Uncorked

Nice wines to drink when you’re feeling in the pink

Trends in pink wine come and go. In the 1980s and ’90s, California’s cheap, cheerful and somewhat-sweet White Zinfandel was seemingly everywhere. In the 2000s, sales of the pale pink wines of France’s Provence region started to creep into the wine-drinking collective consciousness before exploding in popularity about 10 years ago. And most recently, the frosé — a drink made of frozen-to-a-slush pink wine, fruit and vodka — has become all the rage.

When the temperatures get decidedly seasonal, many wine drinkers start to think about drinking pink.

But not all rosés are created equal, ranging from very pale to deeply coloured, bone-dry to opulent and sweet. If you’re caught staring quizzically at the shelf of your local Liquor Mart/wine shop, unsure of what to expect from a pink wine, there are a few things to look for to get the best bang for your buck.

First off is colour. Most rosés from France’s Provence region, for example, are very pale in appearance. These and other lighter-coloured wines tend to bring more subtle flavours, whereas deeper rosés offer bigger, bolder red fruit notes.

These brews will make you glad you bought local

Following the May 22 check-in with some of the locals in the craft beer industry on the general state of affairs — including Barn Hammer Brewing Co. (celebrating 10 years today at 595 Wall St.), Good Neighbour Brewing Co. (who recently opened a beer shop in South Osborne at 683 Osborne St.) and the Quality Inn Beer Store (685 Weatherdon Ave., who do a killer job supporting all local breweries) — here’s a roundup of a half-dozen local seasonal brews, most of which are light, fun, fresh and fruit-infused, and are the perfect way to usher in warmer weather.

All are available at the brewery at which they were produced as well as Liquor Marts and beer vendors that choose to carry them. Chill these half-dozen brews down and enjoy as the mercury climbs into shorts and T-shirt weather…

The Nonsuch Blush Radler (Winnipeg — $4.00/473ml can) is medium straw in appearance and hazy, a radler infused with peach and passionfruit concentrates.

Aromatically, it’s no surprise it comes loaded with tropical and stone fruit notes along with flaked oats, light malt and subtle wheat notes.

Summer drinks, sweater weather

Having lived my whole life in this province and having written about wine/drinks for over 20 years, you’d think I’d know better than to base the theme of a column on Manitoba’s expected weather.

Spring sips to give your taste buds a little zip

This week’s Uncorked features six new/new-to-me drinks to help usher in spring. I’m across the pond in London right now, so enjoy these seasonal sips as I scour the pubs for the perfect pint of ale…

Winemakers doing their part to help the planet

Like most agricultural industries, winemaking has been impacted by our changing climate.

Regions have been hit by drought or increasingly frequent hail storms, others ravaged by wildfires. Rising temperatures has seen some regions become too hot for grape-growing, while cooler-climate regions such as Nova Scotia and southern England have carved out a space in the world of wine production as significant players.

Making wine also impacts our planet, and not typically for the better — vineyards encroach on the natural habitat of flora and fauna, producers use precious water sources for irrigation and then transport heavy glass bottles thousands of kilometres by boat, truck or plane, contributing to global CO2 emissions. Conventional winemaking can employ a range of chemical pesticides that aren’t great for the environment.

But many wineries are also doing their part to reduce their impact on the climate, making more responsible choices in the way they produce wine.

Raise a glass to the mighty Malbec — now, better than ever

Every year on April 17, lovers of big, inky, dark red wines raise a glass to the much-loved Malbec grape.

Raise a glass for a good cause

The return of the (excellent) Beer is Art event at WAG-Qaumajuq on April 2 saw many of the province’s craft breweries pouring new and small-batch brews alongside core pours.

If you weren’t among the hundreds of craft beer lovers sipping their way through the galleries, fret not — there are plenty of beer-related events in the coming days that are sure to please your proverbial palates, many of which also happen to benefit good causes…

The annual Props N Hops event returns on Saturday, April 18, to the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (2088 Wellington Ave.), featuring more than 20 Manitoba brewers pouring their wares among the planes and alongside finger food and live music. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $70 plus fees and include a commemorative glass; they’re available at wfp.to/iaM. The event is in support of scholarship programs for Manitoba Air Cadets.

Barn Hammer Brewing Co. (595 Wall St.) has just released the Crocus Wild Ale, a beer made by women/non-binary folks at the West End brewery and brewed with lactobacillus plantarum and locally sourced herbs and blooms. It’s available at the brewery and most other places you can buy beer, with 25 cents going to the Rainbow Resource Centre.

Easter mains prove easy to pair with wine

Whether or not you and your people celebrate Easter next weekend, it’s as good an excuse as any to gather with family and friends over a nice meal.

A traditional Easter dinner usually consists of glazed ham, lamb or even prime rib, although some opt for good old roast turkey for the big spring meal — all mains that are pretty easy to pair with wines, whether you prefer wine, red or pink. It’s the conventional Easter sides, such as asparagus or devilled eggs, where wine pairing can get a bit tricky.

Brunch is another popular meal over which to convene on the Easter weekend — think frittatas, fresh fruit, pastries and other late-morning/midday eats. While some might opt for coffee/juice with such options, why not offer the option to sip on something a little stronger?

Regardless of what you have planned for the Easter weekend, here are a half-dozen wines that will work with the conventional dinner, an earlier-in-the-day buffet or most other options for your festive eats.

Wines for celebrating long-awaited end of winter

We’re officially into spring, which means shifting from hearty, warming and rustic wines to those better-suited to warmer (or at least warming) temps — think lighter, fruit-driven wines.

It’s easy drinkin’ green with these St. Paddy’s Day bevvies

Tasting drinks on the theme of green: green packaging, green ingredients, green flavours or even made using green (organic etc.) production methods.

Here’s where to stop and sip awhile in weeks ahead

Winnipeg whisky lovers have been enjoying drams all over town this week in the lead-up to the Winnipeg Whisky Festival, which wraps up tonight at the RBC Convention Centre.

But fret not, lovers of beer and wine — there are plenty of events on tap in the days, weeks and months to come that are sure to please even the pickiest of palates…

Fans of New England IPAs would be wise to pop by Barn Hammer Brewing Co. (595 Wall St.) today, as the brewery celebrates its 66 Hazy New England IPA all day (the 66th day of the year). A small-batch trio of variations of Barn Hammer’s 66 will be tapped at noon until they’re gone.

