In the fifth of our twenty-fifth Young Blood Sommelier series (it’s astonishing really), we interview some of the most talented up-and-coming sommeliers in Ontario and beyond.
A few years back Many years ago, I was flicking through the pages of a locally published periodical and noticed that, when it came to sommeliers, the same names seemed to pop up over and over again. I was also gradually becoming cognisant of the fact that we more established wine folks were well and truly “losing our edge” to these young blood sommeliers. Being well aware of the depth of new talent that was out there, I finally decided to get together with a couple of fellow Toronto sommeliers, “Old Guard” (Anton Potvin and Peter Boyd) to assemble a line of questioning that would give us an entertaining insight into the minds of these rising and often underexposed stars.
This time around we speak with Kat Rukavina, sommelier at Ossington’s new steakhouse, Linny’s.
Good Food Revolution: So, Kat, what is it that you are doing these days?
Kat Rukavina: Im working under Geoffery Flemming who’s the wine director at Big Hug Hospitality. I am his right hand man at their new steakhouse Linny’s.
GFR: Please describe a regular workday. What does a normal day entail for you? Is there a normal day?
KR: Usually I arrive and take the red wine out of the fridge so it can temp. Check the wine fridges and make sure everything is stocked. Unload all the new deliveries into the cellar and depending on the day we’ll pick a bottle to run as a weekly feature by the glass. Good way to move stock and have the staff slowly taste the by the bottle list.
Briefing is at 4.30 and we open at 5.
Being a new restaurant it’s typically busy right off the bat. Lots of running up and down the stairs because our cellar is in the basement. Lots of people have been bringing their own corkage which can be fun but you hope they take a look at our list as well. We’re a small team so theres a lot of running around but the evenings go by quickly.
GFR: Thankfully, we are on the other side of this pandemic. How did the pandemic impact your professional life? And how have you bounced back?
KR: The pandemic was a good push to have a fresh start and switch gears a bit and experience new spaces. I was working for the same company for four years and was ready for a change but just needed that shift to make it. Financially it feels like I’ll never bounce back HAHA did not work for many months. I’m mostly kidding.
GFR: How do you feel the pandemic impacted the restaurant experience long-term?
KR: I MISS MENUS! Many places have brought them back but whenever I have to pull out my phone for a QR code i feel a slight pain. I was worried that we would never feel that close-cornered buzz but I’ve been in a few sardine cans since and am happy for it.
GFR: How aware of wine were you while growing up? Were you around wine from an early age? I mean, your dad’s been peddling the stuff for decades now!
KR: My dad was very generous in both sharing his product and knowledge over the years and from a (suspiciously) young age I was being educated about wine. Some of my greatest memories as a kid would be to follow him around at work and see him in action at the restaurants.
GFR: Can you remember your first taste of wine?
KR: I wish the moment stood out but I do remember from a young age taking a liking to over oaked, over ripe wines. I’m happy to announce my palette has evolved since.
GFR: When do YOU feel children should be introduced to the wonderful world of wine?
KR: I like that it’s already assumed they’re a child HAHA. I think we were probably 13 or 14? That felt right
GFR: So who or what gave you your very first insight into the world of wine? Did you have a wine epiphany? Please tell me it was your wonderful dad?
KR: Of course it was my Dad! His passion for people, wine and food influenced my entire personality. A secondary source would be Christina Brown who I consider a mentor (and dear friend). She guided me into tastings and pushed me to start studying. She’s working at Blue Bovine currently, an amazing sommelier and person!
Kat’s father: the one and only, Dave Rukavina.
GFR: Please tell us a little about your “Sommelier history”. What kind of experience and training, wine-wise did you have before doing what you are doing today? And looking back, if you could, would you have made different decisions?
KR: Like many Torontonians I studied at Sommelier Factory under Bruce Wallner. I was working for Honeycomb Hospitality at the time and they offered to fund it if I helped with their wine programs. Was a great deal for me because I had a lot of liberties as a somewhat novice and had my education covered. Not to mention I had so many free tastings while I was learning to blind taste.
