Faye MacLachlan aims to elevate dining experiences with wines that spark passion. “I’m at your table, we’re talking wine, we’re here to have a great connection. We have common ground already before I even start talking to you, right? I love that,” she says during a conversation in the dining hall, with soft music in the background.
Leading Langdon Hall’s Wine Program
As director of wines and restaurant general manager at Langdon Hall, MacLachlan oversees a team of eight sommeliers. She coordinates all alcoholic beverages on the property and manages a cellar featuring more than 2,000 labels. In September 2025, she earned the Toronto Michelin Sommelier Award.
From Cocktails to Wine Mastery
MacLachlan’s wine journey started 20 years ago when a guest gifted her a bottle of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. “I took it home and then I drank it. That was it. I was like, ‘I need to know more. I need to understand this,'” she recalls.
At the time, she managed Langdon Hall’s bar program, while Katy Moore served as head sommelier. Their similar ages opened career possibilities in a male-dominated field. “Twenty years ago, there were a lot less [female somms]. I didn’t even realize it at the time how lucky I was,” MacLachlan notes. “She would take me to wine tastings in Toronto and really encouraged me on this path. Without her, I wouldn’t have gotten as far, as fast.”
Historically, sommelier roles excluded women despite their presence in hospitality. Jennifer Heuther became Canada’s first female Master Sommelier in 2011. Today, women make up half or more of wine education students, yet U.S. data shows fewer than one-third of sommeliers are female.
Training Future Sommeliers
Certified by the International Sommelier Guild and Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), MacLachlan teaches WSET classes. Post-COVID, Langdon Hall launched a sommelier apprentice program for staff advancing their wine education. Apprentices join tastings, purchasing, and events, promoting wines they champion.
Upon completion, they can fill open roles. “It’s super valuable for the rest of our service team to look at that and go, ‘You know what? They’re building paths to a career here too. There are options for me to move into my areas of interest,'” MacLachlan explains.
Curiosity Fuels Lifelong Learning
Growing up on a hydro-free maple syrup farm in Huntsville instilled self-directed curiosity. “You also got to be curious about things. And you got to investigate things on your own too. If you wanted to know something, you went and learned about it — you’re not just sitting, watching TV,” she says.
She expands knowledge through travel to contextualize studies. “You’re never ever going to know everything. That curiosity and that hunger continues you on that drive,” MacLachlan adds.
Current favorites include Portugal’s indigenous Touriga Nacional (red) and Fernão Pires (white), plus Croatia’s Pošip (white) and Plavac Mali (red).
Michelin Award Celebration
An invitation to the Michelin ceremony with wine questions hinted at recognition for Langdon Hall in the 2025 guide. MacLachlan learned of her Toronto Sommelier Award win while in Argentina on a wine trip. Her phone buzzed with messages, prompting champagne from the organizer. “It was wonderful. If I had to not be there, I was in the best second-best place, for sure,” she says.
