@BaronArtz, with all due respect, this reads badly. You are no ingenue ("Grand Master") nor misunderstand what is transpiring. And valuing Westisvers in dollars and wine pairings implies he is a number, so no projecting.
You've commented elsewhere on the need to be direct about expectations with providers (but evidently weren't here). In the context of this provider's many glowing reviews, perhaps there's shared responsibility for the failed meeting? And considering his "promptness and professionalism," not equally shared?
If I were a provider, I would read this as "client reserved my limited time, then canceled two days prior because he'd rather have an expensive lunch." Did you share that with him? Did he think it a legitimate reason to cancel?
Makes asking for a deposit quite sensible, from a provider's perspective.