"Ryan is quite knowledgable and passionate about wine. His passion is quite evident watching him build our wine school from scratch, creating the lesson plans, carefully curate the wine and most importantly while teaching, always managing to focus in on what matters most and explain things in a relatable way for our members. He is charismatic, professional and knows how to throw some fun into the class as well. I would highly recommend The Flying Somm for your professional Sommelier needs as our members have had nothing but appreciation for his services."
The Vintage Conservatory
"Ryan is very knowledgeable and passionate about wine. I gave him some flavour profiles and told him what I liked and he matched them perfectly. The wine choices were superb. I would highly recommend The Flying Somm!"
Alex and Noah, Yorkville Residents
"When I was first propositioned with private wine ordering through Ryan, I'll admit, I wasn't sure if it was for us. My wife and I love to drink wine but we didn't have the most educated palate but we knew what we liked. Ryan quickly figured out exactly the style of wine we like and managed to find better quality wine from different and unique regions, often at better prices. His producer profile, tasting notes and food pairing suggestions with each wine have helped educate us greatly. I couldn't imagine procuring wine any other way and it goes without saying, I would highly recommend The Flying Somm!"
Dr. A and Dr. K, Shangri-La Residents, Toronto
"Ryan, thank you so much for such fabulous night! I’m still getting emails this morning from our clients on what a fantastic evening they had. You were hilarious and made everyone feel welcomed. I can’t tell you of a time where I learned so much about wine in just a couple of hours. I appreciate all your support in making sure this event was a great success. We will definitely need your help again soon for our next event!"
Straticom
"I completed Ryan’s 10 course Wine Specialist Program. Before taking the course I lacked the confidence and knowledge to make my own choices or discover incredible wines from all around the world. The Flying Somm did a fantastic job of summarizing and presenting the material in a way that made learning fun. For those who wanted to learn even more, he would suggest additional reading material and was always available to answer questions. I found it refreshing to take a course taught by someone so knowledgeable and passionate about the material. I would most certainly recommend this program to anyone interested in a thorough introduction to the world of wine."
Paul Povolo, P.Eng
"Working with Ryan is always a pleasure and so much fun. We have hosted multiple events with him and our clients love his energy, and positive attitude. He is able to take any dinner menu and find the perfect pairing for each course. When we're planning unique experience with wine, he is definitely our go to Sommelier. We highly recommend using Ryan for any and all sommelier needs!"
Modern Concierge Inc
"Ryan has had a huge impact on our wine education journey. We took his wine course through the Vintage Conservatory and thoroughly enjoyed each class getting to learn about a different region each night. We would highly recommend Ryan for his professional Sommelier services. His sense of humour, knowledge and passion for wine makes it very enjoyable to be in his wine classes."
Tiffany and Paul
“I hosted a dinner for my team and was looking for something unique to further elevate the evening. Ryan was able to deliver on this by seamlessly curating a wine menu to pair with our meal and navigating us through the world of wine via the eyes of a sommelier. Everyone enjoyed themselves and walked away learning something. Look forward to engaging Ryan in future and would highly recommend him to anyone.”
Vine Group
"I found Ryan’s wine education events to be informative, practical and enjoyable, helping me appreciate wine at a deeper level. I have since had Ryan host wine tasting dinners for me and clients, where he found the perfect balance between wine education and wine enjoyment, which worked for both novice and experienced guests. The Flying Somm is an excellent choice for adding a unique and memorable dimension, to your dinner or wine tasting event."
Torkin Manes LLP
"It is my pleasure to write a short reference for Ryan Sullivan: sommelier, raconteur, and teacher.
He has worked in the Vintage Conservatory, where I first met him as the teacher in a course on Introductory Wine Tasting. His enthusiasm in bringing a polyglot group of individuals together to teach them about different wine regions around the globe and learn about the nuances of taste, terroir, and terminology, was infective. He made me want to learn more.
I’ve recommended him to lecture at other wine tasting events where, I’m sure, he will prove to be both entertaining and educational. I believe that he would make a great addition to any wine program with his knowledge and easy going manner."
Dr. Bill Hawrysh
"The stories or notes on a particular wine/vineyard Ryan has is remarkable! The taste comparisons he makes you do are so helpful, and his enthusiasm about wine carries over to whomever gets the pleasure of being in his presence. He is extremely engaging! He makes learning about the daunting subject of wine an experience to remember. I always enjoy learning something from him!"
Cathy Chuchro
"Ryan, I would like to thank you again on behalf of my Ares team for hosting a spectacular virtual wine tasting event with us! You really knew how to "aerate your audience" to have everyone openly kick back & enjoy some fine wines with your extensive sommelier expertise. We certainly could have picked your brain all night drinking together with more Q&A. The Flying Somm definitely hosted our most unique team event yet this year!"
