Serious Crush: 10 spots that deliver exciting wines and never-snooty service
Serious Crush: 10 spots that deliver exciting wines and never-snooty service
The definition of a Toronto wine bar has morphed dramatically over the past few years. Classic wine-only bars are increasingly scarce, while restaurants with excellent by-the-glass lists and accompanying small plates are proliferating madly. My favourites all offer the wine bar experience, which to me means you can walk in without a reservation, sit at the bar or a nearby table and explore interesting wine guided by smart staff, then move on to the next place in the neighbourhood—or hunker down if you really like what you find.
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- <strong>Where everyone knows your name</strong><br /> <br /> Archive, near Trinity Bellwoods Park, is the kind of laid-back place where, on a quiet night, a cyclist in full spandex regalia will read a novel at the bar while a clutch of 30-something women whisper confidingly over a bottle of Côtes de Provence rosé at the front window table. Brothers Joel and Josh Corea, who grew up in the neighbourhood, modelled their wine bar after the ones Josh discovered on a trip to Venice, where workers stop in for a glass and a snack before dinner. They offer small plates, or cicchetti—like white bean and anchovy on toast or steak tartare—and a chalkboard lists the staff’s favourite pairings, such as the salt fish buljol with vinho verde. Sixtyish wines by the glass, leaning toward affordable Italian, French and Ontario labels, are available in three-ounce, five-ounce and bottle pours. Six flights—including one teaser served blind—explore themes by grape variety.<br /><br /> <em>909 Dundas St. W., 647-748-0909</em>
- Archive
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- <strong>For the best French bottles</strong><br /> <br /> At this Parisian-themed institution, 24 by-the-glass selections nicely represent French regions, but it’s the 83-page list of over 14,000 fairly priced bottles, many of them aged on the premises, that draws the ad agency types and silver foxes. Sommelier Jean-Jacques Quinsac includes colourful descriptions for each bottle, and indicates organic selections, wines that are available at the LCBO, and his special picks for that week, which makes the massive list feel navigable.<br /><br /> <em>432 Wellington St. W., 416-596-6405</em>
- Le Sélect
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- <strong>For the Italian vino–phile</strong><br /> <br /> Bar Buca, open every day until 2 a.m., is a cool yet unpretentious spot, perfect for a light dinner and a glass of wine after a show. Master sommelier Giuseppe Marchesini, who grew up in Matere in southern Italy, has created superb Italian lists at all three Buca locations. They’re pricy, but they’re also rabbit holes of discovery, delving deep into obscure regions, varieties and producers—Marchesini is passionate about small-lot vintners who grow native grapes. At Bar Buca, 15 wines are served in two-and-a-half and five-ounce pours by -knowledgable staff who can deftly pair with Rob Gentile’s cheffy whims. Ruche di Monferrato 2012 Montalbera is a winner with his goat and ricotta meatballs; go for the hearty San Pietro 2010 Ripasso with his rolled eggplant.<br /><br /> <em>75 Portland St., 416-599-2822</em>
- Bar Buca
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- <strong>For celebrating far-off flavours</strong><br /> <br /> Toronto’s best Southeast Asian restaurants nail the food but usually pay no attention to the wine. Until now, most of us downed our satays with a Kingfisher by default. Little Sister is changing that. The narrow, crowded and colourful Indonesian snack bar in midtown has a compact list (15 by the glass) designed by sommelier John Szabo, who does a keen job of assuaging spicy Indonesian flavours. Aromatic whites, like Susana Balbo torrontes from Argentina or Tawse gewürztraminer from Niagara, and minerally reds, like California’s Tierra Divina, are great matches for Balinese spiced chicken satay, sambal shrimp lettuce wraps and fried cauliflower salad with puffed rice.<br /><br /> <em>2031 Yonge St., 416-488-2031</em>
- Little Sister
