sommelier

Having grown up in a diplomatic household, Michael Otaka was exposed to many different food cultures since childhood. The exposure to different smells and tastes led to his experiments with cooking starting at age 7, and the diplomatic entertainment meant that there were plenty of wine, sake, beers and alcohol around the compound.
Michael eventually ended up studying at Les Roches in Switzerland for his Hotel Management Degree, where he was formally taught in ways of the vine, as well as the art of hospitality and gastronomy

Even with the food and beverage training, Michael moves towards management of Rooms as well as sales. It was a hobby for him to serve the occasional functions, but while working at the Wine Spectator Grand Award winning Stonehedge Inn in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, the owner tapped him for the sommelier position, overseeing what was then a 650 entry wine list with 60,000 bottles in the cellar. When Michael left the inn to move to Quebec, the wine list was over 2000 entries and the cellar was bulging with 115,000 bottles.

Michael continued his passion in Montreal, where he was the manager and sommelier for the Auberge du Vieux Port, and later in North Hatley at the Hovey Manor, now a member of Relais & Chateaux, where he was reunited with Thierry Navette with whom he worked with at the Stonehedge Inn

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