On Tuesday, the gang at Ellement Wine + Spirits (The Forks Market) heads over to Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St. N.) for the ninth edition of its natural wine party. Ellement will be bringing bottles of minimal-intervention vino — organic, unfiltered and all that jazz — and Low Life will be slinging some of its own natural wines as well. Guest chefs Emily Butcher and Stefan Lytwyn will be serving up some special dishes as the wine flows from 5 p.m. to close. There’s no cost to attend (other than buying the food and drink, of course).

Whisky fest focuses on Canadian craft distilleries

While this year’s Winnipeg Whisky Festival marks the second year the two-day event will take place in its new home at the spacious RBC Convention Centre (375 York Ave.), it will be the first time the fest will feature no American spirits.

After last year, when it looked as though there wouldn’t be U.S. spirits at the fest, organizers started working early on the assumption there would be no American product this year — a big absence, given the number of bourbons typically poured over the course of the event.

The result is this year’s focus on Canadian craft distillers, smaller producers with more modest or limited-run levels of production than your Crown Royals or Forty Creeks.

“The conversations started right after the festival last year to be a little bit more proactive than reactive,” says Paul Rogers, manager of programming and experience at Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

Local breweries tap into diversity

This month’s round-up of new, new-ish and returning local brews includes a summery lager to beat the February blahs, an ale inspired by a 50-year-old classic British comedy and some bigger, gutsier beers in a range of styles.

Some drinks to choo-choo choose on Valentine’s Day

If you write a drinks column and it falls on Feb. 14, you are pretty much legally obligated to expound on drinks for Valentine’s Day … drinks to share with your sweetie, tipples to try with chocolate, pink wines and so on and so forth.

With that in mind, I hit the shops to track down some drinks that fit the bill — and if you don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, well, here some long-weekend libations for your consideration.

If wine’s not your valentine’s proverbial cup of tea, why not pop the cork on a sharing-sized beer — perhaps the 3 Monts Blonde Bière de Flandre (Saint Sylvestre Cappal, France — $8.53/750ml bottle, Liquor Marts and beer vendors)? Deep gold in appearance and with a frothy white head, this French strong beer brings deep malt notes along with cracked oat, bread dough, earthy and red apple aromas. It’s medium-plus bodied and dry, with fresh malt, cracked oat, herbal and bread dough flavours, with a subtle peppery note, modest hops and, at 8.5 per cent alcohol, a long and warm finish. Pop the cork (yes, it’s bottled under cork) and enjoy. 4/5

One can’t do Valentine’s Day drinks without some bubbly, and this one has a twist — it’s a sparkling red. The Cantina Settecani NV Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro (Emilia Romagna, Italy — $23, Ellement Wine + Spirits) is deep garnet in colour with modest effervescence, offering plum, blackberry, violet and black cherry aromas. It’s medium-bodied and dry, with just a hint of residual sugar, and brings big blackberry, plum, dark chocolate and raspberry flavours with light tannin, medium acidity and, at 10.5 per cent alcohol, a modest finish. Chill for 20 minutes and surprise your sweetie with a fizzy red. This one’s available at Ellement Wine + Spirits, but most private wine stores should have a few lambruscos on hand — it’s a style of wine that’s definitely worth a try. 4/5

Medal-worthy drinks to enjoy during Olympics

Here are a half-dozen podium-worthy drinks from Winter Olympics nations that stick the landing — enjoy while tuning in to the goings on in Milano Cortina.

Let’s drink to a miserable January being over

January feels like the longest month of the year. The holidays are over, the decorations all packed up and the bank balance is hurting. We’ve been mired in a weeks-long deep freeze, having to layer up big time at the painful prospect of leaving the house. Perhaps you’ve also decided to partake in Dry January, making the month seem that much longer…

Thankfully, the month is nearly over, the mercury is slated to tick up slightly and there are plenty of drinks-related events on the horizon to help you forget the slog that was January…

First up is Good Neighbour Brewing Co.’s Brûlée Fest, which takes place Jan. 31 from 3 to 10 p.m. at the brewery (110 Sherbrook St.). Essentially you buy a mug of beer (usually a stout or porter), and one of the folks at Good Neighbour stick a red-hot poker in your brew, which caramelizes the beer and gives it a richer, creamier texture. It’s a whole experience, well worth trying. In addition to a whole bunch of small-batch stouts and porters, the brewery will have non-alcoholic beers available for brûlée service (in the event you’re finishing up Dry January), while adjacent restaurant Next Door (116 Sherbrook St.) is serving up hot cocktails and featuring a fondue special.

The crew at Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St. N) and Snack Häus, the brewery’s in-house eatery, are serving up slider-sized fat boy burgers Feb. 1 from 1 to 7 p.m. (or until they sell out) for the second volume of Häus Party. The party will feature special guest Richard Caron, also known as the guy behind the Instagram account @fortheloveofallfatboys, where he posts video reviews of fat boy burgers from all corners of the province. (He’s well worth a follow.)

Have a drink and pretend you’re at the beach

Around these parts, doomscrolling has come to mean opening the Environment Canada app and wincing at the seven-day forecast.

On Dec. 20 I rounded up a half-dozen drinks to help beat the winter chill, and it seems since that time it seems we haven’t had much of a break temperature-wise — in fact in recent days, it’s only gotten far worse.

Thankfully, there are plenty of new, new-ish or returning local beers featuring hearty, robust flavours and a slightly boozy kick to help keep us warm until… well, whenever the weather decides to stop trying to kill us.

The Kilter Brewing Co. Jutsii Fruit Mango Peach IPA (Winnipeg — $5.50/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors, Liquor Marts) brings a taste of the tropics to our barren wintry wasteland.

Low/no alcohol drinks officially a movement

An increasing number of lounges and eateries are offering more (and more innovative) mocktails, as well as alcohol-free beers and wines. The number of dealcoholized options at grocery stores, beer vendors, Liquor Marts and the like has never been higher. In short, the low/no-alc phenomenon is here to stay.

Lower your budget, not your expectations

January can be a tough time of year financially.

