About us

A small Toronto wine company with sommeliers who have worked cellars, vineyards and some of the best dining rooms anywhere.

Why “Stave & Slate”?

A stave is one oak plank in a wine barrel. Slate is the stone on a Bordeaux château roof.

Good wine needs both: patient craft, and a solid roof over it. That is the job we do for our clients. We manage private cellars, represent producers at live tastings, direct restaurant wine programs and host private and corporate events.

Our team

We are a small group of sommeliers and hospitality people. Between us, we have worked the floor in Michelin-starred restaurants, run wine programs and worked harvests in vineyards around the world.

We match the person to the job. A cellar audit gets a cellar specialist. A 200-guest tasting gets people who have run 200-guest tastings.

SommeliersTrained, floor-tested, and able to explain wine without a lecture.
Event hostsPeople who run the room so you can enjoy it.
Cellar specialistsInventory, storage and buying plans.
Program leadsWine lists, pairings and staff training.

Our founder

I’m Yagna.

I sold my things and moved to Bordeaux to learn about wine. I was lucky to study at the oldest wine school in the city, pick up French at the table, and spend time at Château Pontet-Canet, learning from the winemaking team in the cellar and the hospitality team out front.

Back home, I had the chance to help open and work in restaurants that went on to be recognised by Michelin and the World’s 100 Best list. They taught me how to read a room, how to say less, and how to make one glass feel like the right one. I started Stave & Slate to work alongside people who learned the same lessons.

Yagna Vudathu, Founder

Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac. Filmed by our founder.

Shall we open something?

Send our team a note about the cellar, the event or the idea.

Start a conversation