Plenty of alternatives to U.S. wines on the shelves

In February 2025, Manitoba (and most other provinces) pulled American liquor from store shelves as part of the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.

Then in December, the province followed a similar course to others and put American booze that was already on hand back on shelves, selling off inventory that had been wasting away in warehouses for months, and directing proceeds from those sales to charities.

Lineups sprung up at numerous stores as consumers snapped up bestselling American products — think Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniel’s, Apothic Red and the like. After that initial rush, what was left has been languishing on shelves ever since, with many products eventually being drastically discounted for a quick sale, lest they become too long in the tooth.

I decided early on not to write about/review U.S. products in this space until things were well and truly sorted. But a few months back, I found myself in the mood for a big, oaky red wine and — in a moment of weakness, or nostalgia, or maybe just curiosity — I picked up a $30-ish California Cabernet Sauvignon.

It was one of the only times I’ve experienced guilt about buying a wine — was I being a bad Canadian whose elbows weren’t up high enough? I figured the proceeds were going to a good cause, and I wasn’t going to review said product, so… no harm, no foul, right?

The Cab, which I had tried and enjoyed in the past, failed to move the needle for me this time. I don’t think the wine was past its prime — could the shame I felt in buying an American wine have left a (proverbially) bitter taste in my mouth?

By necessity, most savvy wine drinkers quickly moved on from American wines. That move has been relatively easy, as there’s no real style of wine from the U.S. that’s truly irreplaceable; there are plenty of equivalents out there that are just as good (or better) from other countries:

• For those missing California Cabernet Sauvignon, there are plenty of very good to great options from Australia, Chile and Argentina that bring big, bold flavours with balanced oak.

• Zinfandel fans can turn to Italy and wines made from Primitivo, which is the same grape variety but with a different name. Other gutsier options with big, dense fruit include Valpolicella made in the ripasso style or a Spanish Monastrell.

• Fans of California Chardonnay have a world of options to choose from, as the grape is grown in practically every wine-making country, with exceptional examples being made in both British Columbia and Ontario, as well as Australia, France, South Africa, New Zealand and, well, everywhere else.

• American Pinot Noir is made in different styles depending on where it’s coming from. For those who enjoy lighter, more delicate Oregon or Monterey Pinot Noir, there’s France’s Burgundy region (obviously) or wines from New Zealand, Germany and Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula that will do the trick. Those who prefer slightly bigger, riper Sonoma County Pinot Noir can look to producers in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley as well as Australia or Chile.

Over the last 18 months, American wine drinkers have had to move on to products from other regions. Once U.S. wines return to store shelves in earnest, we’ll see whether elbows remain up.

ben.sigurdson@winnipegfreepress.com

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Wines of the week

Babich 2025 Chardonnay (Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand — $21.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

Pale straw in appearaance, there’s no oak to be found on this Kiwi Chardonnay, sourced from Hawke’s Bay on the north island (versus Marlborough on the south island).

Aromatically it brings heaps of pear, tropical fruit (mango, pineapple) and lemon; it’s dry and light-plus bodied, overflowing with ripe peach, pear, mango and lemon flavours and coming with medium acidity, a hint of flint and a medium-length finish (it’s 13 per cent alcohol).

Juicy and delicious. 4/5

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Hidden Bench 2023 Pinot Noir (Beamsville Bench, Ont. — $51.99, Jones & Co.)

This unfiltered Pinot Noir is made from organic grapes sourced from a trio of vineyards in the Beamsville Bench sub-appellation of the Niagara Peninsula.

It’s pale brick-ish garnet in appearance, bringing plum, baked cherry, earth, mushroom and herbal notes aromatically — very Burgundian in style.

On the dry, light-plus-bodied palate the plum and baked cherry flavours arrive with baking spice, earth and ripe cranberry flavours, with secondary vanilla and white pepper notes, modest tannins, a hint of bread dough and, at 13 per cent alcohol, a medium-length finish.

An exceptional Pinot Noir; available at Jones & Co. 4.5/5

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PietraPura 2024 Mandus Primitivo (Manduria, Italy — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

Medium crimson in appearance, this Italian red made from the Primitivo grape (also known as Zinfandel) offers blueberry jam, plum, raison, mocha and vanilla notes aromatically.

It’s full-bodied and dry but quite jammy, bringing ripe blueberry and plum to the party, along with vanilla, baking spice, dried fruit and cocoa flavours, modest tannins and, at 14.5 per cent, some decent warmth on the finish.

Fun stuff. 3.5/5