Local wine lists score awards for excellence

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This article was published 25/07/2025 (436 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A trio of Winnipeg restaurants were recognized by Wine Spectator magazine for excellence when it comes to wine lists.

Every year, the magazine honours some of the world’s best wine lists with the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards. Restaurants submit their lists, with the best recognized in one of three ascending categories: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and Grand Award. In 2025 there were 2,010 winners in the first category, 1,704 in the second category and just 97 who received the magazine’s Grand Award.

The three Winnipeg restaurants that made the 2025 list: The Blue Marble at the The Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel (1979 Wellington Ave.) was awarded an Award of Excellence for the second year; 529 Wellington (529 Wellington Cres.) was once again given a Best of Award of Excellence (which it has received every year since 2003); and Vida Cucina Italia (222 Broadway), the Fort Garry Hotel’s high-end eatery, was a new recipient this year, also earning the Best of Award of Excellence.

Vida’s Italian-centric list was spearheaded by sommelier/wine director Christopher Sprague, who moved to the Fort Garry Hotel in 2021 after building the impressive list at 529 Wellington over many years. For the complete list of Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards, see winespectator.com/restaurants.

 

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Sookram’s Brewing Co. (479 Warsaw Ave.) and Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St.) have teamed up on a new brew, which is being celebrated today from noon-6 p.m. at both breweries with live music, food for purchase, games and hourly specials, along with a free trolley running between the two breweries every 10-15 minutes between 2 and 6 p.m.

Dubbed Better Together, the event will see the release of the Better Together pale ale at both breweries.

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Also on the new (or new-ish) brew front, Blumstein Brewing Co.’s beers are now available in Winnipeg — specifically at the Quality Inn Craft Beer Market (633 Pembina Hwy.).

The Pembina Valley brewery’s four beers — the Beeren Pflucker saskatoon pale ale, Brommtopp Braun honey brown ale, Frintshauft Zintzung session IPA and Zumma Dach Mexican cream ale with cactus — have been available in the Morden/Winkler area for a few months now.

And in Winnipeg, Good Neighbour Brewing Co. (100 Sherbrook St.) has unveiled the four furry friends chosen to adorn cans of the Pet Pals pilsner. The brewery encouraged people to send in pictures of their pets for consideration along with an entry fee, which went towards the Winnipeg Humane Society as part of the fundraising collaboration for the second year running.

The beer comes in four-packs and stars Ava the pug, 20-year-old good boy Squid, Doogie the toothless tabby and Bernoulli, a Coton de Tulear, each on their own can. So far, $66,000 has been raised for the Winnipeg Humane Society, with five per cent of proceeds from the four packs (which are available at Liquor Marts, beer vendors and the brewery) earmarked for the humane society going forward.

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Beer and wine lovers, grab your calendars — you have some decisions to make about events coming up in mid-August.

The eighth annual Winnipeg Beer Festival returns to Fort Gibraltar (866 Rue St. Joseph) on Sunday, Aug. 10, and will feature most Manitoba craft brewers pouring core and new brews.

There are two sampling sessions (5-7 p.m. and 7:30-9:30 p.m.); tickets for each of the sessions are $50 plus fees and include all samples. Food is available for purchase, as are many of the sampled beers. Tickets and more information available online.

On the wine front, the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) is throwing a party at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre (281 Donald St.) featuring a summer favourite — pink wines.

Rosé the Night Away takes place Monday, Aug. 18 from 7-9 p.m. featuring rosé wines from all corners of the world. Tickets are $42 for CAPS Manitoba members and $55 for non-members.

uncorked@mts.net

@bensigurdson

 

Wines of the week

Antigal 2023 Uno Rosé (Mendoza, Argentina — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

The grapes in this pink wine are a “winemaker’s secret,” according to the winery website; it’s likely some combination of Malbec and Bonarda with other odds and ends. The wine is medium pink in colour and aromatically offers fresh watermelon and peach as well as ripe strawberry and melon notes. It’s mainly dry, medium-bodied and slightly viscous, with ripe stone fruit, strawberry and peach candy flavours coming with a tart cherry component, modest acidity and, at 13.4 per cent alcohol, a medium-length finish. 3.5/5

Jean-Claude Mas 2024 Jardin de Roses Grand Rosé (Languedoc, France — $22.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

Coming in a lovely, ornate clear bottle, this southern French rosé is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah grapes. It’s pale pink in colour and aromatically offers fresh, leafy raspberry and strawberry notes alongside pear and floral components. Dry, light-plus bodied and slightly viscous, there’s decent depth of flavour here, particularly the strawberry and raspberry flavours, with hints of peach and watermelon, almost a hint of sweetness and modest acidity before the quick finish (it’s 12.5 per cent alcohol). 4/5

Tasca d’Almerita 2023 Regaleali Le Rose (Sicily, Italy — around $23, private wine stores)

Deep pink in colour, this Sicilian rosé is made from the Nerello Mascalese grape, a variety somewhat like Pinot Noir that’s native to the Italian island. Aromatically the Regaleali offers compelling raspberry, orange peel, chalk, strawberry candy and melon rind notes. It’s a bigger style of rosé, bone dry and medium bodied and bringing fresh cherry and raspberry flavours along with hints of plum and an underlying chalkiness that adds complexity. Delicious stuff. Available at The Pourium, Kenaston Wine Market and The Winehouse. 4.5/5