GFR: When did you first decide that you would actually like a career in wine? … and was it with a view to being a Sommelier?
KR: Once Chris Brown pushed me to start learning more about wine I realized it was a good stepping stone to seperate myself within the industry. Once I started studying it seemed silly not to certify. I planned on continuing in the Court but Covid happened the following year and I lost steam.
GFR: Tell us a little about how you find the food and wine scene in Toronto?
KR: There are a lot of great spaces making incredible and diverse food. The wine scene could use some work but I blame the lcbo for that one. We don’t have the same access that so many other places do. Always feels like a treat being overseas or even in Montreal.
GFR: Please give me a little insight into the wine program at Linny’s.
KR: Linny’s has a super classic list with the majority of the selections being old world wines from France and Italy. Not as trendy as many of our neighbours on the strip as most of the wines are clean and classic rather than natty and unfiltered. Although it’s a steakhouse a lot of our menu gears towards lighter bodied wines and the by the glass selection reflects that.
GFR: And you also help out with the wine list at Allen’s on the Danforth. Please tell us a little about how that list evolved, as under John Maxwell it was exclusively Ontario VQA, wasn’t it?
KR: We inherited a large inventory from John when he swapped over the business. Everything was VQA and it had to have been the largest VQA only list in the city. A lot of gems there but also a lot of dead wine. As the clientele evolved with the influence of a younger generation moving into the area and the Danforth Music Hall in full swing there was a cry for more variety. Around four years ago during the epic Steakfest that’s hosted every february a small international list was introduced and it’s been evolving ever since.
GFR: The Sommelier world is notoriously full of pretentious arseholes, and after seeing that film Somm a few years ago, I still worry about the emergence of a new Wine Bro culture… Also, I have picked up on a LOT of that vibe from some of the usual suspects in the mixology crowd—full-on Jordan Peterson fans and all that stuff. Believe it or not, I saw one of the usual suspects defend Andrew Tate recently. What the hell is going on there? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
KR: The beverage world has always been male dominated and with that comes bro culture. It can feel weirdly competitive especially in the mixology world with all their brand heavy competitions. I try not to support people who dilute and spread bad gospel within the industry.
GFR: I hear you!
Speaking of which, we are having some really important conversations right now about the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace, and what can be done to eradicate it from the culture.
I’d be interested to hear your take on the topic, and perhaps what you have witnessed yourself during your time in the restaurant world… big question, I know, but I feel it’s a topic that deserves discussion
KR: I’ve been lucky to not have too many personal stories in this regard but I’ve had many friends and acquaintances experience their own.
I find that back-of-house culture has always been something that’s stood out to me but was also normalized from the beginning. My last slew of gigs have been under spaces with HR so there is a lot less leniency for misconduct. I’m happy that we’ve got to a point where more people are comfortable about speaking out and people are being held accountable.
Hopefully this trend continues over time and there is a huge shift in the dynamics within the workplace. I noticed a shift about 7 years ago but there’s still work to be done and every space is different. A lot of it stems from who your leadership is and their stance on these issues.
GFR: So, natural wine is basically the new normal in many places, perhaps in Ottawa?… I’m pretty choosy when it comes to my personal forays into that world. What’s your take?
KR: I enjoy natural wines when they still have a cleaner taste to them. I find some of them sour and faulted but not all! Still lots of fantastic natural wine being made.
GFR: Sure… but…
How would you say that your palate has evolved over the years?
For example, I went through an old vine Zinfandel phase. I revisited such wines last year… Hmmmm… interesting, but really not for me any more. Although, saying that, I’ve been quite enjoying some of them again recently!
KR: Well luckily I’ve lost my taste for overripe and oaked wines. I had a sip of Caymus 2020 last night (corkage) and it was just….not for me. Happy for the people who enjoy it but I would also love to turn them on to other things. I’m mostly a white wine drinker now. Love anything with great minerality and acidity.
GFR: How do you feel about Canadian wines?
