One of Toronto's coolest pop-up wine bars is about to get a permanent home
What began as a pop-up wine bar and supper club is primed to become one of the hottest upcoming openings in Toronto this spring as the team launches its first permanent location.
Though Tia Zhang's professional background is in design and advertising, since 2020, her passion has been in the world of wine.
Beginning her experiments in wine pairing with dinner parties with her friends, where they'd cook Chinese dishes and pair them with various wines and sakes, she eventually turned her passion into a business.
After hosting her first wine pairing event in January 2023, she went on to host a slew of additional events, all focused on pairing Asian food and beverages, at cafes, restaurants and venues.
"I wanted to see how wine could enhance everyday meals, not just formal banquets," Tia tells blogTO.
By the time early 2025 rolled around, Tia was ready to take the concept further. It was then that she joined forces with Kevin Guo, a PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering who, alongside his STEMmy interests, shares Tia's passion for beverages.
The result, founded in February 2025, is Chez Wa. Marked by its whimsical mascot of a frog holding a wine glass (Tia's own design), Chez Wa has spent the past year taking over cafes with wine pairing events that highlight various Asian chefs and pop-ups in Toronto.
Uzma Ahmed and Ali Amarshi of Rakabi and Night Saloon's Chef Eddie Ling have all since provided eats for nighttime Chez Wa events in the past, while, during the day, the concept operated as a bottle shop replete with unique natural wines and sakes.
"We want the food and drinks to support each other, and to challenge the idea that wine only belongs with Western food, or that sake is limited to Japanese cuisine," Tia tells blogTO.
Now, Tia and Kevin are poised to embark on their biggest adventure yet, preparing to open a permanent location of Chez Wa in the heart of Little Italy, a neighbourhood that, Tia says, she quickly realized was "where Chez Wa belonged."
"Little Italy has always been one of our go-to neighbourhoods for a great night out in Toronto," Tia tells blogTO. "On a personal level, we already had an emotional connection to the area before ever imagining ourselves opening a space there."
While Chez Wa has already made its mark at the cafe it's popped up at, the permanent location will create a place that's entirely, exclusively Chez Wa.
"Working closely with Chevonne Hsueh, a core team member focusing on branding and marketing, she's incorporated elements she loves into the space—the quiet warmth of dark walnut wood, the sleek, modern feel of stainless steel, and a large round table by the window," says Tia.
There'll also be an open kitchen. With no physical separation between the front and back of house, Chez Wa, Tia says, will feel like you're "genuinely at home," calling back to the early days of her friend group dinner parties.
Tia and Kevin take a similar approach when it comes to wine pairings and operating the bottle shop.
"We don't want to act like wine snobs, talking down to guests," Tia tells blogTO. "Taste is very personal, and everyone is encouraged to have their own opinions. In that sense, Chez Wa feels more like a wine club or a neighbour's living room than a traditional tasting room."
The selection in the bottle shop, which will operate in the space during the day, reflects that.
"We're not focused on big-name labels or prestige for its own sake. Instead, we look for bottles with character — things that are harder to find, culturally interesting, and offer great value — wines and sakes that are fun to drink and rewarding to talk about," Tia says.
While the official opening date for Chez Wa is still up in the air, Tia tells blogTO that mid-March is the current goal. "Right now, March 18 is our target date—apparently it's an auspicious day according to the Chinese calendar," she says.
It's subject to change, but when Chez Wa officially does open, it'll be located at 617 College St.
@chez.wa/Instagram
