Tasting Notes Toronto by Insider Wine

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.

Restaurant-industry veteran Quentin Meloff (@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.

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.

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

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