By Rick VanSickle
Steven Elphick, who made his impact on the Canadian wine industry through the lens of a camera, has passed away.
Elphick, born in 1954 in Toronto, died Tuesday.
“Steven Elphick was an artist — not with a brush or a pen, but a camera,” said wine writer Tony Aspler and winemaker Peter Gamble in a joint reflection on Steven Elphick’s career. “He brought a poet’s eye and sensibility to whatever he focused his lens on. Whether his subject was fashion, still life, portraiture, food or his career-long passion, wine, he created memorable photographs for magazine covers, books and advertisements worldwide.”
Aspler told Wines in Niagara that “Steven was an amazing photographer. He photographed our wedding and shot all the images for The Wine Atlas of Canada (authored by Aspler), travelling with me across the country to do so, and all the images of Tony Aspler’s Cellar Book. He had one of the best palates for blind tasting I have ever met. He was a Cordon Bleu level cook and a most entertaining conversationalist. He will be sorely missed by his many friends.”
Elphick was honoured with the Tony Aspler Cuvee award of Excellence this past May. He was on hand to accept the award presented by Brock CCOVI.
“An international wine judge, award-winning wine taster and self-confessed foodie, Steven Elphick expresses his lifelong passions through the photographic lens,” noted Aspler, who couldn’t be at the awards, but his presentation was read by me. “As the exclusive photographer for Spectacular Wineries of Ontario, Steven took you on a captivating photographic journey through Ontario Wine Country, where vineyards flourish in picturesque settings and winemakers’ dreams are made.”
Elphick’s images are widely published in books, magazines and advertisements worldwide (many republished in this report). A contributor to shows at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, noted Aspler. “He also illustrated the book, For the Love of Cheese, with his stunning shots, a book about The Cheese Boutique in Toronto, written by the store’s owner, Afrim Pristine,” said Aspler. “Over the years, Steven shot many covers for Wine Tidings magazine, as well as for fashion magazines; but he is best known for documenting the efforts of the Ontario Wine Industry over the years.”
In their reflection on Elphick, Aspler and Gamble said the “the depth he brought to his professional catalogue of work grew organically from the breadth of his interests. Steven was not only an ardent master of every technological advancement that would impact modern photography, but he was also a gourmand and a creative chef, a lover of music and architecture, an aficionado of the finest cheeses, and a discerning competition wine judge with an unerring palate for blind tasting. Fortunately for all who knew him, his passion for these subjects was exceeded only by his desire to share it: Steven was defined by his boundless generosity.
“He was a devoted husband to his wife and work partner, Paula, whose own sense of beauty and order meshed synergistically with Steven’s aesthetic.”
Winery proprietors especially cherished Elphick’s uncanny ability to capture vivid, even iconic, images from the simplest and most mundane of subject matter — barrels, wine paraphernalia, grapevines, leaves, stones, cellars, doors — a skill that ensured that each assignment, every photo shoot, became a remarkable success, Aspler and Gamble said.
“Steven will be mourned by his many friends and professional colleagues. Rest in peace old friend and may his memory be a blessing,” said aid Aspler and Gamble.
Steven Elphick accomplishments
Steven Elphick is an award-winning and widely published commercial photographer based out of Toronto. He was educated in photography at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute and Sheridan College, Oakville campus, and has had a career that spanned almost 50 years.
He was the solo photographer for many globally published, bestselling books for which he won numerous awards. His photographs have been published, shown and displayed broadly and Cephas Picture Library (a wine specialist) represents
his work worldwide. Additionally, Steven was a respected professional wine judge for over 35 years in both Canada and the United States. Among his many accomplishments were the following:
• His photographs have been published by the Oxford University Press (UK), Mitchel Beazley (UK), Figure.1 publishing (USA), Lorimer Publishing (CAN), Octopus Publishing (CAN), Global Publishing (Aus), Random House Publishing (CAN), Warwick Publishing (CAN), Whitecap books and Stewart House Publishing (CAN), as well as The Wine Council of Ontario, En Route, Motion, Food & Wine, Style at Home, Wine Access, Grapevine, Decanter, Wine Spectator, Foodprint (Belgium) and Wine Tidings magazines plus many commercial clients.
• Primary contributor to Gift of the Gods: The Art of Wine and Revelry exhibited at The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec.
• Solo photographer for The Wine Atlas of Canada, a collaboration with wine writer Tony Aspler for Random House Publishing in 2007.
• Solo photographer for Spectacular Wineries of Ontario for Panache Publishing, printed in 2012.
• Solo photographer for For the Love of Cheese, Random House Publishing 2018 (Amazon best seller)
• He has had two recent exhibitions: Quintets and Traditions. Traditions attempts to pay homage to those in the wine industry who give freely of their time, friendship and the fruits of their labour. Many of these images are in permanent installation at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto. Quintets just finished a successful showing at Bordered Image Gallery.
• An exhibition at the REMAX National Home Show through March 16, 2026, reprises a select collection from the Quintets project.
• This is followed by a Women and Wine ‘hybrid show’ of wine-driven images from Steven’s archives at Bordered Image Gallery – March 14-31, 2026
Awards
• Steven won Applied Arts Magazine awards in 2007 and 2008 and was shortlisted in the Pink Lady Awards 2019
• Steven won the OWA Wine Journalism Award 2013 for Spectacular Wineries of Ontario
• Steven won Gold at the Applied Arts Awards 2013 for “complete book” for Spectacular Wineries of Ontario
• Steven was awarded the 2025 Tony Aspler Cuvée Award of Excellence “for his vast and enduring photographic contributions to the Canadian wine industry” Collections
• Many private collectors and corporate clients
• Taransaud Tonnellier Cognac, France and Napa Valley, USA
• The Ritz-Carlton Toronto
• You can view many of Elphick’s extraordinary photographs on his Instagram account here.
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Stephen. I randomly ran into him and Paula at Langdon Hall this August. We had a nice time catching up as it had been awhile. He was so talented, such a nice guy and a fixure at all the early events of the then developing VQA wine industry. My thoughts are with Paula and his family. RIP Stephen. You will be missed.
This is such heartbreaking news. I have known Steve since birth as our families grew up with a shared backyard in Oakville. He was the kindest soul. He photographed my first wedding. His dear Mom has now, tragically, lost her third son. My sincere condolences to all who loved him.
I was spending the week at the Vancouver International Wine Festival when I heard of Steven’s passing. I knew he had been ill for some time and hoped that he would somehow pull through. Specifically for me I’ve always been inspired by Steven through his photography, including some iconic shots of the Le Clos Jordanne vineyard that I think stand among the greatest landscape images of all time. And also as a friend through Winetasters of Toronto and others. Condolences to Paula, family, and the wide array of friends at this sad time of Steven’s passing. Rest In Peace. We will indeed remember and the images and more importantly, the memories will live on. 🙏
Bill,
We send our condolences to your lost. Fantastic photos you have shared with us.
Regards
Raul Galvan
I met Steven in February this year (2026). I’m from New Brunswick and the plan was to fly to Toronto to meet up and continue our discussion on life, photography and of course wine. We really connected virtually on Zoom, had long conversations and many laughs too. Even though I didn’t get to meet him in person, I feel this close connection with him. He was just that type of person. I can’t imagine knowing him as a close friend and having to deal with that loss. I know I’m grieving. Next time I meet someone like Steven, I’ll grab that first flight out. Steven, God Bless you my friend.