There are over 1,400 wines from around the world in the cellar at Langdon Hall Country House & Spa in Cambridge, Ontario, and Wine Director Faye MacLachlan is responsible for them all.
With a background in geography and geology, she’s a perfect fit for the role. “A great wine list needs the classics, but there are so many exciting wines being produced around the world that deserve to be highlighted,” MacLachlan, the winner of this year’s MICHELIN Guide Toronto Sommelier Award says.
MacLachlan completed her wine certification while working at Langdon Hall, the historic hotel and restaurant, and worked her way up from floor sommelier and manager to the director of wine ten years ago.
Building the extensive wine list, she says, is an ongoing process, with regional diversity, sustainability, and the wines’ compatibility with Chef Jason Bangerter’s menus always top of mind.
“Our program is very pairing-focused, so having access to underrepresented regions allows me to create a much more interesting experience — surprising guests with wines from places they may never have tried before,” she says.
MacLachlan says she works closely with Bangerter to plan the wine pairings, tasting through each dish’s components and “honing in on flavors and textures.”
A current favorite match is the 2021 Rockford Semillon from the Barossa Valley in Australia that comes alongside a course of lobster with sweet corn and chanterelles in a crustacean velouté sauce.
“I love how the sweet and earthy elements give it such richness,” she says of the lobster. “The weight, texture and richness of the wine match the dish beautifully.”
As for her personal favorites for sipping, MacLachlan admits it’s hard to choose.
“I tend to lean toward higher-acid wines, so cooler-climate regions are what I gravitate to most. That said, my palate really is all over the map,” she says.
Hero image: Wine Director Faye MacLachlan