Maybe, despite your best budgeting, you spent a little too much on gifts. Perhaps you hosted a big holiday dinner and sprung for a not-inexpensive 11-kilogram turkey and all the trimmings. Or could it be that one of your cats developed a mystery ailment, and had to undergo tests and stay for a number of days at the emergency veterinarian, setting you back thousands of dollars?

Yes, I experienced all of the above over the last month (and said cat is at home now, hopefully on the mend).

Suffice to say, the purse strings round these parts were quite loose over the holidays and have since been tightened to the point of strangulation. So the focus when it comes to drinks has been the best bottles (and cans) for a frugal budget.

Bubbles to toast the twinkling promise of 2026

Love it or hate it, New Year’s Eve is, at the very least, a good excuse to raise a glass of something sparkling. Whether it’s been a good or bad year, here are 10 sparkling wines that run the gamut from pleasant to profound to pop and pour on Dec. 31 — with the hopes that 2026 brings you plenty of comfort and joy.

Pale straw in appearance, the Villa Conchi NV Cava Brut Selección (Cava, Spain — $16.19, Liquor Marts and beyond) is a blend of equal parts Macabeo, Xarel-Lo and Parellada, with some Chardonnay in there too; it brings green apple, lime, flint and subtle herbal notes aromatically.

Those notes persist on the light-bodied, mainly dry palate, with bright, lively bubbles that keep things fun and fresh.

It’s on sale right now (regular $17.99) and also comes in a smaller format (the 375ml bottle is $9.89 right now, regular $10.99). 3/5

Big, bold beverages to ward off the winter chill

Anyone who has spent the last few days shoveling snow in gale-force winds or pushing out cars or buses from snowbanks can attest to just how bone-chilling this recent polar vortex (or Alberta clipper or whatever you want to call it) has been.

Whether you’ve managed to get your neighbour unstuck, have dug out your own vehicle or have simply navigated this city in the midst of our current snowy, icy deep freeze, here are a half-dozen robust, warming drinks to reward yourself with — and to help take the edge off that wicked wintry chill. (Next week: the annual sparkling wine roundup for all your New Year’s needs.)

The Brazen Brewing Co. Jól Belgian Tripel (Winnipeg — $4.99/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors, Liquor Marts) is back again.

A “non-traditional” Belgian-style tripel featuring the addition of oranges, it’s deep copper and clear in appearance. Aromatically, that citrus comes through with deep, almost-sweet malt, dried fruit and a hint of spice.

Food-friendly wines to let you switch-hit for the holidays

Rather than uncork the same-old wine to pair with your holiday dinner, why not venture off the beaten path and potentially discover a fab new pairing for your turkey, trimmings and sides?

Return of U.S. booze a case of ‘get it while it lasts’

Don’t be surprised if the bourbon lover in your life has a little extra spring in his/her step this holiday season.

On Dec. 4, the Manitoba government announced that $1 million of the $3.4 million worth of U.S. alcohol currently on hand will be made available for sale between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, with up to $500,000 of revenue from these products going to five different local charities.

It’s a move that echoes the one taken recently by the Nova Scotia government — one that has generally drawn favourable responses.

The backstory is well known: in February, the Manitoba government announced Liquor Marts would pull all American alcohol from store shelves after trade relations with the U.S. took a nosedive (to put it lightly). The government’s move echoed similar actions by other provinces; in Manitoba, products made in the U.S. have since been unavailable at Liquor Marts and rural private vendors ever since.

Brewery artisan markets a chiller way to gift shop

If the thought of frenzied shoppers clambering for hot Black Friday deals at the mall sends shivers up your spine, fret not — you can avoid the throng while finding charming gifts (for others or for yourself) by hitting up local breweries hosting artisans, makers and other local sellers this weekend.

Barn Hammer Brewing Co. (595 Wall St.) is hosting the Cask Blast Makers Market today from 2 to 6 p.m. In addition to a quartet of local makers, the brewery will be pouring small-batch cask beers and offering mulled wine and holiday mocktails. Come later and take in the local music from 8-10 p.m.

Over at Little Brown Jug (336 William Ave.), the Sip n’ Shop Vintage Market runs today from 5-11 p.m. Order up a pint (or other beverage) and peruse the vintage threads being sold by four different vendors.

Kilter Brewing Co. (450 Rue Deschambault) is hosting a holiday artisan market this Sunday and next from noon-5 p.m., with eight different local vendors each of the days. Purchase a pint or a sandwich, and the brewery will set you up with “all you need to start wrapping your gifts,” while 10 per cent of all draft and to-go sales sales will go to the Christmas Cheer Board. For a list of all the vendors, check out the brewery’s social media pages.

Only a little Beaujolais, but a bunch of prizes and péchés

Once upon a time, the third Thursday of November was a day of great celebration for wine lovers — the annual release day of Beaujolais Nouveau, a fresh, fruity and fun red made from the Gamay grape in the Beaujolais region of France.

Vintage of aging wine writer hits sweet spot

A couple of big-ish milestones got me thinking about the vast, rapidly evolving world of wine and drinks, and my place in it.

Move forward from Sideways and enjoy Merlot again

Twenty-one years ago, a little film about two pals making a road trip to California wine country changed the viticultural landscape in a big way.

That film, Sideways, was a surprise hit, earning director Alexander Payne an Oscar (along with Jim Taylor) for best adapted screenplay — and, unexpectedly, tanking the reputation of one of the world’s most beloved red wine grapes.

The wine-nerd character Miles, played by Paul Giamatti, adores his Pinot Noirs, and decries Merlot. Miles’ most infamous besmirching of the latter grape comes while talking with his buddy Jack (Thomas Haden Church), when he exclaims “If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any f—-ing Merlot!”

Amazingly, after Sideways’ runaway success, sales of Merlot in the U.S. took a nosedive, and the impact was felt beyond our southern neighbours’ borders as well.

Soil is key to creating distinct flavours for grape growers

One of the most compelling components of growing grapes for making wine comes from the ground in which the vines are planted: soil.

There are many different ways grape growers can impact the flavours of a wine — how much to irrigate a vineyard, canopy management to control how much sun hits the fruit and what kind of viticulture is practised all play a role in what ends up in the bottle.

In the winery, producers can choose whether to age in barrels or tanks (and, if the former, whether they’re new or used barrels), how long to let the juice ferment, how long it’s in contact with grape skins and so on, all of which impacts the finished product.

