In the mid 1970’s, a close friend of this consignor invited him and five colleagues to a blind tasting of six wines. This casual gathering led to the creation of L’Ordre des Tirebouchons. The group held monthly tastings, where the host would present six wines to be tasted blind, paired with a gourmet meal of four to five courses. A decade later, to mark their tenth anniversary, they traveled to Paris for a ten-day celebration, indulging in some of the city’s finest restaurants, with a memorable four-and-a-half-hour lunch at Le Pré Catalan standing out as one of the highlights. His passion for wine also led him to tour France on four separate occasions to visit various wineries, along with trips to Australia and South Africa. In 1977, he started to seriously collect wines, maintaining a cellar of over 100 bottles. L’Ordre des Tirebouchons also boasted its own wine cellar, where they sourced prestigious bottles like Château Pétrus and La Tâche. All these wines were acquired through Vintages at the LCBO and stored in a dedicated wine fridge in his basement, ensuring the collection remained in perfect condition.