KR: Being someone who has spent a lot of time selling Canadian wine I am definitely a defender of it. I’m lucky that my mom has retired to Prince Edward County and I’m able to make vineyard stops. Stanners and Hinterland are always go-tos (and both listed BTG at Linny’s) I also really enjoy the pinot noir from Morandin.
GFR: What do you think we do well here in Canada?
KR: Chardonnay, Riesling, Cab Franc, Pinot Noir… great climate for all of them
GFR: And what do you feel we should really give up on?
KR: I don’t think Ontario specifically should be making Cabernet Sauvignon, we can leave that to BC.
GFR: How do you feel about Canadian support for our local wine industry?
KR: I think it could be better but the price point makes it inaccessible sometimes. Someone who does a great job at keeping VQA alive is Laura from Chez Nous. Her wine bar is entirely VQA and has a warm and cozy vibe in the east end and a great selection of well made Canadian wines.
GFR: Just as there is everywhere in the world, there is quite a lot of dreadful wine coming from Canada (BC, Quebec, Ontario, et al.). How do you feel about the issue of people simply promoting something because it is local and not because of its quality?
KR: Typically that’s just because of the money behind it. It makes me sad because it feeds the narrative that Canada can’t produce good wine.
GFR: Does your work allow you to travel much?
That’s one thing that I really missed through the pandemic: going on wine trips.
KR: Well I went on a three week trip the day after we opened so I think I’ll have to stay put for a moment.
I was in London and Sardinia. Lots of resto and wine bar hopping in London. The scene there is amazing. I truly fell in love with it! Sardinia was a lot more rustic but gorgeous place with some fun wines. I’d like to go on some proper wine trips this coming year.
GFR: Which wine regions have you had the opportunity to visit over the years?
KR: I haven’t really ventured outside of North America. My first stop would be Loire, I’m dying to go there. Really need to get my drivers license HAHA growing up in Toronto it doesn’t feel necessary.
GFR: True. I only got my bloody licence eight years ago.
Is there anywhere you would really like to visit? And why?
KR: Loire, Champagne, Burgundy are first. Spain and Italy after.
GFR: Have you ever made your own wine?
KR: I have not! I am interested in helping in a harvest one year. I suppose COVID would have been a good time to start.
GFR: And where would you like to make wine (in a pipe dream)?
KR: I think my first experience would have to be in Prince Edward County.
GFR: What have been your career highs and lows?
KR: Writing my first wine list for Dasha would have to be a memorable high. I’ve also always enjoyed leading education and service training for staff.
I suppose a career low would be certain rejections or unanswered applications although they all led me to where I am now anyway.
GFR: Who is, in your mind, a real role model for Sommeliers?
KR: I’ve always looked up to Pascaline Lepeltier, she is a serious icon and badass.
GFR: And for Wine Agents/Importers?
KR: I’ve been enjoying Cosecha imports
GFR: Do you have nightmares about working with wine? I do it regularly, and it usually involves being unable to find bottles in a cellar. And the clock is ticking away. I have them all the time, and I haven’t been in the role for over 14 bloody years!!!
KR: I have a few recurring ones. The first I’m opening an aged wine and the cork is made of stone (I know it makes no sense) The second is not wine related but I’m serving a section and guests have been waiting hours for service and my section sprawls across an entire field. Can’t stand them!
GFR: Wine folks famously have their Sundays off… What’s your idea of a perfect Sunday?
KR: Start with a good workout and then coffee and pastries after. I like to pastry hop, I live in an area with so many great baked goods. Afternoon wine and a reservation at either a familiar or new spot in the city.
GFR: Pastry-hop? That’s a new term for me. I like it!
Where are your favourite places to dine and drink locally these days… perhaps tell us a personal hidden treasure of yours.
KR: Union is my forever classic, I’ve probably eaten that tartare 100 times. I also love Bernhardts, Imanishi, Foxley, La Palette, Rhum Corner! More people should be going to Sakai Bar!
GFR: Do you like to cook yourself? What’s your favourite dish to cook these days?
