Chef Sebouh Yacoubian says it was an easy decision to remove American alcohol products at his restaurant Taline in Toronto.ADZ World/Supplied
When Taline opened its doors in Toronto’s Rosedale neighbourhood in April 2023, the restaurant’s wine list featured American, French and Italian selections alongside inventive Armenian dishes inspired by Chef Sebouh Yacoubian’s late mother’s recipes. “We wanted to give some sense of familiarity through the wines and spirits,” he says.
Last week, the Michelin-recommended restaurant stopped selling U.S. wine and liquor, adding their support to the backlash against U.S. Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on Canadian goods.
“Our focus is on who we are and what we are,” explains Yacoubian who runs the business with younger brothers Serouj and Saro. “We’re Armenian, we’re Lebanese, we’re Canadian, we want to embody that and give the experience of that to our guests.”
While liquor stores across the county have halted the sale of U.S. alcohol, Canadian bars, restaurants and other licenced venues can continue to sell existing inventory. The larger the operation, the bigger the stockpile to maintain consistency for customers.
Yacoubian explains it was an easy decision to remove American products. “Ninety per cent of guests want the full experience,” he says. They’ll order the chef’s curated menu paired with a glass or bottle of an Armenian or Lebanese wine that the brothers import specially for their restaurant. (Chef Seb and Saro, who serves as the restaurant’s beverage manager, will return to Armenia later this month to find more wines for the list.)
“The more people started to appreciate us for who we are, the more their interest in those international wine selections diminished,” he says.
Yacoubian says they had a guest ask about an American wine on the weekend. They were told about the restaurant’s decision and promptly ordered something else.
“At the end of the day, you go to a restaurant to enjoy yourself and not talk about politics,” he says.
Sommelier Fred Gamula has been serving guests at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. since the late 1980s. He oversees more than 350 selections to supply the needs of the Noble Restaurant and Churchill Lounge, offering local favourites and international selections, including an extensive collection of red wines from California.
Alana Steele. Sommelier and general manager of Halifax’s Ostrich Club, has created a wine list of small producers from around the world to encourage customers to try new products.Alana Steele/Supplied
Tom Gore Cabernet Sauvignon is a popular California label on his by-the-glass list, which, befitting the Prince of Wales’ wine country location, includes more Niagara made than foreign wines. “I didn’t stock up on it, we will let it run through and go from there,” says Gamula. “There are many other alternatives.”
Gamula leads with a local-first approach but tailors his suggestions to suit customers’ tastes. Noting that the hotel’s conference planners are increasingly receiving requests that no U.S. products are served to groups, he’s eager to see whether preferences have changed when tourist traffic picks up.
“The most interest in Californian wines traditionally comes from Toronto area guests,” Gamula explains. “Our American guests are often more open to taste local wines than the ones visiting from across the lake. I often hear about cases of Canadian wine they have purchased to take back the States.”
An openness to try new products is shared by guests of Halifax’s Ostrich Club, where sommelier and general manager Alana Steele has created a wine list of small producers from around the world. Steele sources most wines direct from the producer, importing them privately to offer guests different selections than what’s available through the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation.
Although the cellar at the Hydrostone bar doesn’t feature many American wines, the cocktail program has a strong affinity for bourbon-based drinks. The team snatched up 40 bottles when tariffs were announced to continue offering the current menu without interruption.
But upon reflection, based on how the team feels about the current political climate and after hearing from guests asking for substitutions to American booze, Steele regrets their panic-inspired purchase. “We will not be repurchasing American products.”