But in viticulture and winemaking, the type of soil in which the vines are growing lays the foundation for almost everything that is to follow. And, generally speaking, the poorer the soil nutrient-wise, the better it is for growing grapes.

Spooky-themed drinks are treats for adults

Every year around this time, I weigh the pros and cons of tasting through a gourd number of pumpkin-flavoured beers.

Perusing the shelves this year, though, I found there actually weren’t that many to consider.

And since the notion of pairing wine and Halloween candy has always seemed a little silly to me, here instead are six spooky-themed beverages (including one pumpkin beer) for the grown-ups to enjoy while handing out candy.

Sporting a smiley jack-o’-lantern on the can, the Trans Canada Brewing Co. Burning Down the House Pilsner (Winnipeg — $4.25/473ml cans, brewery, beer vendors) was brewed specially for this weekend’s Winnipeg Comiccon. Pale gold and clear in appearance, there’s lovely bread dough, herbal, malt and biscuit notes that show aromatically. It’s a dry and light-plus bodied pilsner, with cracked wheat, biscuit, red apple skin and malty notes that deliver nicely and hints of corn and biscuit in the mix. 3.5/5

Try these five perfect wine pairings for fall comfort food

Some might call it sweater weather, while others will declare it decorative gourd season — but around these parts, fall is the time to crack open heartier red wines to take the edge off the late-day chill.

Here are five bigger, bold reds sampled recently to enjoy around a fire, over a board game or while bingeing a new TV show this autumn…

The Tenute Rossetti Poggio Civetta 2023 Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy — $29.99, De Nardi Wines) is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape, with some Canaiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon thrown in the mix. Deep purple-ruby in colour, this Tuscan red brings bright plum, cherry, iron, red licorice and spice aromas, with secondary herbal and white pepper notes. It’s dry and full-bodied, with ripe cherry and raspberry flavours coming with medium acidity, secondary notes of red licorice, spice and white pepper (the latter two from nine months in barrel), decently grippy tannins and at 13.5 per cent alcohol, a finish that’s slightly warm. Drink now with rustic pasta dishes or pizza, or set aside for 2-3 years. 4/5

Ripe blueberry and plum aromas are front and centre in the Bodega Norton 2024 Barrel Select Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina — $16.49, Liquor Marts and beyond), with secondary violet, cocoa and cherry notes showing nicely as well. Sourced from Malbec vines planted at the foothills of the Andes mountains some 950 metres above sea level, this Argentine red is full-bodied and dry, with plenty of ripe, dark fruit here (particularly blackberry) along with cocoa and baking spice notes, modest tannins and, at 14 per cent alcohol, a medium-length finish. A crowd-pleaser. 3/5

Wine fest pairings for Thanksgiving dinner

Another Winnipeg Wine Festival is in the books, with thousands of thirsty wine lovers having descended upon the RBC Convention Centre to swirl, sniff and sip their way through the 400-plus wines being poured.

This year’s fest saw the return of the private wine stores, a welcome addition that saw the eight stores, in double-wide booths, take the place of the non-wine booths (ready-to-drink cocktails, beer and such) of previous years.

The private store booths each offered a welcoming look and feel and a reprieve from the slightly more crowded booths in the main tasting area. Each of the shops tended to focus on wines available exclusively at their respective stores, although they pretty much all had at least one sparkling wine, the theme of this year’s fest, on offer.

Unlike the wines in the main tasting area, which were available for purchase in the on-site store, private store wines were available for purchase from the booths, but could only be picked up as attendees were on their way out. This caused a slight bit of confusion for guests and for the stores — probably something to tweak for next year.

Good fall beers brewing — have a good stein

The arrival of autumn is always a time of mixed emotions — it’s tough to watch the days get shorter and see temperatures gradually get cooler, but it’s also arguably the most exciting season for beer drinkers.

Fall ushers in richer, maltier brews, and sees celebrations of said beers taking place over the course of many weeks in the form of the raucous German party called Oktoberfest.

Beers typically associated with Oktoberfest include malty marzens, big boozy bocks, whimsical wheat beers, killer kolsch and darker dunkels. Those who like beers on the lighter side can always raise a pint of pilsner, helles or other German (or German-style) brews.

Locally, Devil May Care Brewing Co. (155-A Fort St.) celebrated Oktoberfest last weekend with a big, slightly wet street party, but there are other such celebrations coming for those who love to raise a stein and bellow a good “prost!” while reveling in the gemütlichkeit (sorry, copy editors).

How winemakers get all those tiny bubbles in the bottle

When the Winnipeg Wine Festival pops the cork on two days of swirling, sniffing and sipping at the RBC Convention Centre next weekend, it will once again feature a theme, which usually involves highlighting a wine-producing country or region. Last year featured the overarching “wines of Europe” theme, while this year organizers have eschewed place in favour of tiny bubbles, with sparkling wine taking centre stage.

Not all sparkling wine is created (or priced) equal, of course, with the gamut running from cheap, CO2-injected concoctions to fine French champagne.

One of the main differences in how sparkling wine is made is how and when the bubbles enter the equation. Most sparkling wine on our shelves is made using a secondary fermentation, which is how the wine becomes carbonated.

In Champagne they use what is called the “traditional method,” previously called the “champagne method” until producers in that region of France objected to the word “champagne” appearing on wines from other regions and countries.

Finding a new favourite Italian wine — that’s amore

For the curious imbiber, there’s nothing as exciting as discovering a new favourite wine, wine region or grape variety. And as wine-producing countries go, there’s no better country to venture off the beaten track than Italy.

Fun and fizzy bubblies from the Prosecco region are wildly popular, as are crowd-pleasing Pinot Grigios from Veneto, reds from Chianti made from the Sangiovese grape and red blends from the Valpolicella region — all fun, user-friendly, widely available and, relatively speaking, decently priced.

Beyond those categories, Liquor Marts have seemingly started ramping up and fine-tuning their selection of Italian wines, while most private wine stores in the city have long offered a plethora of lesser-known Italian vino — thanks in part to a robust population of locals with Italian backgrounds, including store owners of some of Winnipeg’s eight private shops.

