Wednesday, November 21, 2007 @ 7:30PM $40 (ticket includes book and wine tasting).
Faculty Club
(41 Willcocks St., Upper Dining Room)

Order tickets via phone at (416) 640-5836.
Redeem your ticket at the event for your book.

BILLY’S BEST BOTTLES: WINES FOR 2008 is the most user-friendly wine book available. Munnelly’s picks are easily found in the liquor store, and each wine featured is shown with its label. All wines are classified by mood— a novel approach that makes shopping dead easy. Half of the selections (there are over 200, all classed by mood) cost less than $13, and some cost less than $10. Because Munnelly uses everyday language to interpret wine, his book is useful to everyone, novice and experienced wine lover alike. Billy says, “Why waste time, money and brain cells trying to figure out the crazy wine world when someone else has done all the work for you? I don’t try to tell you everything about wine, just the bits that are important and useful.”

Besides tips on what to buy, this colourful handbook also contains down-to-earth information about pairing wine and food, planning a party, and basic do’s and don’ts. Munnelly also gives a country-by-country analysis of what’s going on in the world of wine, and offers straight-ahead answers to the most frequently asked questions about wine. With loyal followers from coast to coast, Billy’s handy guide has become an eagerly anticipated favourite.

Billy Munnelly is the champion of good everyday wine.

One of Canada’s most creative wine writers, Billy Munnelly has delivered irreverent, lighthearted and enlightening wine advice for 30 years. Munnelly’s goal has been to remove confusion and intimidation from the wine selection process – taking it back from the snobs.

 Before devoting his life to the pursuit of good, affordable wine, the Irish-born bon vivant spent years in the restaurant industry. In 1977 he opened Stratford’s Rundles restaurant with current owner Jim Morris. In 1981 he opened the Rosedale Diner in Toronto. In 1983 Billy switched to drinking full time and ‘hasn’t missed a day’s work since’. Munnelly was one of the first to write and publish a wine consumer report. His bi-monthly wine publication, Billy’s Best Bottles Wineletter (1983 - 2005) was Canada’s most widely circulated consumer wine report, with subscribers from coast to coast.

 In the early 90’s, Billy saw the need for an annual wine buying guide for the wines that are sold across Canada. His wine guidebook, ‘Billy’s Best Bottles – Wines for 2006‘ (now in its 16th edition) and has been a Canadian best seller each year since its inception. 

Billy has appeared on Canada AM, Christine Cushing Live, Breakfast TV, Hunter’s Gathering, The Gardener’s Journal and CBC radio. His writing has been showcased in newspapers and publications including The New York Times, Canadian Consumer Report, Wine X and LCBO’s Food & Drink magazines. He is a member of the Wine Writer’s Circle of Canada and currently writes for newspapers and magazines, including Metro, Toro and the London Free Press. You can often catch Billy’s seminars at wine festivals and wine events, (including Toronto’s Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in November and Santé in May).

 In addition to writing and publishing, Billy is involved in servicing the wine and hospitality industry via ‘alternative’ wine education and innovative marketing concepts. He and Kato often take their ’show on the road’ and conduct their ‘Wine my Mood School’ in homes and restaurants.

Billy moved from Stratford to Toronto 5 years ago, and now lives close to some of the best downtown bars.