021. Prior to this role, he was the
  Director of Estate Wineries at Andrew Peller. Mark launched his career in small
  luxury country house hotels in the U.K. and transitioned to the wine business
  in 2001. He brings extensive experience in the retail, hospitality and wine
  sector, including managing the delivery of immersive, industry-leading
  experiences at Andrew Peller’s portfolio of estate wineries. Mark also brings a
  strong understanding of brand loyalty and knowledge of consumer needs and
  consumer-driven brand positioning. Mark was elected to the OWAA Board of
  Directors in 2024.

• Kevin Watson, Grape Growers of Ontario

  Kevin co-owns Watson’s Vineyards Limited in Niagara on the Lake. He and his
  family have been growing wine grapes for three generations, starting in 1978,
  and the family business grows a wide selection of wine grapes and offers grapes
  and juice, winemaking supplies and equipment to local wineries and home
  winemakers. Kevin has long history of involvement in the grape and wine
  industry, serving on Grower Committees and the Board of Grape Growers Ontario,
  currently as its Chair of the Board. Kevin was named Grape King for 2007-08. He
  was appointed to the OWAA Board of Directors in 2009.

• Omer Yazaroglu, Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association

  Omer is the Director, Culinary Services with the Niagara Parks Commission,
  overseeing 16 culinary outlets serving VQA wines. With nearly 40 years in
  hospitality, and deep roots in Niagara, he is committed to leadership and
  operational excellence and is a keen supporter of local food and wine. Omer has
  a broad insight into how service professionals and consumers view wines in a
  hospitality setting and the important relationship between local food and local
  wine for visitors to Niagara. He also serves on the boards of the Ontario
  Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA) and Niagara Falls Convention
  Centre. Omer was appointed to the OWAA Board of Directors in 2026.