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 with the Court of Master Sommeliers, and winner of the CAPS Cup.

We talk about the $150 tab that used to cover five courses, the Bordeaux house asking over $1,000 for its second wine, and how a sommelier finds value as everything climbs — including saying yes to wines Jeffrey once had to reject for being "too cheap." Plus: wine's gatekeeping problem, and what hospitality feels like once the choreography drops away.

We also discuss his pursuit of the Master Sommelier title — hard days included — and why you'll never see a pile of gummies on a Christmas table.

If you work in wine or hospitality—or just want to understand where the wine industry is headed—this episode is a must-listen.

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

00:00 The industry can explode — or fall away
02:34 You still spend $150 dining out — you just get less
06:13 Wine's gatekeeping problem — and where the great somms went
08:26 The $1,000 second wine: Who is that for?
10:23 What the GM sees that the somm never could
15:06 A $15 wine of the day that isn't cheap
17:40 “I'm sorry, it's too cheap” — the wines that finally have a home
21:34 The Greek red that sold 24 bottles in a week
26:43 What to order at Henry's, from the guy who runs it
28:30 Chasing Master Sommelier out of boredom
36:50 What makes the sacrifice worth it? “Nothing.”
42:37 Winning the CAPS Cup — and what Ontario Chardonnay gives away
49:33 Hot take: Syrah belongs in the cold
54:25 Jeff flips the mic: Is wine actually dying?
59:32 Why there will never be gummies on the Christmas table

🙌 Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate, and review Tasting Notes Toronto on your favourite podcast platform — it really helps others discover the show. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Links:

• Henry's Restauant — https://www.henrystoronto.ca/ · @henrys.to
• Jeffrey on Instagram — @je.frey.chambertin
• Tasting Notes Toronto — @tastingnotestoronto https://www.youtube.com/@TheTastingNotesPodcast

If this episode was worth your time, the best thank-you is sharing it with one person who’d love it.

Hosted and produced by Alex Abbott Boyd · Recorded in Toronto · © 2026 Tasting Notes Toronto.

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 12-hour days hiking through the Amazon. Then a family stroke changed her plans, a nonprofit job disappeared, and a Netflix documentary pointed her toward a career she’d never considered. What followed is one of Toronto wine’s great scrappy origin stories: 60 cold messages to strangers, two replies, multiple restaurant jobs, and a rapid climb from zero to Advanced Sommelier.

We get into what Somm doesn’t show you about working in restaurants, how Nabilah built her career, and what it takes to be a sommelier and a parent in an industry built around evenings. We talk about Restaurant Lucie, her wine consulting and education work, and the challenge of putting a price on your own expertise.

We also get into her magical wine travels, the current struggle facing Vinequity — the organization she co-founded to provide scholarships and mentorship — and why Nebbiolo has “resting bitch face.”

This Wine Has Resting Bitch Face — Nabilah Rawji

00:00 “Nebbiolo has resting bitch face”
00:36 The 80% overlap between field biology and somm work
04:07 The stroke that ended the PhD dream
05:53 Unemployed on the couch, watching Somm on Netflix
08:31 60 cold messages, two replies, three jobs at once
10:48 Why a Toronto restaurant floor isn’t her hardest job
12:15 Zero to certified in 18 months — inside the Sunday study group
15:23 The new Restaurant Lucie
20:28 The blind pour that broke a guest’s brain (Ontario vs. New Zealand)
23:11 Two nights a week: making motherhood fit fine dining
30:26 “Please tell me to hit send on this invoice”
34:39 Vinequity’s do-or-die year — where your $20 actually goes
41:24 Why Nebbiolo’s attitude is worth it: an Alto Piemonte pilgrimage
46:24 Standing in the Cretan sea, feeling terroir
51:17 Why somms across the world call each other

🙌 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.

Links:

• Restaurant Lucie — restaurantlucie.com · @restaurantlucie
• Vinequity — vinequity.ca · @vin.equity · info@vinequity.ca (verified)
• Vinopath, Nabilah’s wine consulting & cellar management company — vinopath.ca
• Nabilah on Instagram — @nabilahrawji
• Tasting Notes Toronto — @tastingnotestoronto https://www.youtube.com/@TheTastingNotesPodcast

If this episode was worth your time, the best thank-you is sharing it with one person who’d love it.

Hosted and produced by Alex Abbott Boyd · Recorded in Toronto · © 2026 Tasting Notes Toronto.

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 restaurants on exactly that idea — Mexican and Ecuadorian traditions, cooked through Ontario corn, Indigenous ingredients, and the city's endless collision of cultures.

We get into why they show up to every wine tasting (rare for chefs), the thousands-year-old Indigenous science behind a perfect tortilla, a 17-step cauliflower, and the family ceviche recipe that shocks guests when they learn what's in it. Aldo also shares the story of arriving in Canada as a refugee, getting fired by a chef who told him "you're useless — but don't give up," and cooking his way to an answer.

If you enjoyed my conversation with Eva Chin on neo-Chinese cuisine, this one picks up the same thread: what happens to a food culture when it moves.

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

Timestamps

00:00 Why wine matters as much as the food
05:34 From art school and a refugee arrival to professional kitchens
11:44 The vision behind Antylia — and a lifelong obsession with corn
14:55 Why making tortillas is a sacred craft
18:27 Building a restaurant around community, not transactions
23:30 What great hospitality looks like today
25:46 The 17-step cauliflower and the pursuit of craftsmanship
29:04 Storytelling, authenticity, and the future of Latin American cuisine
37:18 Canadian ingredients, Indigenous traditions, and redefining authenticity
42:43 Grandma's ceviche — and yes, there's ketchup in it
51:57 Why regulars keep coming back to Antylia
57:23 Visit Antylia

🙌 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.