Torrence O'Haire
Chicago Ambassador
bacchanology
Torrence was raised in the woods and farms of Michigan by a family of francophilic cooks and gardeners, instilling in him a devout passion for creating beautiful spaces and filling them with good food and drink. He tried to escape a path to restaurant-life by studying linguistics in university, and working in the arts for years, but before he knew it, he had accidentally become a chef.
Torrence spent years as a private chef, culinary instructor, and food writer in West Michigan, with a pop-up restaurant and two brick-and-mortar locations of his own before the burnout set in. A lifelong student, he pivoted to attaining his various beverage marks, including wine, beer, spirits, and sake professional accreditations, with which he transitioned to restaurant consulting and culinary/wine education.
In 2016, he and his husband moved to Chicago, where Torrence continued as a culinary school professor. He became the Corporate Beverage Director for the Gage Hospitality Group in 2019, and continues to teach and write while managing the wine programs for the group’s diverse collection of restaurants. Torrence is also the Chicago ambassador for the wines of Alto Adige, furthering his chronic obsession with Italian food and drink.
More importantly, he is an obsessive gardener, a decent singer, and a proud father of three spoiled chickens.