National Board Members are :
Domer Rafael
CAPS Canada President
Domer Rafael has dedicated his career to the service industry with a focus on guest experience, fine wine and management. He is currently the Food and Beverage Manager at the Manitoba Club and oversees a wine cellar and private wine program of over 500 wines, an ever-evolving beverage program, a stellar cigar selection and the finest cuisine in Winnipeg. Domer is a graduate of the International Sommelier Guild, the reigning Best Sommelier of Manitoba (2017) and hopes to further evolve Manitoba's food and wine industry.
Caroline Leblanc
CAPS Canada, Vice President and CAPS Quebec President
Born into a family of wine lovers, Caroline grew up with a deep desire to understand the (many) reasons why it has the power to connect and bring people together. Her interest in travel sparked her curiosity to discover South America and Europe, places where she fell deeply in love with viticulture. Her master's degree in Marketing Management at ESADE (Barcelona), her training as a sommelier and her WSET level 3 certificate, eventually led her to manage the export management of Familia Torres wines and spirits in Canada for five years. Currently on the path towards obtaining her WSET Diploma, Caroline serves as the President of ACSP-Quebec. Additionally, she lends her strategic acumen as the Marketing Manager for Star Wine List and contributes her extensive industry knowledge as a Senior Account Manager at Sopexa Canada.
Tom Firth
President - CAPS Alberta
Tom Firth is a Calgary-based drinks writer, consultant, and beverage judge who has been travelling the world and pulling corks for 25+ years. Tom has judged wine at domestic and international wine competitions including the International Value Wine Awards, the Canadian Wine Awards, and the National Wine Awards of Canada and has judged at Concours Mondial de Brussels, the Argentina Wine Awards, the Canadian Artisan Spirits Competition, and been a grand jurist at the Portuguese Wine Challenge plus many others. He is the Managing Editor for Culinaire Magazine, and is the Competition Director for the Alberta Beverage Awards. He has no qualms about tasting first thing in the morning, and his desk is covered in paper and bottles – somewhere under all that, a corkscrew might be found.
Sean Dolenuck
President, CAPS Manitoba
Sean Dolenuck is a professional Sommelier and restaurant specialist with La Boutique del Vino. He holds the Professional Sommelier Diploma from CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers) as well as a Diploma in Hotel and Restaurant management from SAIT (Calgary), and has been involved in the hospitality industry for over 20 years, specializing in fine dining. Sean has worked at some of the best restaurants in both Calgary and Winnipeg. His passion for wine and the hospitality industry moved him to Winnipeg for his Sommelier studies, and that opened the door to his current position as a both Manager of Licensee Sales and Purchaser with La Boutique del Vino. He offers Sommelier service including developing wine lists, marketing, training staff and management, cost controls and implementing sales strategies. Sean has joined the Manitoba Restaurant and Food Association as an Associate Board Member where he is able to provide his experience and education to assist with current and future developments. Sean was the first person awarded the best Sommelier in Manitoba in 2015 and competed in the Canadian nationals in Toronto in March 2015. Sean is happy to speak about wine whenever he can; he feels that passion and personality are his best qualities when it comes to the wine world, offering a fun and refreshing approach. Over-delivering Malbec; ever-elegant Pinot Noir; and reality-bending high quality Priorat are some of Sean’s particular wine loves. He is also a keen teacher and competitor: he teaches martial arts as a 4th Degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Paul Doucette
CAPS Atlantic, President
Graduate of CAPS-AC Sommelier Program (2009). For more than a decade, Paul has used his wine tasting powers for the forces of good, leading wine events to raise funds for many charities. Now he has volunteered some time to be vice-president of CAPS-AC. By day, Paul is a mild-mannered emergency medicine and chronic pain physician. By night, he especially enjoys French wine.
Mark Taylor
CAPS British Columber President
Mark is a highly regarded industry professional working in Vancouver and a graduate of the International Sommelier Guild. Most recently he was the Director Of Food And Beverage at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts where he worked to Recruit, hire and train the front-of-house food service operations including the restaurant and bakery. Prior to this he was the Hospitality Supervisor - Premium Level with Canucks Sports & Entertainment (CSE) where he was responsible for leading teams and providing ongoing coaching to ensure exceptional hospitality is provided and the fan experience is exceptional. Mark is also the former owner / operator of Siena Restaurant Vancouver where he flexed his entrepreneurial skills by organizing the business plan, financing, conceptualization, design, start up, training and day to day operations.