Born in Russia, Igor had a degree in Journalism from the Moscow Institute for Foreign Relations. Having settled in Canada in early 90s, Igor spent the first few years in his new country as a duty officer in the operations department of an aviation company, securing the overflight and landing rights for the international relief flights.

His journey in wine started with a visit to a Niagara Peninsula area winery in 1995. That was followed by a serious reading, tasting, traveling and studying binge, which took him through the WSET Certificates and Diploma then straight into the MW programme in 1999. His wine study journey culminated with achieving the MW qualification in 2003, having been awarded North American scholarship twice and Henkell-Sohnlein Award for best dissertation in the process.

Igor “turned pro” in 1999, having done a short part-time stint as an on-license salesman for a wine agency before going full-time as a retail product specialist with the Ontario liquor board (LCBO). Having spent seven years at the LCBO as a product manager and later as a buyer for Vintages, its fine wine division, Igor went on to serve for a further five years as category manager for the European Wine Portfolio. In this strategic role, he oversaw a business worth approximately $440 million (now exceeding $500 million). From the summer of 2019 until early 2022, he worked on the Wine Styles project alongside several other strategic initiatives within the buying team, before concluding his time with the LCBO.

In the spring of 2022 he joined Opimian Club, Canada’s largest members-based wine club, initially as a contributor to its “Cellar” catalogues, then as a core MW tasting panel member. He also offered private consultation to local importing agents and international wine producers addressing brand development and the last segment of the route to Ontario market.

Memories from Masters of Wine

By Doug Frost MW
I’m deeply sorry to hear this. Igor was a consummate gentleman and someone I was privileged to work with on the North American Board. He was such a thoughtful, kind person and a man of keen intelligence that I really have no words for how significant this loss feels. I deeply regret the time I will not be able to spend with him in the future.

Dr. Liz Thatch MW
I am intensely saddened by the loss of Igor. He was so much more than an MW mentor to me; he was a steadfast champion whose generosity, wisdom, and warm friendship completely reshaped my path. I will never forget the countless hours he devoted to me over phone calls and emails, patiently breaking down the nuances of the MW theory exam so I could pass on my very first try, and continuing to stand by my side as I tackled the daunting practical exam. His dedication was so profound that I even travelled to Canada to learn directly from him, a trip that proved pivotal in my journey.

Watching his incredible rise at the LCBO and celebrating his immense professional successes over the years was a privilege, but some of my fondest memories will always be the moments we shared off the clock—reconnecting on MW trips around the world over fine wine and great food. Igor lived life with a vibrant curiosity, and his legacy endures.  I am honoured to have known him, and he will be sorely missed.

Siobhan Turner MW
I suspect I will be just one of many people with wonderful memories of Igor. Our start was inauspicious – I had arrived as the ED of the Institute and among the 19628 (yes, really!) unread emails in my predecessor’s inbox was one from Igor, complaining about the misspelling of his name – and then shortly afterwards one arrived in my own inbox with the same complaint. I was able to call him, introduce myself as a fellow Canadian, and someone who understood the challenges and frustration of names being misspelled. A rather grumpy Igor was soon happy – and never again misspelled.

But I think my favourite memory is of the 2007 MW dinner in Napa. I had managed, at a dinner in Madrid late the previous year, to persuade Pierre Lurton to bring the 1967 d’Yquem for our annual vertical tasting, “since it’s my birth year”. He did this – and then left the two remaining bottles for me. One remained at IMW headquarters, but since I knew that both Igor and Mark de Vere were also ’67 babies, one travelled – very carefully – with me to California, and was opened and shared that night, making sure that Igor and Mark both got their fair shares! Igor’s joy in that was wonderful, and I shall treasure that memory of him.