Tasting Notes Toronto by Insider Wine

Is Fine Dining Burning Out Its Best People? — Merrin McHugh

What does a wine career look like when your body can't do the hours anymore? Merrin McHugh ran the floor and the wine pairings at Actinolite for seven years. Then a stro

Sommeliers Aren't Supposed to Sit Down. — Bruce Wallner, MS

Should a sommelier ever sit down while the rest of the room is working? Bruce Wallner is a Master Sommelier and the founder of Sommelier Factory, Toronto's wine school.

Tasting Menus Are Out. Sara Bet on One. — Adam Minster

Why would a restaurant kill à la carte when the majority of fine dining is bringing it back? Adam Minster is a partner in The Food Dudes — the group behind Rasa, Sara, C

Wine Is Getting Too Expensive. Who's Buying It? — Jeffrey Roel

Is wine becoming too expensive for the people who love it? Jeffrey Roel is the General Manager and Head Sommelier at Henry's Restaurant in Toronto, an Advanced Sommelier

This Wine Has Resting Bitch Face — Nabilah Rawji

What happens when a field biologist watches Somm on Netflix and decides to become a sommelier? Nabilah Rawji was supposed to be a field biologist — the kind who spends 1

Tortillas Are Sacred. Authenticity Isn't. — Aldo Camarena & Ashley McKay of Antylia

What if the most authentic thing a chef can do is adapt? At Antylia (Dufferin & Bloor), chefs Aldo Camarena and Ashley McKay are building one of Toronto's most exciting

The World’s Best Wines Are Being Overlooked — Matt Landry

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Landry, Advanced Sommelier and Head Sommelier at Prime Seafood Palace, to talk about what it actually takes to build a career in win

Sake Isn't Wine. Cheap Food Isn't Cheap — Nancy Matsumoto

In this episode, I sit down with award-winning writer Nancy Matsumoto, co-author of Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake and author of Reaping What She Sows, to exp

Neo-Chinese Cooking at One of Canada’s Best New Restaurants — Eva Chin of Yan Dining Room

What happens when a chef cooks her way back to a heritage she almost lost? Eva Chin is the chef behind Yan Dining Room — a 26-seat room built inside Hong Shing Restauran

Quitting Toronto to Build a Niagara Vineyard from Scratch — Corey Mio of Mio Vineyard

What happens when you leave Toronto, buy a neglected 17-acre farm in Niagara wine country, and plant a vineyard — with no formal training in viticulture or winemaking? I

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

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

Restaurant-industry veteran Quentin Meloff (@quentinmeloff) shares how he went from working in some of Toronto's best restaurants — Alo, Aloette, Bar Isabel, Richmond Sta

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 Micheli

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

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.

Christian Perreault Hamel – Winning Best Sommelier of Ontario and Building Harbour 60’s 3,600 SKU Wine List

In this episode, I sit down with Christian Perreault Hamel, Best Sommelier of Ontario, Wine Director at Harbour 60, and owner of Pelican Wine Imports. At Harbour 60, Chri

Fabienne Dourdon - Leaving Paris to Take Over the Family Champagne Estate

In this episode, I sit down with Fabienne Dourdon, a Champagne grower whose family has farmed vines in the Marne Valley since 1812. She shares the family’s journey from s

Eric Chong — Opening aKin, Toronto’s Newest Michelin-Starred Restaurant

In this episode, I sit down with Chef Eric Chong to discusses the intense journey of opening his Michelin-starred restaurant, aKin. Initially trained as a chemical engine

Jeremiah Tomas - From Line Cook at 17 to Michelin-Starred GM & Beverage Director at The Pine

In this episode, I sit down with Jeremiah Thomas, General Manager at The Pine in Creemore (1 Michelin Star), to explore a career built from the ground up in wine, hospita

Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson – Restaurant Pearl Morissette, Canada’s Best Restaurant and the Power of Unconventional Thinking

In this episode of Tasting Notes Toronto, I interview Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson, co-owners of the acclaimed Restaurant Pearl Morissette. They discuss their journey