From north to south, the boot-shaped European country offers plenty of compelling, food-friendly wines to discover, whether the grape/region is known to you or not. Here are five new/new-to-me Italian wines tried and enjoyed recently, listed roughly from lightest to heaviest…

Political issues keep spilling into drinks market

Canada’s fraught relations with the United States, and the impact of tariffs rolled out in March, continue to shake up the alcohol industry on both sides of the border.

Fresh brews to toast the waning days of summer

It’s likely the last warm long weekend of the year — maybe the last chance to savour the flavours of summer before the leaves abandon the trees and the days and evenings start getting chilly.

With that in mind, here are six new/new-ish local brews that should make the transition to fall a little more palatable. Three are on the lighter, crisp side, while the other three are heavier, hoppier brews to usher in autumn. There are interesting collaborations, beers brewed for good causes and more. Read on…

Good Neighbour Brewing Co. Runner’s Reward Paul’s Kölsch (Winnipeg — $3.99/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors, Liquor Marts)

This is the second year this beer has been made in conjunction with the 5K Paul Wawryko Memorial Fund; this year it was brewed by Good Neighbour and is a kölsch, while last year’s beer was a saison brewed by Oxus. It’s medium gold in colour and clear, with bright cracked oat and malty biscuit aromas as well as subtle floral and herbal notes. On the dry, light-bodied and crisp palate it brings all those fresh grainy flavours with modest hops, an herbal note and, at 4.6 per cent alcohol, a crisp, clean finish. A portion of the proceeds goes towards the Paul Wawryko Fund for Global Conservation and a memorial scholarship in the late local pathologist’s name. It’s an exceptional kölsch — and there’s still time to sign up for the (very fun) 2k or 5k run that takes place on Saturday, Sept. 27. 4.5/5

Versatile Rioja shines as the king of Spanish reds

As wine-producing countries go, Spain is among the most storied and revered. Cava from Catalunya in the east continues to be among the best-value sparkling wine, Castilla Y León in the west makes well-priced and compelling whites and reds, and sherry producers in the southern Jerez region are crafting some of the best under-the-radar fortified wines, both dry and sweet.

But when it comes to red wines, one northern Spanish region in the north rules them all — Rioja.

Located in central northern Spain, some 400 kilometres west of Barcelona, Rioja reds are well priced for what they deliver, bringing a range of rustic flavours (dependent largely on how long they’re aged before release), with the common thread among most being the Tempranillo grape variety.

Tempranillo is planted widely throughout Spain and Portugal (where it’s known as Tinta Roriz or Aragonéz), and while most Riojas aren’t made exclusively made from the variety, most reds from the region are largely based on the early-ripening red grape.

Turning over a New Leaf for a great cause — wildfire relief

A Winnipeg brewery and a local beer enthusiast/social media personality have collaborated to make a brew in support of victims of Manitoba’s wildfires.

One Great City (1596 Ness Ave.) and Trevor Allain, who posts on Instagram as @beerandbaphomet, have teamed up to create New Leaf Lager, a hoppy lager made using donated malt from Manitoba’s Scythe Malting and donated hops from Saskatchewan’s JGL Shepherd Farms, which Allain helped make at the brewery.

They’ll launch New Leaf Lager on Sunday, Aug. 24, at the brewery in an event running from noon to 10 p.m. In addition to the beer launch, One Great City will be hosting a tap takeover, which will see beers on tap from locals such as Devil May Care, Oxus, Sookram’s, Good Neighbour and others alongside contributions from Calgary’s Establishment Brewing, Cabin Brewing and more. All breweries donated their beer, which will sell for $5 a pint on the 24th, with all proceeds going towards the Canadian Red Cross in support of wildfire relief. A dollar from each can will also be donated.

There’s no cost to attend the event, which will also feature live music, and beers (and food) will be available for purchase. To see a video of the New Leaf Lager being made (via Instagram), click here.

With boycott still in full bloom, here are some wines to keep those elbows up

It’s been just more than six months since Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MLL) was directed by the provincial government to pull all U.S. alcohol from store shelves in response to tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.

With many other provinces following suit, and other countries dialing back imports of U.S. alcohol owing to similar tariffs (or threats of tariffs), producers south of the border have been feeling the pain.

A recent chart by the American Association of Wine Economists (yes, that is a thing) shows U.S. wine exports to Canada, the largest export market for American wine, fell in value by 72.5 per cent between March 2024 and March 2025, was down 93.2 per cent year-over-year between April of 2024 and 2025 and 97.2 per cent between May of last year and this year. In May 2024, the export value of U.S. wine exports was US$34.3 million — this year in the same month it was just US$960,000.

Spirits producers haven’t been immune to the effects of Canada turning off the taps on American booze, with a number of distilleries, particularly those making bourbon, filing for bankruptcy. A recent story by the Drinks Business magazine on the troubles in bourbon country cites a number of factors in producers’ troubles, including a change in preferences among younger drinkers (in both products and quantity) and, you guessed it, the fallout from tariffs (either implemented or threatened). Canada is (or was, at least) the second-largest export market for American spirits.

Local breweries offer easy-going summer sippers

Heading into the second half of summer, a number of local craft breweries have introduced or brought back fun, easy-going brews for enjoying outdoors (poor air quality notwithstanding).

Local wine lists score awards for excellence

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.

Best bubbles for your buck

For those of us whose desert island wine would be sparkling (what else would you drink with desert island oysters?), the sound of a cork popping out of a bottle of bubbly is practically Pavlovian: our heads snap in the direction of the sound, our mouths start watering.

We sparkling wine lovers don’t need a special occasion to crack a bottle of bubbly, although I’ve had a couple reasons to pop open some Champagne this year, with my daughter turning 18 in January and then graduating high school in June.

But since I can’t afford the good stuff year-round, I test drove six more affordable bubblies recently, some serviceable and ready for your favourite fizzy cocktail, and others truly tasty on their own and ideal for serving well chilled during summer patio season (air quality permitting).

And if you really need a reason to crack open some sparkling wine this weekend, how about this: today (July 12) is apparently International Cava Day. You know what to do.

Keen sense of scents brings deeper appreciation of wine

Humans tend to only pick up five tastes on our tongues — sour, bitter, sweet, salty and umami — leaving our olfactory system to do a lot of heavy lifting in teasing out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences in wine (and everything else we consume).

