Tasting Notes Toronto by Insider Wine

Matt Palynchuk — Raton Laveur, The Hardest Bar in Toronto to Find (and Get Into)

What happens when a wine pop-up in a laneway quietly becomes one of Toronto's most talked-about (and hardest to find) wine experiences? In this episode, I sit down with Matt Palynchuk — Wine Director at Union Restaurant and longtime sommelier at Archive Wine Bar — to unpack the origin story and philosophy behind Raton Laveur, an 18-seat, event-driven wine space tucked behind a working cidery, with no reservations and no Google Maps presence. What started as a "maybe we can do something with this weird back space" quickly evolved into a packed, word-of-mouth wine bar built on constraint, curiosity, and an unapologetic rejection of convenience. We explore how the space came together, why discomfort can actually enhance hospitality, and what it means when a hidden bar becomes too discovered through social media. If you care about wine, hospitality, or how a packed room actually gets built without marketing — this one's a must-listen. Matt Palynchuk — Raton Laveur | The Hardest Bar in Toronto to Find (and Get Into)  00:00 Opening a Wine Bar Behind a Cider Factory  00:52 From Idea to Opening in Three Months  01:47 How Word-of-Mouth Built a Packed Room  02:41 Why Toronto Loves a Hidden Bar  04:00 Designing a Space That Forces Connection  04:57 Frank's in Dublin — The Dream Wine Bar  06:24 Why Small Spaces Make Better Bars  08:30 Curating a Culture vs. Forcing One  11:20 What Raton Laveur Actually Is  12:33 Weekly Themes: Baga, Tenerife, Aligote, the Giro  14:48 Wine for Nerds and Newbies  16:27 Always Ask for a Taste First  17:59 Hospitality vs. Convenience  18:40 The Night He Knew the Bar Was Working  19:45 The Four-Top That Came for a Photo Shoot  22:49 Private Instagram, No Google Maps  25:01 The Easter Weekend Lineup Down the Alleyway  27:49 Making Wine Accessible — Lessons from Archive  31:51 Ontario Wine Deserves Respect  37:06 Overrated / Underrated: Wine Regions  38:16 Please Don't Come 🙌 Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate, and review Tasting Notes Toronto on your favorite podcast platform — it really helps others discover the show. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Quentin Meloff — Food Media Is Dying (Here’s Who’s Replacing It)

Restaurant-industry veteran Quentin Meloff (@ [https://www.instagram.com/quentinmelhoff/]quentinmeloff [https://www.instagram.com/quentinmeloff/#]) shares how he went from working in some of Toronto's best restaurants — Alo, Aloette, Bar Isabel, Richmond Station — to creating viral food videos that pull back the curtain on the chefs behind the city's most-talked-about kitchens. He breaks down who actually pays for viral restaurant content (and what they pay), why he refuses the cheese-pull format almost every food influencer leans on, how the Instagram and TikTok algorithms decide what wins, and how he's building a real income out of food videos without taking money from restaurants. If you're curious about the business of being a food content creator, the death of traditional food media, or what's really happening behind Toronto's most viral restaurant videos in 2026 — this one's a must-listen. Quentin Meloff — Food Media Is Dying (Here’s Who’s Replacing It) 00:00  Why he refuses the cheese pull 01:41  Who actually pays for viral restaurant videos 03:21  What food influencers really earn (and the Swiffer problem) 05:01  Finding a format worth being proud of 07:28  Why Toronto chefs trust him in the kitchen 09:17  From line cook at Alo to camera in hand 13:25  Inside the P&L: why most restaurants lose money 14:34  Career highlights at Alo, Aloette and Bar Isabel 18:19  How he funds the production without restaurant money 20:51  Why pizza videos always beat fine dining 24:03  Shorts vs long-form: where each one wins 24:52  Going viral in Perth from a Toronto bedroom 25:24  Why YouTube long-form is the next move 26:00  TikTok vs Instagram: which one to chase 27:46  How the videos actually pay the bills 30:22  The pressure that comes with paid shoots 32:29  Why he iterates on every single video 36:37  The state of food media in 2026 39:53  Launching No Subs, his written expansion 41:19  Can a great restaurant survive without Instagram? 43:28  Rapid-fire Toronto picks: best date night, best value, most underrated 🙌 Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate, and review Tasting Notes Toronto on your favorite podcast platform — it really helps others discover the show. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