KR: I’m a basic cook. I enjoy eating out so I keep it pretty clean at home. A lot of fish, roasted vegetables, salads.
GFR: And have you had any cooking disasters recently?
KR: Oversalting Chilli comes to mind first but during covid my roomate at the time attempted to make sponge toffee, that was a true disaster (she’s typically fab in the kitchen)
GFR: Do you feel that there is a good Sommelier community in Toronto?
KR: I think Somm factory really helps build a community amongst the city as well as wine shows and tastings. I wish there was a bit more of one though.
GFR: Do you hang out often with other Sommeliers? And if you do, do you only shoot the shit about wine?
KR: I have a pack of friends who work in wine and there is a lot of industry talk but not just about wine! Great to have some sidekicks to go to the shows with. We also just share information about vintages, regulars, trends etc
GFR: Do you have many non-industry friends… How do they feel about what you do for a living?
KR: Yes most! I went to a performing arts school and then followed with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Most of my non industry friends are fascinated by it but are also sick of me declining every weekend invite.
GFR: What do you feel you would be doing if you were not doing what you are doing today?
KR: I suppose working in tech and design like my professors would have hoped for. I realized I can’t stare at a screen all day.
GFR: Do you have a favourite food/wine-related scene in a film/movie or show?
KR: Ratatouille is just a perfect movie to me.
GFR: What are your thoughts on blind tasting wine?
KR: I used to really enjoy the challenge of it. I’m quite rusty now. My friend Chris loves to challenge me whenever she hosts me at her home. She has a really funky selection and her and her partner Alex are incredible tasters.
GFR: Are you a better blind taster with or without a bad hangover? I’m definitely the former…
KR: I don’t think I’m great at many things hungover.
GFR: Some of the best tasters I know are heavy smokers… What are your thoughts there?
KR: That always confused me. Perhaps their sense of smell is heightened by their lack of taste buds. Smokers always like the saltiest food.
GFR: In your mind, what is “hot” in the world of wine right now? And why?
KR: I feel like Jura has been having a moment for a while now.
GFR: Aside from these fashions in wine drinking, what’s your current favourite wine style/region? And why?
KR: I have a bit of an Albarino and Garnacha obsession right now which is new for me because I have always been a diehard French drinker.
GFR: And what’s not so hot? What has fallen out of favour? Why do you feel that way?
KR: Super natty wines, feels like classic expressions are being listed more and more. I think it somewhat has to do with which restaurants are opening and also palate fatigue.
GFR: When it comes to wine, is there anything that you feel is terribly overrated? And why?
KR: I’ve never been a big fan of Bordeaux. I’ve been tasting a lot more aged ones and they just feel overvalued and underwhelming to me.
GFR: What is your favourite wine pairing right now—something nice and seasonal?
KR: Christmas is coming and Riesling and turkey will forever be incredible.
GFR: What is your least favourite part of your job as a Sommelier? For me it was the f****** inventory. Oh, and breaking down boxes… and the resultant papercuts (I have such soft hands!)
KR: I’d love to meet the freak that enjoys inventory. Dry cleaning bill would be mine! so many little splashes on your jacket no matter how careful you are.
GFR: What is your weapon of choice when it comes to a corkscrew? And why?
KR: I have so many waiters corkscrews I’ve just been going through them. I really should invest in one, the waiters screw does not last long.
GFR: Due to us being around alcohol, many people in our industry often have quite the increased tolerance for wine/booze, or they develop issues. What is your limit, and how do you keep yourself in check?
KR: I like to think I inherited my father’s tolerance so I can put in a good session. The gym has been a great resource to balance work and play and to keep me in check.
GFR: Well, that’s a very healthy tolerance you have inherited. That fellow could drink me under the table, and probably has upon a few occasions…
There’s a lot of open discourse right now around the topic of both drug and alcohol abuse within the restaurant/wine world. Would you care to share a few of your thoughts about that side of the business? To be quite frank with you, the thing I miss the LEAST about working in that environment is the late nights of drinking and recreational pharmaceuticals. I don’t think my body could take it any longer anyway!
