By Susan Kelly
Toronto’s wine club scene has exploded in recent years, and unique to it is the Bovine Wine Club, Ontario’s only fully licensed private wine club and storage facility, says sommelier James Peden, director of operations at Liberty Entertainment Group (LEG). “There’s simply no club like this in the city,” he says. “We offer a host of VIP privileges and opportunities to our members, from seasoned wine connoisseurs to neophytes. They are joining a very rare wine community.”
Open since January 2025, the wine club is affiliated with—and strategically placed across the hall from—LEG’s celebrity magnet Blue Bovine Steak and Sushi House, which debuted to great acclaim and media buzz last year in historic Union Station. As part of LEG, helmed by CEO and hospitality leader Nick Di Donato, the wine club benefits from its extensive relationships with top wineries and distilleries around the world. The result: entrée into the exclusive community of industry insiders.
Wine collectors can meet wine importers and influencers at invitation-only dinners, tastings or master classes, and other private events in a setting adorned with rich woods and natural stone. “Say a champagne house just released a highly anticipated wine,” Peden says. “Members could meet its representatives at the club for a special dinner where the wine is paired with dishes specially prepared by Michelin-star chefs from LEG’s Don Alfonso 1890 or DaNico restaurants. I don’t know of another wine club in the world that can offer that.”
For hosting aficionados, Bovine Wine Club members may invite guests to sample wines from their collections in a sumptuous private lounge and bar area that seats up to 75, or they can book a special-event area seating up to 44, accompanied by delicacies from the menu of Blue Bovine restaurant.
Enjoying an exceptional bottle of wine demands an equally exceptional space. Fusing sleek modernism and industrial touches, the interiors—conceptualized by Liberty Group’s VP and creative director, Nadia Di Donato—are a sumptuous escape from the bustle of the city, meant to balance comfort and elegance with classical crown moulding, ornately treated ceilings and sleek, modern furniture.
Storing wine here also is an elevated experience, says Peden, who also serves as president of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers for Ontario. Wine lockers are available in a limited edition of 600 and offer climate-controlled conditions within a functional and stylish design. Members may ship their wines directly to the club, where they will receive white-glove service from the highly trained team of world-class sommeliers, including Wine Director Julie Garton and Michelin 2024 Sommelier of The Year Ashleigh Forster. The team can help curate wine collections and provide a wealth of knowledge on everything from glassware to pairing suggestions.
Members also enjoy the simple pleasure of meeting and mingling with fellow wine lovers. Peden is gratified by the diversity of the new member roster—a mix of downtown condo dwellers with limited space in their wine cellars and commuters who enjoy stopping for a glass of wine or dinner before heading home or out in the city.
“The Bovine Wine Club provides its members with a place of inspiration and exploration in which to share their love of fine wine and spirits, all in an unmatched setting of comfortable elegance,” he says. “And we look forward to providing even more exciting opportunities for them to do so in the months ahead.”