While some people can rattle off descriptors about the smell of a wine with ease, others might sniff a Merlot and simply say, “It smells like wine.”

But there are ways you can train your nose (and your brain) to unpack what’s in your glass.

Here are five ways I’ve honed my olfactory senses over the years that have helped me in my craft, and in the process have provided a deeper appreciation of wine, beer and food.

Never a better time to check out Canadian wines

Not since Prohibition — from around the time of the First World War into the 1920s, for most provinces — has there been a more volatile time to be a producer of wine (or beer or spirits) in Canada.

Here in Manitoba, as is the case in some other provinces, the consumer has it relatively good. We’re able to purchase wine, beer and spirits directly from any producer in the country that’s willing to ship to us. And Liquor Marts and private wine store shelves enjoy a solid cross-section of products from both of the country’s two primary winemaking regions — British Columbia and Ontario.

But the import and export rules vary from province to province, meaning we might be able to get our favourite Ontario wine delivered directly, while an Ontario consumer, living in a province with more restrictive direct shipping regulations, likely can’t do the same with their favourite Manitoba booze.

Getting a product onto LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) store shelves is notoriously difficult, particularly if you’re a smaller producer unable to craft significant quantities of said product. The ability for, say, a Winnipeg craft brewer to ship directly to a consumer in the GTA, cottage country or anywhere else in Ontario would be a boon, as it would be with other more restrictive provinces.

Hit the patio with local pilsners, radlers and sours

With summer kicking off in earnest this weekend, Manitoba craft brewers have once again introduced a slate of new (or back-by-popular-demand), refreshing pilsners, sours, radlers and other tasty options for your warm-weather sipping.

Here are six more local brews to help beat the heat…

One Great City x FortWhyte Alive Patio Party G&T Pilsner (Winnipeg — $4.49/473ml cans, brewery, beer vendors, Liquor Marts)

A pilsner infused with juniper, coriander, lime, bergamot and grapefruit, the Patio Party is medium straw and hazy in appearance, with intense spice and herbal aromatics (emphasis on the lime and bergamot) as well as fresh malt notes. It’s dry, light-bodied and with a decent amount of bitterness coming from both the hops and bergamot notes, while the citrus and berry notes are lean and peppy (as opposed to overly juicy), with almost a hint of tannin on the finish. The 4.75 per cent alcohol is unobtrusive. Fun, lively stuff. 3.5/5

Explore wide world of wine beyond familiar grapes

While there’s something to be said for the tried-and-true Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays, Merlots and Sauvignon Blancs of the world, thinking (and drinking) outside your comfort zone can offer surprising and delightful rewards. An added bonus: because these grapes aren’t as popular as the aforementioned grapes, they often bring good bang for the buck.

Here are six recently sampled wines made from grapes that may not have landed on your radar as of yet, but are certainly worth a look/taste…

Caminhos Cruzados 2022 Titular Colheita Branco (Dão, Portugal — $20.99, The Pourium)A blend of 35 per cent Encruzado, 30 per cent Malvasia Fina and 35 per cent Bical grapes, this Portuguese white is medium gold in colour, with a lovely fruit salad of pear, cherry and peach on the nose, with secondary red apple and lemon notes.

It’s light-bodied and dry, with a subtle saline/chalky note that comes with the fleshy pear and peach flavours, with underlying red apple and melon rind notes that show well before the modest finish (it’s 13 per cent alcohol). Available at the Pourium. 3.5/5

Sauvignon Blanc is the ultimate summer white wine

Prosecco and Pinot Grigio are pleasant enough, but when it comes to the ultimate summer white wine, one variety reigns supreme — Sauvignon Blanc.

Drink makers show off best, latest at festivals

As summer proper looms, people start thinking about taking vacations, heading to the lake and just generally getting away from it all.

But before we get to the lazy, hazy (too hazy!), crazy days of July and August, June brings a whole bevy of beverage-related events for fans of wine, beer and cocktails.

Good Neighbour Brewing Co. (110 Sherbrook St.) has once again teamed up with the Winnipeg Humane Society for the Pets on Pints campaign. Proud cat, dog or other-critter owners can upload a photo of their pet at winnipeghumanesociety.ca and convince friends and family to vote for their pet — each vote costs one dollar, with funds going to the Winnipeg Humane Society.

The two pets garnering the most votes will feature on a forthcoming brew, while two more who manage to clear $100 raised will be randomly chosen for another pair of cans.

Time for ABC crowd to return to Chardonnay

Every year near the end of May, Chardonnay lovers around the world raise a glass in celebration of the noblest of noble white wine grapes as part of World Chardonnay Day, which this year takes place on Thursday.

Here in Canada, the festivities will look a little different as Chardonnays from south of the border will be largely absent from our glasses.

While Chardonnay’s provenance harkens back to the limestone soils of France’s Burgundy region — where the grape is made into crisp and complex white wines — it’s in California where the variety has taken the world by storm.

It all started nearly a half-century ago at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, a blind tasting by predominantly French judges where American and French producers squared off — and where California Chardonnay took the top spot (as well as third and fourth place), besting Burgundian examples and shocking the wine establishment.

Manitoba producers win drinks awards — plus six brews, many fruit-infused, to enjoy in the heat

Manitoba producers picked up some hardware at global drinks competitions in the past weeks.

Warmer weather, cooler wines

With the mercury climbing in earnest this weekend, it’s as good a time as ever to shift gears from heartier, more robust wines to warm-weather sippers — which doesn’t necessarily mean ditching red wines altogether.

Recent trends have seen a growing number of wineries producing lighter, fruit-driven and lower-tannin reds that are often best served at least slightly chilled.

Toss the following four reds (and one orange wine) in the fridge or some ice for 15 minutes and enjoy, in even the warmest temperatures.

Canadian wine of the week

Educational events for wine, beer and spirit lovers

The Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS Manitoba) is bringing local libation lovers a whole host of drinks-related events during MB Somm Week from May 5 to 12 at venues throughout the city.

CAPS Manitoba launched the initiative in 2023 as a way to get drinks lovers engaged through all manner of tastings — from casual walkabout events to sit-down masterclasses with sommeliers, winemakers and mixologists.

