New wine director Christopher McFadden joins the La Pentola team

OPUS Hotel Vancouver is pleased to announce the appointment of Ontario-native Christopher McFadden as the new wine director of the hotel’s award-winning Italian restaurant La Pentola.

McFadden brings passion and enthusiasm to La Pentola’s wine program and focuses on education as a key part of his role as wine director, providing guidance to the team when creating special food and wine experiences for diners. Honouring the Italian heritage of La Pentola’s wine program, McFadden showcases Italian family-run and boutique wineries, alongside Italian-style New World wines.

“I love the expression on a guest’s face when I introduce them to a new experience with wine,” says McFadden. “My passion for wine propels me to be creative and play with ideas that surprise people. I was once an actor, but I chose the art of wine and dining as my career instead.”

A member of CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers), McFadden brings 16 years of restaurant experience to La Pentola. His love for the industry flourished in 2000 when McFadden had the opportunity to join the Walliser Stube Wine Bar at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Formally trained with the ISG (International Sommelier Guild), McFadden ‎continued his path in hospitality working at Biff’s French Bistro in Toronto, then onto The Fairmont Banff Springs, Le Beaujolais and The Evergreen Restaurant in Banff. In 2006, he and his wife Joanne moved to Calgary where McFadden was sommelier and restaurant manager at The Belvedere for three and a half years.

Following stints at Salt Tasting Room and Glowbal Group’s Italian Kitchen, McFadden has spent the past four and half years with Hy’s of Canada Steakhouses in Vancouver (Hy’s Encore & Gotham) as sommelier and restaurant manager. McFadden is excited to carry on his dedication to wine and food with a new team and clientele at OPUS Hotel and La Pentola.

To book a table at La Pentola, please call (604) 642-0557 or visit www.lapentola.ca.