Tasting events set to return to whatever normal there is

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This article was published 08/04/2022 (1636 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two-plus years of virtual get-togethers and tasting wine, beer and spirits in front of laptops and over Zoom has made the notion of big in-person events seem like some sort of long-ago fever dream. But a trio of local drinks festivals are moving full-steam ahead in the hopes folks will feel comfortable enough with a return to normal — whatever that means anymore.

The Winnipeg Wine Festival recently announced it’s returning for in-person tastings and dinners this fall, with events running from Sept. 17-24 at locations throughout the city. The fest will kick off with the annual gala dinner and auction on Sept. 17 at the RBC Convention Centre, will be followed up by a range of ancillary events at various venues throughout the week, then will return to the convention centre for the big public tastings on Sept. 23 and 24.

The feature region this year will be Argentina, which was supposed to have been in the spotlight for the 2020 fest, which was postponed and then cancelled. Last year saw a couple of smaller standalone festival-related wine events when restrictions were loosened, but otherwise this fall will mark the return of the big show, if you will — which is good for Special Olympics Manitoba, as the fest is one of their primary fundraising events.

In the meantime, the Winnipeg Wine Festival has two events in the more recent future to whet your whistle. On Thursday, April 21, X-Cues Café & Lounge (551 Sargent Ave.) will host a four-course wine dinner featuring wines from Argentine producer Trivento. Then on Sunday, May 1, the “Rosé the Day Away” event will feature all manner of pink wines being poured at the Fort Garry Hotel’s Crystal ballroom. For more details see winnipegwinefestival.com.

The Winnipeg Whisky Festival, meanwhile, has extended early bird prices for tickets to April 30 in advance of the rescheduled in-person fest, which had been slated to take place in March but was pushed back to June 2 and 3 at the Fairmont Winnipeg. Tickets start at $199, which might initially seem steep, but consider this: there are over 200 whiskies and other products from around the world to be sampled, many sporting hefty price tags. Throw in a souvenir glass, buffet-style eats and a taxi voucher and it’s actually a pretty solid deal. (Also, proceeds from the festival benefit the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.)

For a complete list of products to be sampled and to grab tickets, visit winnipegwhiskyfestival.com.

And while their website hasn’t yet been updated to reflect it, the Flatlander’s Beer Festival will return to in-person tastings at Canada Life Centre on June 17 and 18. Organizers typically have to plan around a potential playoff run by the Winnipeg Jets, but in all likelihood that won’t be a concern this year. There’s not much info about the fest out there as of yet, but check flatlandersbeerfest.com in the coming days for more on the event, which benefits True North Youth Foundation.

In the meantime — or if the thought of swirling, sniffing and sipping around hundreds of other people still freaks you out a bit — there’s still time to get your hands on a Free Press Brew Box before the virtual tasting on Thursday, April 13. The Brew Box includes two Barn Hammer beers (this time around the Le Sneak Belgique witbier and Guavatron Philly sour), a custom beer glass and snacks from local producers Melt Chocolate Company and Utoffeea, all for $25. For more information and to buy your Brew Box, see wfp.to/brewbox.

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Eight local breweries have collaborated on a brew based on a recipe from Ukrainian brewery Pravda, with the aim to raise funds and awareness for Ukrainian relief as part of the Brew for Ukraine project. Launching Monday, April 11 at Torque’s King Edward taproom, other breweries involved are Trans Canada, Nonsuch, One Great City, Barn Hammer, Stone Angel, Devil May Care and Lake of the Woods. Watch for the beer to hit vendors and Liquor Marts shortly after Monday’s launch. The Brew for Ukraine initiative has more than 500 breweries participating around the globe, and hopes to raise more than $4 million for aid to Ukraine by month’s end.

uncorked@mts.net

Twitter: @bensigurdson