Ares Managment
"Ryan has been a huge help at our restaurant. Our wine list transformed, into a carefully articulated all-Italian list - which would have been impossible without Ryan. His extensive knowledge and passion for wine, is undeniable. In addition to our now extensive wine list, Ryan also educated all of our staff with a very informative tasting. Our staff were entirely engaged throughout the entire tasting. We would highly recommend Ryan for any Sommelier services."
Mangia & Bevi
“Our virtual wine tasting for our Annual Sales & Operations meeting was a huge hit! It was engaging and informative and the team across North America all said they didn’t want the party to end. Ryan was a fantastic host and made the coordination easy and trouble-free.”
Polytainers
“Our virtual wine tasting for our tiny team of four was absolutely fantastic- Ryan was so engaging and we all walked away having learned something new! From the excellent communication and coordination leading up to the event, to the fun jokes and interesting insights, I can’t recommend Ryan enough. If you want to advance your knowledge of wines beyond white vs red, Ryan’s your guy!”
McKinsey & Company
"Ryan, the entire team agrees – best virtual event ever! Thank you so much for an incredibly fun and most informative time! From the moment I reached out, you were incredibly responsive, and so amazing dealing with some pretty logistically complicated wine deliveries for our international team. But if felt so easy for me – you handled everything! Beyond that, your authentic and super fun approach made the evening the most relaxed and enjoyable we’ve had in ages. And the wine was amazing! I can’t wait to coordinate (and attend!) the next event!"
Morneau Shepell
"Ryan helped my guests and I take our wine tasting experience to the next level with a curated virtual wine tasting. We laughed, we learned , we drank and all from the comfort of our own home with Ryan as our virtual host. Thank you Ryan, I will certainly be recommending this experience to all of my friends!"
Be Dance
“For our annual Holiday Cheers, we had Ryan be our Host sommelier. Virtual events can be awkward or boring, ours was quite the opposite. Ryan engaged the group, picked up on nuances, interacted and connected like he had been part of the team forever.
He made us laugh and learn, and time flew by.
We all agree, this was one of our highlight events of 2020, virtual or not! Very best”
ADP Canada
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for the amazing experience today at the virtual wine tasting/holiday party. You honestly made our party so enjoyable and you did an amazing job at entertaining and educating at the same time. I had so many compliments on the event and tons of positive feedback from the team.
Everyone was so impressed with your knowledge and loved how you had everyone engaged and interacting. We learned a lot and truly appreciated your professionalism, your humour and your expertise. I will definitely recommend you to anyone I know that has plans for a virtual party."
CI Global Asset Managment
"We worked with Ryan the “Flying Sommelier” for a virtual wine tasting, and it was absolutely wonderful! Ryan is fun, professional and definitely leaves a lasting impression for all his guests. He led us through how to taste wine like a professional, and left the door open for our guests to ask questions and share their thoughts throughout the tasting. Overall, it is very clear that Ryan is passionate about wine and the wine making process, which lead to a wonderful experience all around! It was a pleasure to get to work with Ryan, we are always learning something new."
Fidelity Investments
"Ryan’s wine tasting was the perfect way bring the team together virtually. Ryan made the experience simple and seamless. Everyone involved felt at ease and were thoroughly entertained by his knowledge and sense of humour. Thank you for your help in turning us from wine drinkers into wine tasters! We would unquestionably recommend The flying Somm for any occasion."
Shift Digital
"Ryan was able to deliver on a fun evening for some of the team members at Lendesk. Since going remote first we've tried hard to maintain our culture and are always on the hunt for new and different experiences that we can do together virtually. The Virtual Tasting totally did just that! The Flying Somm I would highly recommend anytime. You will not be disappointed"
Lendesk
"I found Ryan through his Wine School classes at the VC and kept going back because he makes class really enjoyable and the wine education really approachable. I highly recommend this series!
I have also brought Ryan in to host corporate events. He expertly matched the wines to our menus and managed to surprise the most discerning palates with wines from regions that our guests had never considered before. It was a terrific way to keep the conversation light and took the pressure off of me to serve and to appear knowledgeable. It’s money well spent for a memorable event!"
Groundswell Urban Planners Inc
"Ryan makes the world of wine so much better. He has personally taught us to explore our options beyond the traditional. And for the world of Hyr Live, he is sharing his incredible breadth of knowledge and expertise to those who want to learn. Ryan has definitely made wine more enjoyable, and learning about it so fun!"
Hyr Inc.
