Our team

Meet the humans behind Quvé. We are fortunate and proud to be a growing team of passionate, strong people, supported by loving families and friends. 

Quvé does not operate within a hierarchy or use traditional titles to denote rank. Instead, we hold true to our values of respect and equality, keeping a flat company structure and working as peers. 

Read our bios below to learn a little bit about us - and our animals :)

Debbie Shing

FOUNDER

Quvé began on February 29th, 2020. After working nearly 20 years in sales and marketing roles for large corporate beverage companies across Canada, I realized I wanted to take charge of my journey in wine, to curate my own portfolio of suppliers, and most importantly - to build an incubator for culture and talent where we "do wine" a little differently from the status quo. I believe that for every person and every flavour, there's a wine.

When I am not making a mess in the kitchen, training at the gym, being silly with friends or practicing yoga, you can find me teaching WSET Diploma and Advanced classes at IWEG Drinks Academy, volunteering my time with Vinequity, or talking about wine on CTV Your Morning.

My desert island drinks are jasmine tea, Manzanilla Sherry and Japanese single malt whisky.

Photo credit Galit Rodan 2022
@debbieshing

Adelaide Smith

OPERATIONS

An avid puzzler and yogi, Adelaide chose to turn that obsessive focus to the study of wine on a journey that began with WSET Level 1 in 2012 and completed with WSET Level 4 Diploma in 2019. Over that decade she dipped a toe in all sides of the wine industry: from wineries in Niagara, to top restaurants in Toronto, to international wine marketing boards and consignment importing. Along with ever-continuing wine studies, Adelaide is soon to become a mother of two and appreciates a glass of wine more than ever.

Tiffany Jamison-Horne

SALES

Tiffany has explored her love of wine and food throughout the past twenty years of managing restaurants and wine programs in Toronto. Her career spans managing the 600-label cellar at Crush, one of the first wine bars in the city, to creating unique wine programs for small neighbourhood restaurants. She developed her wine knowledge through self-study, travel and working in restaurants, and was certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2013.

Tiffany enjoys cooking at home, yoga, karaoke and quality time with her cat Ting Ting. Her latest wine picks are sparkling wine from her homeland of Nova Scotia and anything from Greece!

Photo credit Raino Dilag 2021

Spencer Allen

SALES

Hailing from Toronto, Spencer has been a lover of all things culinary throughout his life. He completed a degree in Hospitality Management at the University of Guelph and has been managing and working in restaurants for the past decade.

His love for wine started by taking a WSET class to learn some basics and quickly snowballed into a full-fledged passion. He has since completed his WSET 3, and has recently returned from working a vintage in North Canterbury, New Zealand.

Outside of work you'll find him cooking, solving crosswords, or hanging in the park, often accompanied by a crispy pilsner.

Button label

Cherman Shing

FINANCE

I’m Debbie’s younger sister. I currently work as a bookkeeper in Edmonton, where I live with my two cats: Cat-Cat and Tobe. In my spare time I like to play video games, read, and take pottery classes. 

Our pets :)

  • Kalahari

    A Golden Retriever trapped in a cat's body, Kalahari is far too comfortable around strangers. He likes feathers, coins, lit candles, ice cream and plastic bags (but only the crispy kind).

    @batmanandkalahari 

  • Miko

    Miko is a shy one and cannot be cuddled; she has to cuddle you. But when she does, she goes full throttle and can even receive a belly rub. She is a fan of all types of laundry, clean or dirty.

    @batmanandkalahari 

  • Gamble

    Gamble is a deeply sensitive and caring soul. He is often described as a “bit of an Eeyore”. You can usually find him sprawled on the couch or monitoring the neighbourhood. He is suspicious of all treats except bacon and peanut butter.

  • Ting Ting

    The Right Honourable Sir Ting Ting is a classy, noble gentleman. He uses only the finest glassware for sipping water and enjoys a homecooked meal of market-fresh proteins. In the summer, Ting Ting likes to promenade about his terrace.

    @tingtinggram 

  • Cat-Cat

    My favourite things to do: take naps, meow for food and chase spring toys! 

  • Tobe

    I will only drink water from the kitchen tap. I must always inspect what is behind closed doors and I love to meet new people and smell their shoes.