KR: Now that I’m older I’m too exhausted to go out after work. All I want to do is go home and rest my bunion HAHA. I think it’s very easy to slip down a bad path in this industry and you need to surround yourself with a work culture that doesn’t revolve around it. I’ve been in work environments where the staff are constantly drunk while working. Really takes a toll on someone’s body and their service.
GFR: Speaking of which, have you ever been “cut off”? If so, where and when was the most recent time? I think it happened to me back in Scotland once… hazy memories… at the City Café.
KR: I have a distinct memory of not being let into Wrongbar, couldn’t even make it inside. This was a long time ago but night-ending.
GFR: I had forgotten about that place!
Which leads rather neatly into the next question… do you happen to have a good hangover cure? None of the cures given to me by previous interviewees have really done the job for me… well, apart from the suggestion about CBD gummies.
KR: No one likes to hear it but a shower and a workout will do wonders. If im down really bad a bowl of pho and some TV. At that point you’re sort of just leaning into it. Lot’s of Nestea, I love that sugar water.
GFR: How many wines do you “taste” in a week these days?
KR: I try to taste most of the wines I’m opening especially if I haven’t had it before.
GFR: When tasting with agents, do you choose to spit or swallow?
KR: Depends how good the wine is! If I swallow that’s how you know I really like it
GFR: What’s your “house” wine at home right now?
KR: I don’t drink too often at home. The last bottle I opened was a few days ago. Alberto Nanclares and Silvia Prieto ‘dandelion’ amazing albarino. Has this ginger note that goes great with sushi.
GFR: Most remembered glass of wine ever?
KR: 20 year old Chenin Blanc at Le Verre Vole in Paris
GFR: What is your perfect glass (or bottle) of wine at the end of a crazy day at work?
KR: Lately I’ve been taking sips of our new Chablis.
GFR: Coffee or tea?
KR: Coffee
GFR: Lemon, horseradish, mignonette, or hot sauce?
KR: Only one?? I like lemon AND horseradish
GFR: Fair enough. Me too!
Vindaloo or Korma?
KR: Vindaloo
GFR: Milk or dark? And preferred cocoa content?
KR: Dark, 50% or more. Milk chocolate feels like a treat
GFR: Ketchup, mayonnaise, or salt & vinegar?
KR: I’m someone who would use all of the above but if I could only have one (this is french fries I assume) has to be ketchup.
GFR: Blue, R, MR, M, MW, W, Charcoal?
KR: Depends on the cut, tenderloin has to be rare. Strip or rib i like med rare. Same with my hamburger
GFR: Volatile acidity, brettanomyces, or mousiness? (Hehe…)
KR: HAHAH God, I guess brett
GFR: Thank you for taking the time, Kat. It is very much appreciated. This is an extremely long interview.
Edinburgh-born/Ontario-based sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, educator, and Dad, Jamie Drummond is the Director/Editor of Good Food Revolution.
Peter Boyd has been a part of Toronto’s wine scene for over two decades. He has taught the Diploma level for the International Sommeliers Guild, and has been the sommelier at Scaramouche Restaurant since 1993. He also writes about wine, food and pop culture and raises show molerats for fun and profit. He’s also one of the most solid guys in the business.Trust this man. Seriously… he seriously knows his shit and just celebrated his 87th birthday!
A well-known and much respected figure on the Toronto food and wine scene for almost twenty years, Potvin has worked in many of the city’s very best establishments including Biffs, Canoe, and Eau. In 2004 Potvin opened his incarnation of the Niagara Street Café, a restaurant that has gone from strength to strength year after year, with universal critical acclaim. Anton spends much of his time traveling and tasting wine and has been ranked highly in consecutive years of the International Wine Challenge. After working as GM at DaiLo with Chef Nick Liu and Sommelier Pete Hammond, Anton is now selling wine with Banville Wine Merchants and explores the world of mycology and sailing in his spare time. Not usually at the same time.