"I would highly recommend Ryan Sullivan to host your next wine tasting event. Why? He is professional, knowledgeable, engaging, responsive, easy to work with and above all, your guests will be entertained and educated. Our live wine tasting event with Ryan had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, but Ryan was so adaptable and offered a virtual wine tasting experience that was a big hit! We received great reviews and we are looking forward to the next time we can work with him. Choose Ryan Sullivan - The Flying Somm for your next wine event."
Halton-Peel Dental Association
"Many thanks for a spectacular virtual wine tasting experience for our team’s holiday party. While we couldn’t gather in person this year, you made the experience intimate, special and so much fun. You worked closely with our event planner to truly customize our holiday party to meet everyone’s wine tastes, preferences and level of knowledge.
Your immense knowledge and passion for wine shines through, and you have a captivating approach for engaging everyone in the tasting experience. The catered charcuterie boards and dinners from your partnership with Daniel et Daniel were a delicious addition to our virtual party! Among a group of “wine connoisseurs”, we all left learning something new about wines.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND The Flying Somm for an unforgettable virtual wine tasting event!"
Richardson Wealth
"You’ve provided the perfect event for our team to relax and kick back. It’s been quite a year for sure, but I really wanted to thank you for not only being a Rockstar and agreeing to work with us, but being so incredibly helpful throughout the process. Our team learned a little more about wine and had a great night! I personally learned how to enjoy a red and I’m strictly a white wine drinker
I am grateful to my colleague Erica for connecting us. I personally think this event is a hit and can defiantly take off as in-person option down the line for you when the world returns to some semblance of normalcy. I really cant recommend you enough! You were patient, kind and had a great sense of humour. The event was educational, fun, and your sense of humour really jived with our team.
I hope you have a fabulous Holiday season and thank you again for bringing us cheer! I hope to reconnect for another event in the spring!"
Ares Management
"It was an absolute pleasure to have Ryan guide us through the 'Wines of Burgundy' at our corporate event. Everyone had a great time and we received a ton of compliments. Everything from event planning to conducting the event felt seamless. Ryan is highly professional, responsive, and easy to work with. The presentation was entertaining and super interactive. The session was filled with lots of laughs, smiles, and the wine options that Ryan chose for us were excellent! We highly recommend Ryan for any future events and we look forward to a future Cloud Wine experience!"
AppCentrica
"We wanted to revamp our food and wine program at the Granite Golf Club and when I heard about the services Ryan offered along with his professional references I knew right away he would be the perfect fit for us. Ryan met with us, looked through our food menu and our existing wine list and tailored a brand new 50 bottle wine list for us. In addition to bringing in all new wines from around the globe, Ryan also trained our staff through wine list review, tastings and service practice and also offered wine tasting dinners once a month for our members. Ryan is passionate about wine but even more so with our members' positive experience. After our first wine tasting dinner I had a flood of emails of how amazing the evening was and what a fantastic host Ryan was. Ryan knows how to talk wine with those that are both inexperienced and experienced along with charm and wit that makes him an excellent host for these evenings. Ryan just knows how to make wine education engaging and enjoyable for our members.
I would highly recommend The Flying Somm because he brought more to the Granite Golf Club than his professional Sommelier services, he started a new wine subculture and for that we are very grateful."
Granite Golf Club
"We recently hired Ryan for a corporate social event and could not have been more impressed. He was friendly, knowledgeable, punctual and incredibly easy to work with. Our event was large (150+ people) but Ryan had time for each and every person, making all our guests feel welcome. The champagne selection was perfect, and even novice wine tasters walked away feeling like they could tell the difference between a grand and premier cru. All in all, Ryan was a delight to work with and we hope to have the chance to do so again in the near future!"
CAPCO
"We were looking to add something unique to a dinner / wine event that we hosted for some close friends. Ryan created a wine menu and presented an evening that was full of laughter and knowledge. These types of events can sometimes be uptight but Ryan’s perfect mix of charisma, expertise and humor made for the absolute perfect evening. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is looking to add an interesting and fun twist to any event."
Sundeep Bagga and Dorothy Hryc
"I discovered Ryan during the pandemic when looking for an interesting way to connect with friends. He has now become my go to guy when looking for a unique way to entertain or to uncover a bottle of wine off the beaten path of the LCBO.
Ryan is a knowledgeable, passionate and thoughtful Somm who is also lots of fun. He is very approachable for those who are interested in learning more about wine but are not connoisseurs. He structures the evening in an interactive way where everyone leaves feeling they have learned more about the world of wine and more confident about choosing that next bottle.
For the more seasoned aficionado they always come away knowing a little bit more and having discovered a new must try wine and perhaps a new travel destination.
Ryan will take you around the world or entertain you in a single village. He will teach you about the wine making process and how the impact of geography, soil, weather and climate can influence what you taste in the glass. 10 out of 10!"
Diane B.