Things kick off May 5 with a Chardonnay tasting at Promenade Brasserie (130 Provencher Blvd.), where the $1,000 Rebecca Lechman Memorial Bursary will be presented to an up-and-coming wine/hospitality worker to further their education in the industry. Lechman worked at Jones & Company until her sudden death in March 2020, and was an avid Chardonnay fan. The event runs from 6:45 to 9 p.m.

On May 6, local cicerone Hailey Tennant, who is also the beer curator at the Common at The Forks, leads the Beer Sensory Lab, a tasting designed to help aspiring hop-heads get the lay of the land when it comes to different beer flavour profiles. The event is at Sookram’s Brewing Co. (479 Warsaw Ave.) and kicks off at 2 p.m.

Six long-weekend libations

A long weekend means the physical Free Press Arts and Life section is a wee bit cramped, with the extra space needed for the horoscopes and what have you. (This Scorpio does not approve.)

Manitoba beer part of a national campaign

A national, patriotic beer campaign encourages craft breweries to brew an IPA with a specific recipe and using Canadian ingredients, with a portion of proceeds from the beer going to a local, worthwhile cause.

A bevy of beverage events coming to town

A deluge of drinks festivals and events taking place in the coming months means Manitobans will have plenty of chances to sample and discover some tasty new favourites.

First up is the second annual Beer Is Art event, taking place Thursday, April 17, from 7 to 10 p.m. at WAG-Qaumajuq (300 Memorial Blvd.). Most of Manitoba’s craft breweries will be pouring their wares at the event, including some new and exclusive brews. Tickets are $65 and include access to the galleries and all samples; they’re available from participating breweries, although many have noted on social media that they’ve sold through (or are close to selling through) their stock.

The Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) has a pair of events taking place in May. The first sees Promenade Brasserie (130 Provencher Blvd.) host the International Chardonnay Tasting on Monday, May 5 from 6:45 to 9 p.m., where the group will award the Rebecca Lechman memorial bursary.

Lechman was a Chardonnay lover who worked at Jones & Co. until her sudden death in early 2020. The $1,000 bursary is awarded to an individual looking to further their wine/hospitality education. Tickets are $55 for CAPS members and $65 for non-members and are available here.

Local brews to try while not changing your tires

When a big early spring dump of snow hits, it’s easy to blame those who already switched out their winter tires.

And while my own modest front-wheel drive hatchback is still rocking the winter rubber, I still feel partly to blame for our current wintry woes. The last couple of times I’ve done a roundup of new and notable brews, the bright prospect of spring has been quickly quashed by the mercury plummeting or, in this case, a fresh blanket of snow — a reminder that Manitoba is subject to at least two to three fake springs.

As we wait for warmer temps, here are a half-dozen local shoulder-season brews to whet your whistle, listed from lightest to heaviest/darkest. Some offer flavours of spring, while others offer heartier flavours to get you ready for one more round of snow-shovelling.

All were brewed in Winnipeg (if you’re going to buy Canadian, you might as well buy local), come in 473ml cans and are available at the respective breweries, beer vendors and Liquor Marts.

No need to look outside the border for world-class wines

While many Manitoba wine lovers are well-versed with the wide range of offerings made in Canada, others may be taking the “buy Canadian” mentality to their local Liquor Mart or wine store for the first time.

And while a number Canadian producers still make icewine — the incredibly sweet (and expensive) dessert wine made from grapes that have frozen on the vine, for which Canada is well known — these days the focus is on making world-class sparkling wines as well as top-notch rosés, whites and reds.

Here’s a quick primer on what to know about Canadian wines, what to look for and what to avoid.

Canadian wine regulationsWine production in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada’s two biggest producers of wines, is governed by the Vintner’s Quality Alliance (VQA), a regulatory body that dictates what can and can’t appear on the label in terms of grape variety, vintage and region.

Say sláinte with a few cracking brews and drams

Whether or not you have roots in the Emerald Isle, fans of rich, robust brews and smooth, easy-going whiskies will always find a reason to raise a pint or dram on St. Patrick’s Day.

The celebration of all things Irish is marked by music, dance, food and, of course, drink. On that latter front, mid-March happens to be the ideal time to say Sláinte to the heartier beers that got us through another cold winter before palates spring forward to crisp, fresh beers, lighter spirits and the like.

Many local brewers have planned their own St. Paddy’s Day celebrations, with some brewing Irish-inspired beers in honour of the occasion. Among ways/places to raise a glass:

Good Neighbour Brewing Co.’s friendly neighbour, Next Door (116 Sherbrook St.), is offering $5 pours of the brewery’s Irish red ale and Irish cream coffee stout, as well as $6 shots of Jameson whiskey on Monday starting at 4 p.m.

Tariff-ying times call for alternative wine pairings

Tarped-over products, empty shelves and, in some cases, business as usual: where you buy your booze will affect what your shopping experience looks when it comes to buying (or avoiding) American products.

During question period on March 6, Premier Wab Kinew noted that American alcohol wouldn’t be returning to Liquor Mart shelves anytime soon despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s flip-flopping and exemption of some Canadian and Mexican goods in the ever-changing tariff situation.

Private wine stores don’t fall under this ruling, and while some have pulled American wines from their shelves, others continue to sell the stuff.

Regardless, it’s easy to find substitutes from other countries for your favourite U.S. wines — including from Canada. For those wanting to buy Canadian but who have typically shied away from our own wines, I’ll have a primer for you in the coming weeks — for now, here’s how to enjoy the flavours of some of your favourite American wines without buying U.S. products.

Lighten up and take a break from hearty winter reds

With February in the rear-view mirror and temps seeming to be safely in the single digits, over here at Uncorked HQ we’ve taken a break from heartier winter reds … at least for now.

This week’s wines are decidedly lighter and come in a range of styles, with one uniting factor — they’re all meant to be chilled. Yes, even the reds.

