Wine writer and newly-appointed Decanter World Wine Awards chair Tony Aspler has received Canada’s highest civil honour, the Order of Canada.
Aspler, who will be formally invested with the title this year, has been a wine writer for over 30 years, specialising in the wines of Canada.
He received the honour for ‘contributions as a leading authority on Canadian wines who has been key to the development of the Canadian wine industry’.
He is one of 40 new members of the order.
‘I tried to impress upon my parents that what I really wanted to do for a living was drink wine and write about it,’ said Aspler. ‘I wish they had lived to see this day. They wanted me to be a lawyer.’
The Order of Canada is considered the centrepiece of the Canadian honours system, recognising Canadian citizens who have shown ‘outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation’. There are three ranks of the order, which range from the lowest (member), to officer, and companion.
Aspler was recently named Canadian regional chair for the 2008 Decanter World Wine Awards. He is the first person to fill the post, recently-created following increased entries and quality from the country over the last few years of the competition.
Written by Oliver Styles
