Master Sommelier
Jennifer Huether
- Discipline
- Master Sommelier
i. Biography
The work reads across the floor, the vineyard, and the classroom: Jennifer Huether’s career has been built through service, site, and study, with wine education as the thread that holds it together. The starting point was practical rather than romantic, with a chef introducing her to wine and food pairing and giving shape to a skill set where timing, flavor, and service carry equal weight. From there, the craft deepened through repeated exposure to tasting, teaching, leadership, and mentorship. “great food and wine are in my blood. It comes naturally to me and never feels like work.” Jennifer has said.
The Path
Formal study at Institute of the Gastronomy (ISG) gave Jennifer Huether a technical base to match the instincts she was developing, putting structure around the work of tasting and service. She then built her reputation as a sommelier and restaurant industry professional in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where the pace of the floor sharpened the practical side of pairing, recommending, and guiding guests. Cliff Lede Vineyards in Napa Valley, California, United States brought Jennifer Huether closer to the source, and the work as a wine professional expanded the frame from service to the conditions that shape wine itself. Grapes, site, and process sit differently in that setting, and the perspective from there carried into her later role as a wine program leader at MLSE in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where the job shifted toward organization, structure, and consistency across a program. Later, as a Prestige Account Manager / Master Sommelier at Jackson Family Wines in Canada, she drew on the full range of that experience: floor service, study, communication, and an exacting sense of how wines function in different contexts. Today, Jennifer is director of education of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, a role that places instruction at the center of the work. She is also a teacher of Court of Master Sommeliers, a teacher of WSET, and a mentor of VinEquity, extending that knowledge into the next layer of the trade. The result is a career built not as a single line, but as a set of linked practices: service learned in restaurants, knowledge tested through study, and education carried forward through teaching.
The Work Today
Her later study includes a Diploma of Wine from WSET, adding to the technical base first formed at ISG. a focus on the details that support professional judgment in wine.
Career - Director of Education — Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Nevada, United States - Teacher — Court of Master Sommeliers - Teacher — WSET - Mentor — VinEquity - Sommelier / restaurant industry roles — Various restaurants in Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Wine professional — Cliff Lede Vineyards, Napa Valley, California, United States - Wine program leader — MLSE, Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Prestige Account Manager / Master Sommelier — Jackson Family Wines, Canada Education: Institute of the Gastronomy (ISG)
Acclaim
Jennifer's honors include Master Sommelier designation; became Canada’s first female Master Sommelier (2011) and Ontario Sommelier Competition winner. Those distinctions sit within a career shaped by classroom study, restaurant repetition, and the measured advance from service to education.
FAQ What is Jennifer Huether's current role? As of 2026, Jennifer Huether is director of education of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Where did Jennifer Huether train or study? Jennifer Huether trained at Institute of the Gastronomy (ISG). What recognition has Jennifer Huether received? Master Sommelier designation; became Canada’s first female Master Sommelier (2011).