James Li — From Beijing Lawyer to Canada’s Best Young Sommelier

In this episode of Tasting Notes Toronto, I sit down with James Li, the recently crowned Best Young Sommelier of Canada and Assistant General Manager at DaNico, a Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in Toronto. James shares how he's preparing to represent Canada at the World Finals in Sweden, and what drives his ambitious goal of becoming the World's Best Sommelier, a Master Sommelier, and a Master of Wine.  We talk about his unexpected path from a law career in Beijing to the restaurant floor, life at DaNico and why more sommeliers should be building management skills.  Whether you're studying for your next certification or thinking about the future of the sommelier career path, this one's for you. James Li — From Beijing Lawyer to Canada’s Best Young Sommelier 1:00 – What the Best Young Sommelier Competition Looks Like 1:54 – How Theory Prep Differs Between CMS, WSET, and ASI 3:28 – Performing Under Pressure: Books, Mentality, 5:24 – The Goal of Becoming World's Best Sommelier, Inspired by Gérard Basset 8:43 – A Day in the Life: Studying, Service, and Sleeping at 3 AM 10:51 – Do Countries Have a Taste? CMS vs Master of Wine Approaches to Blind Tasting 13:04 – What Comes After Master Sommelier and Master of Wine? 14:41 – Inside DaNico, Toronto's Michelin-Starred Italian Restaurant 17:10 – From Head Sommelier to Assistant General Manager 17:59 – Why Wine Is the Cherry on Top, Not the Main Course 18:21 – Working with Head Sommelier Allison at DaNico 20:52 – Why the Future Sommelier Needs Management Skills 22:07 – A Vega Sicilia with No Idea and a WSET Course to Impress a Girl 23:57 – Leaving a Law Career in Beijing for Hospitality in Canada 25:22 – Chinese Wines to Watch 27:35 – Assyrtiko with Caviar and Jacquesson 742 DT with Pain au Chocolat 28:59 – Why Younger Drinkers Are Chasing Quality and Story Over Big Names 31:05 – Tasmania and English Sparkling Wine: The Most Exciting Regions Right Now 32:59 – Ontario Wine Is Better Than You Think 34:23 – The Béréche Aÿ Grand Cru He Popped After Passing Advanced in Seven Weeks 35:33 – What Wine and Hospitality Mean to James Li James Li — From Beijing Lawyer to Canada’s Best Young Sommelier 🙌 Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate, and review Tasting Notes Toronto on your favorite podcast platform — it really helps others discover the show. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Patrick Habchi — Wine List Psychology and the Art of Pairing at George Restaurant

In this episode, I sit down with Patrick Habchi, Wine Director at George Restaurant in Toronto — Michelin Recommended restaurant and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner. We talk about building a 600-label list, why he rethought how prices are displayed to change how guests buy wine, his case for Sherry as the best value in wine, and why he thinks Bordeaux and Rioja are due for a comeback. Patrick also shares what traveling Australia's wine regions taught him, how he approaches pairings that push guests out of their comfort zone, and why he never pursued formal accreditation. Whether you're a sommelier, a wine lover, or just curious about what goes into a fine dining wine program — this one's packed with insight. Patrick Habchi — Wine List Psychology and the Art of Pairing at George Restaurant 02:06 George Restaurant Overview  02:56 Seasonal Menus and Pairings  05:44 Asparagus And Aged Chablis  07:29 Trust and Storytelling In Wine Pairings  10:35 Inside the 600 Bottle List  12:49 Bordeaux and Rioja Comeback  16:33 Non Alcohol and Split Pairings  19:44 How Patrick Learned Wine  24:43 Lebanon Roots and Wine  26:02 Skipping Wine Credentials  27:35 Sommelier Business Basics  27:57 Screaming Eagle for $100?  30:10 Menu Psychology That Sells  33:10 Changing the Wine List Layout  36:04 Australia Trip Changed Everything  38:44 Staying Open to Underdogs  41:42 Why Wine Matters  45:20 Storytelling in 30 Seconds  48:37 Hardest Parts of the Job  50:22 Best Value Wine Regions  51:55 Bordeaux Collector Obsession  53:05 Desert Island Bottle Picks  53:39 What Keeps It Exciting  55:52 Final Thanks and Signoff 🙌 Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate, and review Tasting Notes Toronto on your favorite podcast platform — it really helps others discover the show. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Champagne: Cork Pop and Pour by ultradust -- https://freesound.org/s/166923/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Faye MacLachlan - Inside Langdon Hall’s Award-Winning Wine Program and a Career in Wine

In this episode, I sit down with Faye MacLachlan, Wine Director and Restaurant General Manager at Langdon Hall and the 2025 Michelin Guide Toronto Sommelier of the Year. Faye shares lessons from nearly two decades in wine and hospitality: how she got her start, the role travel plays in building deeper knowledge and storytelling, and how guest preferences are evolving toward lighter styles and local wines. She also offers a candid look at what it takes to run a wine program of this scale—and practical advice for young sommeliers on building a successful career, from developing taste to mastering the business side of wine. If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to run a list like this - this episode is for you. Faye MacLachlan - Inside Langdon Hall’s Award-Winning Wine Program and a Career in Wine 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Meet Faye MacLachlan 01:38 Getting Started in Hospitality 04:35 From Geology to Wine 05:07 The Bottle That Changed Everything 06:51 Studying Wine & Finding Mentors 10:03 Inside Langdon Hall 13:40 Building a World-Class Wine Program 18:38 Hiring, Training & Team Culture 21:01 Life Outside Toronto 22:43 Winning Michelin Sommelier of the Year 26:03 Pairings & Working with the Chef 27:52 Favorite Pairings & Dessert Challenges 29:08 Unexpected Dessert Pairings 30:05 A Surprisingly Perfect Pairing 31:27 Why Hospitality Never Gets Boring 33:52 Why Travel Makes Better Sommeliers 36:09 Etna Deep Dive 41:36 Underrated Regions & “Suitcase Wines” 44:46 Personal Taste & Wine Trends 48:59 Is Ontario Wine at a Tipping Point? 51:41 Keeping Wine Fun 53:14 Advice for Aspiring Sommeliers 56:34 Why Hospitality Is a Future-Proof Career 🙌 Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate, and review Tasting Notes Toronto on your favorite podcast platform — it really helps others discover the show. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Champagne: Cork Pop and Pour by ultradust -- https://freesound.org/s/166923/ -- License: Attribution 4.0