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- <strong>Where light wines get star treatment</strong><br /> <br /> At the Maritimes-themed restaurant on Roncesvalles, Emily MacLean has assembled a nervy, intriguing list that encourages patrons to experiment. Her selection comprises a few gems from Ontario, plus unoaked old-world wines from Lebanon, Georgia, Hungary and Greece (as well as France and Italy) that all work fantastically with Geoff Hopgood’s seafood menu. Shrimp spiced with Old Bay are awesome with the steely biodynamic Domaine Ostertag pinot blanc from Alsace. The staff are attentive to the little details, like bringing over a spare glass so you can share sips with your date.<br /><br /> <em>325 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-533-2723</em>
- Hopgood’s Foodliner
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- <strong>For a low-key date night</strong><br /> <br /> The rough-hewn bar, concrete floor and towering wine racks could make this Leslieville room feel cavernous, but the candlelit tables and chatty servers warm the place up nicely. With 27 wines available in three-and-a-half and five-ounce pours, you can dabble to your heart’s content. The list favours Euro labels, but that suits Luca Gatti’s Italian-accented menu just fine. An earthy Italian grignolino goes great with the heirloom beet salad and oozing burrata, and the Spanish rioja is terrific with beef belly, kale and mushroom.<br /><br /> <em>980 Queen St. E., 416-524-5209</em>
- Skin and Bones
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- <strong>For a moody hideaway</strong><br /> <br /> This tavernesque room is appealing in daylight and electric at night. Owner Christopher Sealy’s list is wonderfully obscure. Little tweaks are in order—a French viognier’s aromas were snuffed by a too-cold fridge—but chef Leah Marshall Hannon’s comfort food makes up for the misses, especially her luxurious braised short ribs with a glass of nebbiolo (Sealy loves this grape).<br /> <br /> <em>1434 Dundas St. W., 647-345-7005</em>
- Midfield Wine Bar
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- <strong>For a Barcelona night</strong><br /> <br /> Welcome to Little Iberia. Salt’s 100-strong list, with 17 whites and reds by the glass, plus another dozen sherries and ports, is a mash note to Spain and Portugal—there’s even a map of wine regions and grape varieties en route to the restrooms. The room is dim, and the bass-heavy music gives the place a sultry vibe. Manager and wine buyer Philip Carneiro is a fan of vinho verde (a snappy, light Portuguese white), which highlights the sweetness of a sea bream ceviche. An inexpensive Alentejo red blend called Agil is nice with the house-made chorizo, and the crisp Lustau Los Arcos amontillado is a treat with a salty mahón cheese.<br /><br /> <em>225 Ossington Ave., 416-533-7258</em>
- Salt Wine Bar
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- <strong>For the tech geek</strong><br /> <br /> The room still looks as it did when the long-since-vacated chef Jamie Kennedy ran the place, right down to the back wall lined with pickles and preserves. It remains an excellent place to explore, with 25 quirky, largely unfamiliar global offerings in three-ounce, five-ounce and half-litre pours, and another reserve list of 12 rare wines (like Meo-Camuzet Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru from Burgundy) dispensed by the cork-piercing Coravin.<br /><br /> <em>9 Church St., 416-504-9463</em>
- Wine Bar
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- <strong>For the adventurous newbie </strong><br /> <br /> This brick-lined institution is often buzzing with nearby condo dwellers drowning their workday sorrows. It holds countless tasting events, and the 20-seat bar is still the best place to learn about wine. Wine director and champagne booster Tiffany Jamison-Horne has created a wonderfully diverse list. More than 50 international bottles are open at a time and grouped into themed flights, like West Coast pinots or wines from Piedmont. They’re served in two-ounce pours, perfect for sampling.<br /><br /> <em>455 King St. W., 416-977-1234</em>
- Crush Wine Bar
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Maybe I am a bit of a snob, but Archive takes the snob right out of me. The wine list is incredible and despite the place being busy, it has such a relaxed feel. I head there when I am in Toronto. I would live there if I had to be based in Toronto. Ask them to pair the wine and food.
FINALLY something useful from the wine editor! #ChristmasMiracle