About Us

AbV Group is a wine distributor established in Ontario, Canada with a commitment to sourcing the best old world and new world wines. We are a group of several like minded individuals that share a passion for Wine!

 

Let us introduce our team on the ground...

 

JOEL CLARKE, Owner/Operator
joel@abvgroup.ca
416-970-7770

Joel is a business school graduate raised in Sudbury, Ontario who has always had a passion for entrepreneurship. Having started and ran several businesses during his post university career, Joel eventually took the dive into the wine business starting what is now AbV Group. The desire to enter into the business stemmed from a passion for wine which developed while living overseas in Paris, France.

Now almost 6 years later, his passion for the business, wines and travel has not let up. Joel is an avid squash player in the winter and can likely be found in a boat fishing or playing golf during the summer months. Joel’s favourite wine regions are Burgundy, France and Piemonte, Italy. 


VANESSA HENDRY, Owner/Operator
vanessa@abvgroup.ca
647-965-2432

Vanessa is an integral part of our team; she is our logistics and operations Wizard! Vanessa has an extensive background within the hospitality industry. Her passion for the trade developed during her 10-year tenor working for The Keg franchise while she studied Hospitality management. Once graduated, she took the next step in her career and began working for large global corporations. Vanessa has worked within in all facets of the industry, from account management and team lead execution to marketing and retail. Vanessa brings a vital focus, dedication and passion to our team.
 
On her down time, Vanessa is raising the next generation of little women, enjoying time and embarking on adventures with her 3 daughters, whilst a glass of Chardonnay in hand! 

 

 

PAUL STE MARIE, Account Manager
paul@abvgroup.ca
416-931-9353

 As a former student of Brock University studying Business Mgmt., Paul’s wine journey began when he was persuaded to work in the wine industry at nearby Jackson-Triggs Winery, Niagara on the Lake. It was during these 2 years that wine became much more than a part-time job, and rather a passion that he saw great potential in. The education and interest only grew when he spent 4 months in Australia and New Zealand surfing up and down the coast while visiting numerous wineries in the Hunter, Barossa, McLaren and Eden Valley regions. 14 years later he had the opportunity to work for a number of distributors of national and multi-national scale, and travel to most of the world’s leading wine countries. This journey led Paul to ABV GROUP.

On his down time (which is never!) you will find Paul in his workshop or at the beach with his two pups, Bean & Sunny!

 

 

 

DYLAN HOPMAN, Account Manager
dylan@abvgroup.ca
416-823-6900

Dylan is a career-long hospitality professional who moved to Toronto from his hometown of Hamilton at 19 to pursue a career in cooking. He spent many years grinding his way through top Toronto restaurants before falling for wine and completing his CMS certification in 2018. He spent a number of years running beverage programs, most recently heading the opening wine and spirits program for Prime Seafood Palace. 
Simultaneously, Dylan has spent the past 5 years working with various importers in a sales associate role to provide private clients and vendors with top-quality portfolios and service, helping to build cellars and restaurant wine lists alike. 
During his downtime, you can find him puttering away on his farm outside of the city with his wife and daughter.