The CRUSHABLE wine salon
A very good night out in Toronto.
Exceptional Canadian wine. Homemade food. Interesting people. Zero wine snobbery.
Come sit around my table for an intimate evening of exceptional Canadian wines, generous homemade food, stories, conversation and a little bit of mischief.
This isn't a wine class. It's not a restaurant. And it's definitely not a room full of people trying to impress each other with tasting notes.
It's a salon hosted by a Canadian wine expert who happens to have a lot of very good bottles.
Small groups · Approximately 2 hours · Maximum 8 guests · Toronto · No wine knowledge required
COME SIT AT MY TABLE.
CRUSHABLE is hosted in my home in Toronto.
You'll join a small group around my table as we taste our way through some of Canada's most exciting wines—from Ontario and British Columbia to Nova Scotia and beyond.
I'll tell you about the wines, the regions and the people behind them. You'll eat, drink, ask questions, meet people and hopefully discover a few bottles you'll want to track down yourself.
The point isn't to memorize tasting notes.
It's to discover great Canadian wine and have a genuinely good night while you're doing it.
WHAT YOUR EVENING LOOKS LIKE
CANADIAN WINE
Every salon features carefully selected Canadian wine.
I look for interesting producers, unexpected varieties and bottles that have something to say—not wines chosen because they're the most obvious thing on the shelf.
HOMEMADE FOOD
I cook the food myself.
Expect generous plates of homemade food alongside local cheese and charcuterie, designed to keep the conversation going and the glasses from feeling lonely.
STORIES, NOT LECTURES
I'll introduce you to the wines, regions and people behind them and explain what's happening in Canadian wine right now.
You'll learn plenty.
You just won't feel like you're in school.
A TABLE FULL OF PEOPLE
The salon is intentionally small.
Come with friends. Come as a couple. Or come on your own.
Many guests arrive without knowing anyone and leave having spent the evening talking, laughing and discovering wine with a table full of new people.
WINE WITHOUT THE PERFORMANCE.
If wine has ever made you feel like you were supposed to know something you didn't, you're exactly who I made this for.
Nobody is going to ask what aromas you're getting.
Nobody cares how you hold your glass.
And I promise you'll never hear the phrase mineral tension unless we're making fun of it.
You don't need a sophisticated palate.
You don't need wine vocabulary.
You don't need to know the difference between Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio.
You just need to be curious.
WHY CANADIAN WINE?
Because Canada makes some seriously good wine—and most Canadians haven't discovered nearly enough of it.
I've spent 20 years working in wine and building relationships with producers across the country.
The Salon is my excuse to introduce you to the bottles I'm excited about right now.
You'll taste wines from different Canadian regions and styles and learn why Canadian wine is far more interesting than the handful of bottles most people associate with it.
This isn't Canadian wine as a patriotic obligation.
It's Canadian wine because the wines are genuinely worth drinking.
MEET YOUR HOST
Laura Batten
Canadian Wine Expert + Certified Sommelier
I've spent the better part of 20 years immersed in wine—and a particularly large portion of that time trying to convince people that Canadian wine deserves far more attention.
I've worked across Canada's wine regions, built relationships with producers, written about wine and appeared in media including ELLE Canada, Toronto Life, The Globe and Mail, CBC and others.
But the thing I care about most is much simpler:
I want people to enjoy wine more.
CRUSHABLE is my way of doing that around an actual table—with good food, interesting bottles and people who are genuinely curious.
Serious about wine. Never serious about ourselves.
WHY A HOME SALON?
Because some experiences are better when they feel personal.
There is no tasting-room conveyor belt. No crowded restaurant. No classroom.
There's my table.
There's homemade food.
There's wine.
And there are a handful of people who showed up curious enough to spend an evening discovering something together.
That intimacy is intentional.
CRUSHABLE is designed to feel less like an event you attended and more like an evening you were invited to.
AND YES, THERE'S A DOG.
Meet Dottie.
She's CRUSHABLE's unofficial four-legged host and will probably greet you when you arrive before settling down to supervise the evening.
She's friendly, well behaved and extremely confident in her management abilities.
If you have a dog allergy or aren't comfortable around dogs, please know that Dottie lives here and is typically present during tastings.
WHO IS THE SALON FOR?
The curious wine drinker.
The person who wants a different kind of night out in Toronto.
The couple looking for something more interesting than dinner and drinks.
The solo traveller who wants to meet people.
The birthday group.
The girls' night.
The person who loves Canadian wine.
The person who knows absolutely nothing about wine.
Basically, if your idea of a good evening involves excellent wine, good food and interesting conversation, you'll probably fit right in.
WHAT YOU'LL LEAVE WITH
A better understanding of Canadian wine.
A few new bottles to look for.
A very full stomach.
Possibly some new friends.
And, ideally, the feeling that you've just had a really good night.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I've never been to a wine tasting. Is this for me?
Absolutely.
No wine knowledge or previous tasting experience is required. The Salon is designed for curious people, not wine experts.
Where is the Salon?
CRUSHABLE is hosted in Laura's home in midtown Toronto. The exact residential address is provided after booking.
How many people attend?
The salon is intentionally intimate, with a maximum of 8 guests.
How long is the experience?
Approximately 2 hours.
Is food included?
Yes. The evening includes generous homemade food, local cheese and charcuterie. It's not intended to be a full dinner, but you will not leave hungry.
Can I come alone?
Please do.
Solo guests are very welcome, and many people come on their own. The small-group format makes it easy to meet people.
What wines will we taste?
Each salon features a different selection of Canadian wine. I choose the lineup based on what I'm excited about and what I think you'll genuinely enjoy discovering.
Is this a formal wine class?
No.
You'll learn a lot, but there is no exam, no tasting test and no requirement to describe your wine using words you wouldn't normally use.
Is Dottie there?
Yes. She's part of the household and is always present during the salons.
READY TO PULL UP A CHAIR?
Come discover Canadian wine the CRUSHABLE way.
Exceptional wines.
Homemade food.
Interesting people.
One very good night in Toronto.
Or bring your own people:
