Benoit Lajeunesse is a sommelier with an impressive track record. Before settling in as a server at Bistro 4 Saisons in Orford, where he has worked for the past few years, he held numerous roles in well-known establishments—behind the bar, greeting guests, and managing cellars. Today, he’s taking on a new challenge: leading the wine workshops at Ratatouille.
Though he’s also a radio columnist at Rythme FM Estrie, teaches at the Université du 3e âge at Université de Sherbrooke, and is the proud father of three energetic teenagers, Benoit has fully committed himself to this new project—one that reconnects him with his first love: hosting wine tasting workshops.
What’s your background in the world of wine?
I’ve been in the industry for 25 years now. I’ve worked at the SAQ, as a wine rep, bartender, hotel food and beverage director, maître d’hôtel…
Then for about 10 years, I focused exclusively on hosting tasting events, managing restaurant wine lists, and training staff. That human connection—that’s my thing, my niche. I’m deeply passionate about sharing.
Honestly, I’ve probably hosted between 1,300 and 1,500 tastings over the years. I’m thrilled to return to that with Ratatouille!
What is Ratatouille, in your own words?
It’s partly the dream of Thierry Navette (director of Bistro 4 Saisons and Burger Pub), who wanted to share his passion for wine. He’ll now act as the cellar master.
Ratatouille will have two main components: a gourmet boutique and a culinary workshop space. That’s where I come in!
I’ll also get to share my passion for wine by organizing and hosting all kinds of workshops and tastings—wine, spirits, cocktails. We’ll even have a few sessions on coffee. It will be open to everyone!
What will your role at Ratatouille be, exactly?
I’ll be in charge of preparing and leading all the workshops. We’ve been working on this for months already, and the calendar is nearly ready. There’s already a lot of interest—we’ve been getting requests like this for a while!
Our workshops will cover a bit of everything. We want to approach wine education through themes: understanding wine one grape variety at a time, exploring wine regions, meeting Quebec producers, and more.
For example, we might explore chenin blanc from different origins. It will be professional, but super fun and intimate—hosted around a kitchen island.
What kind of expertise are you bringing to Ratatouille?
Mainly, I bring the ability to demystify wine. To put into words what people are tasting. Wine can seem very complex, but at its core, it’s really simple. I just try to be a conduit for happiness!
Kidding aside, I build a kind of “script” that helps people better understand what they’re tasting by drawing comparisons with other similar—or totally different—wines.
What are your main interests in the wine world?
I’ve long been a big fan of Quebec wines. We’re lucky to witness something unique: the evolution of a very young wine region that’s growing quickly.
That stands in contrast to other regions I love—Spanish, Tuscan, French wines—which are centuries old. That duality fascinates me!
Back to Ratatouille: how will you be working with Pierre Nief (chef at Bistro 4 Saisons)?
Pierre is, of course, in charge of everything culinary. We will collaborate on the bites and food pairings he will prepare for our wine tasting events.
Every time we design a workshop and theme, one of the first questions is: what are we going to eat with this? We submit ideas to Pierre so he can craft the right pairings to match. The experience will be fully integrated.
In your opinion, what will Ratatouille bring to the region?
Great question! There’s really nothing like Ratatouille around here. No space that meets the need for hands-on workshops and tastings—even though people are clearly curious about wine, spirits, cocktails, and food.
We’re making sure to be well-prepared and well-supported. It’s all very organized. Now we just hope the public joins us in sharing the experience!