Todd Halpern joined his father, Harold, the founder of Halpern Enterprises, in 1979. A man of many titles — among them father and President Halpern Enterprises — Todd is also vice-chair of the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation Board of Directors. In this role, Todd blends his two passions — using everyone’s favourite elixir, wine, as a vessel for making a difference in Canadian health care. He also continues to successfully navigate Halpern Enterprises through the exciting and ever-changing world of Wine.

Colin joined Todd and their father, Harold, in 1991 with the mission to expand, grow and strengthen relationships with existing and new top quality producers. Colin, curates, finely tunes, and works with his teams to manage the Halpern portfolio and develop the top producers from far corners of the world. Colin believes Halpern’s customers demand quality, and quality is what he supplies.

Exactly sixty years after Harold Halpern began importing wine through the back of his pharmacy on Spadina Avenue, his grandson Adam Halpern proudly joined the family company alongside his father and uncle. Having graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 2015 with aspirations of investment banking, a game time decision in realizing where his passions truly lay led him back to the family business. Having been raised with the finest winemakers around the kitchen table, and access to the world’s most revered and classic wines, Adam’s palate was honed at a far younger age than most. Now in the role of assisting his father and uncle with company operations, the ardent athlete and Burgundy fanatic oversees sales, logistics, and allocations.

The former Mercatto Wine Director and Momofuku sommelier has always been marked by her entertaining and accessible approach to wine. Focused on learning all aspects of the industry, she left the restaurant world to head up sales and marketing for Niagara winery Pearl Morissette. Following that she spent time selling for Norman Hardie in Prince Edward County. In January 2014, she took the role of brand ambassador for the iconic Maison Louis Jadot with Halpern Enterprises. Today, along with Jadot, she manages over a dozen of the wine world’s most revered estates and has become one of Toronto’s authorities on Burgundy wines.

Chocolate and Wine are a great pairing. Chris certainly thought so when he made the leap from Lindt Chocolates to the world of Wine and Spirits in 2011 as the Regional Sales Director at Kirkwood Diamond Canada. He joined Halpern Enterprises in October 2016 as the Sales Director responsible for the Direct Sales and Retail Sales Teams. His passion for wine led Chris to complete his Level 3 WSET Wine & Spirits Education in fall of 2017. Cooking, outdoor activities such as cycling and hiking plus his young kids keep him busy outside of work.

Born and raised in the hotel business, Paul’s travels have taken him all around the globe. It was a BSc in Hotel Restaurant Management from the Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston that helped direct his career. Since joining Halpern as a Sales Representative in 2008, Paul is a Brand Ambassador for more than 18 wine producers with a focus on Italian wineries.   A certified sommelier through CAPS and the Court of Master Sommeliers, Paul has been fortunate enough to help build some of the best wine cellars in the GTA and offer insight into wines worth your time to explore. “Part of my job is finding the right wine for the right person that is comfortable for them.”

After turns as a CPGA Golf professional, and a decade in the rock concert business, Jess found himself in the fine dining trade. Working with Chef Mark McEwan for over a decade inspired an interest in high calibre wines, and in 2011 he became a certified sommelier. During his 9 years tenure at Toronto’s vaunted Hazelton Hotel, he took note of their culture of cultivating the finest possible guest experience and went on to shape his own practise around it. It’s this intimate, well-curated, and altogether personalized experience he looks forward to bringing to his clients’ wine collections.

Erin joined Halpern in 2019 as a Retail Sales Representative, working throughout the GTA and east, and north up to cottage country. Before Halpern, Erin spent 3 years living, working, eating, drinking and learning her way around the beautiful Niagara wine region. While working at Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery as the Assistant Retail Manager, she graduated as a Certified Sommelier through the Niagara CAPS program in 2015. When she is not working, you can find her spending time with family and friends - often enjoying good food and good wine!

Coming from a Chemical Engineering background, Julia was naturally drawn to the Food and Beverage aspect of the Hospitality Industry. Years of working in fine dining establishments followed. Her passion for wine and quest for knowledge finally won over and in 1996 she graduated with honors from the coveted Jacques Marie Sommelier Program at George Brown College. Since her appointment to Sommelier Julia has taught a wine appreciation course at George Brown College, done numerous lectures and presentations for both corporate and private clients, and consulted for a number of the top restaurants in the city. Since rejoining Halpern Enterprises in 2005 as a Sommelier and Sales Associate Julia has been an integral part of organizing the Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival in benefit of the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation.

Having spent years in the restaurant industry inspired Claire's interest in wine and spirits. Many wine courses later, Claire joined the Halpern team in 2006. Great appreciation for fine wine and the amazing opportunity to increase her knowledge with the Halpern portfolio has been an exciting journey. Claire is brand manager of the new addition of premium spirits for Halpern, spirits that reflect the Halpern objective of 'only the best'.

James came to work for Halpern Enterprises in September of 2000. That position led to an interest in wine, and that interest led to a bit of a passion for wine. In 2011, James gained certification with CAPS and the Court of Master Sommeliers. In 2012, he created the 'Southern Ontario Sommelier Association' that held an annual Ontario Wine Competition. This led to a seat on the CAPS board of directors. Wine manages to seep into your life and take hold. Not a bad thing.

Joel's appreciation of wine began in 1995 while holding the position as a principal of Atlas Bar and Grill Restaurant in Toronto.  Having been bitten by the wine bug, his education took him from sampling hundreds of bottles to studying levels 1 and 2 WSET courses as well as participating in Robert Parker’s Matter of Taste seminars and master classes in Napa, California.  In June 2017, he joined Halpern Enterprises in a sales role and is thrilled to be able to offer a broad-based world class portfolio to his customers. When he has time to imbibe, Joel happily partakes in a glass of Grenache from the Rhone region or a California Merlot (or a shot of Jägermeister or bourbon) while rooting for his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs.

A love of wine and collecting turned into a passion. After a successful career in retail sales with my own business catering to consumers across Canada, my next career involved IT which focused primarily on Enterprise level organizations The years of working with clients has enhanced my skills interpreting customer needs and tailoring their individual needs to our extensive product portfolio from world renowned wineries.The 10 years in the wine industry has allowed me to understand client wine needs and to achieve those objectives.

Kevin joined the Halpern team in 2014 - working as an in-store sales representative throughout the GTA West and Southwestern Ontario. During his time studying Marketing Management at the University of Guelph, Kevin gained an interest in wine and an appreciation for it's ability to bring people together. He expanded on that interest while traveling through Argentina and Chile in 2007. Kevin moved to Toronto in 2008 to pursue other passions - namely music and photography - before working in fine dining and ultimately, in wine. In his spare time, he enjoys hockey and golf, playing and attending concerts, traveling, and visiting his cottage in Eastern Ontario.

Matt has over 20 years of experience in the Service industry including 8 years at Angus Glen Golf Club, 5 years at The Drake Hotel, and another 5 years at Rodney’s Oyster House. He began taking wine courses in 2015 as a hobby, but it quickly sparked a new passion that has seen him travel to many of the world’s greatest wine making regions such as Burgundy, Tuscany, and Champagne. He has most recently completed the IWEG’s Italian Wine Scholar program, earning top marks in his class. Matt’s dedication to service and the guest experience translate seamlessly to the role of sales representative at Halpern.

Prior to working with Halpern Enterprises, Doug was the Head Sommelier at Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse. After working under Robert Gravelle, Doug decided to make the jump to the agency side of the business. Doug looks after our inventory as our product analyst along with looking after accounts and a few brands. He's a big fan of all things Burgundy, Champagne and Barolo.