The Teliani Valley 2022 Kakhuri No. 8 Vin D’Orange (Georgia — $23.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is the lightest in colour of this lot. Coming from Georgia (the country, not the state) it’s what’s called an orange wine. No, it’s not made from oranges — rather, instead of separating the juice from the skins right away, like you would when making a typical white wine, everything’s left together for days or weeks, like you would with a red. The result is a wine with an orange tinge, slightly oxidative flavours and, in some cases, a touch of tannin. The grapes used to make this particular orange wine are (deep breath) Rkatsiteli, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Khikhvi and Kisi, all native Georgian white grape varieties. The wine is pale gold-orange in appearance and aromatically brings lovely peach skin, saline, herbal and dried apricot aromas. It’s dry, light-plus bodied and lean, with saline and oxidative notes almost akin to a dry sherry, plus peach and apple skin flavours that come with subtle spice, tangerine and chalky notes and just a hint of tannin before the modest finish. The label says to serve this wine between 13 and 15 C, which means just a slight chill is in order (around 15-20 minutes). Intriguing and delicious — adventurous palates (and natural wine fans) take note. 4/5

The Tasca 2023 Regaleali Le Rosé (Sicily, Italy — around $22, private wine stores) is a pink wine made in Sicily from the Pinot Noir-ish Nerello Mascalese grape, but for a rosé is a bold deep pink colour. Aromatically it offers fresh peach, watermelon, raspberry and strawberry notes as well as hints of red candies; on the dry, medium-bodied palate the ripe red berry and watermelon flavours come with almost a hint of sweetness, showing great depth of flavour and intensity. Delicious on its own but would stand up to salmon dishes, pork tenderloin and all manner of salads and mild cheeses. Excellent stuff — chill for 25 minutes before serving. Available at most private wine stores. 4.5/5

As the Winnipeg Whisky Festival gets underway, satellite events will be sprinkled around downtown

If ticket prices for next week’s Winnipeg Whisky Festival don’t quite fit into your budget, fear not — a range of smaller, more focused (and less expensive) events are taking place at venues throughout the city, and will be led by some of the same brand ambassadors and distillers in town for the big fest.

On Wednesday, Canada and the United States square off at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (145 Pacific Ave.) at 7 p.m. in an official Winnipeg Whisky Festival ancillary event dubbed Sips in the Hall. Don Livermore, master blender for Hiram Walker & Sons, will be talking about and pouring Canadian whiskies, while Corby Spirit & Wine bourbon brand ambassador Matt Uden will handle all things bourbon. Products from J.P. Wiser’s, Rabbit Hole and Jefferson’s Bourbon will be poured; tickets are $40 at wfp.to/W4o.

Also on Wednesday, the Thomas Hinds Sampling Room (185 Carlton St.) hosts Jamie Johnson of Glenfiddich, who will lead guests through a tasting of five whiskies (including Glenfiddich’s 14 Bourbon Barrel Reserve and the Grand Cru 23 year-old single malt). Entry is $50; there are no physical tickets, but people can reserve a spot at thsamplingroom.com.

On Thursday, the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame hosts another official ancillary event, this time with Micah Dew of Maker’s Mark distillery, along with Andrew (Hustler) Paterson of Winnipeg Sports Talk. The evening, dubbed Maker’s Mark Master, combines bourbon and hockey, with five Maker’s products being poured as those in attendance watch the Winnipeg Jets take on the Nashville Predators. The event is from 5 to 10 p.m.; tickets are $50 at wfp.to/W4S.

Deep freeze calls for more warming local beers

With all the new and returning local beers regularly hitting store shelves and taps, I typically try and taste through some brews once a month.

I checked the Free Press website to see when I last did a local beer roundup, and found it was on Jan. 18. The headline for that collection of reviews: Get through deep freeze with hearty local brews.

Here we are, a month later, with new slate of beers tasted and with the thermometer still stuck well below zero. That Jan. 18 headline could just as easily be used here again.

From deep amber brews to hearty stouts, here are your latest cold-weather brews — pray we can move on to spring-ish beers and warmer temps by mid-March…

Canadian wines suitable for romance, big game bromance

Some weeks the topics for a drinks column come easy — a new brewery opening, wines for Thanksgiving, recounting a wine country adventure or profiling a particular region or grape. But when you’ve written about drinks for nearly 20 years, some weeks you feel you’ve done it all before, and have no good ideas.

This week is certainly not one of those — in fact the ideas are so plentiful it’s almost a problem.

With the threats of tariffs seeing American booze briefly pulled from shelves (only to be restocked the following day), the “Buy Canadian” movement is, of course, a hot topic. (More to come on this as the next tariff deadline looms ever larger.)

But Valentine’s Day is Friday, meaning this week is the last chance to get any romantic recommendations out to readers.

Chianti’s red wines range from fresh and fruity to big and bold

For some, Chianti might conjure up the nostalgic image of checkered tablecloths and wicker-adorned jugs of simple wine to wash down a plate of spaghetti. Others might associate the Tuscan red wine with another well-known but dubious pairing courtesy of one Hannibal Lecter (shudder) — liver and fava beans.

But not all Chiantis are created equal, and with dozens of wines from the region occupying shelf space at both Liquor Marts and private wine stores, it can be tricky to separate the good from the bad. Knowing a bit about the region, the classification system and labelling of Chianti wines can help maximize the bang for your buck.

Located in central Italy in the Tuscany region, wine production in Chianti (pronounced “key-AUNTIE”) goes back centuries; other than the Prosecco region, Chianti produces more wine grapes than any other region in Italy — around 85 million bottles every year.

Red wine production in Chianti is based primarily on the Sangiovese grape, a variety that does well in the region’s Mediterranean climate of warm summers and relatively mild winters. It’s quite a thin-skinned red grape variety, meaning your typical entry-level Chianti won’t be as deep in colour or tannic as thicker-skinned red grapes.

Shrug it out: craft producer celebrates milestones

Winnipeg drinks producer Shrugging Doctor Beverage Co. is throwing a two-pronged party on Sunday, Feb. 9, and everyone’s invited.

The company is celebrating eight years in operation, in which time it has gone from a modest start-up to producing dozens of different drinks in a range of styles — including grape and fruit wines, mead, sangria, cider, canned vodka-sodas, hard iced tea drinks and the recent addition of a couple of fizzy wines to the lineup.

Shrugging Doctor is also celebrating the first anniversary of its production facility and tasting room at 483 Berry St., where the party will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. with live music, giveaways and more. See shrugdoc.com to reserve a spot.

Get through deep freeze with hearty local brews

With a fresh blanket of snow in Manitoba and a deep freeze looking to be taking hold for the next few days, it’s as good a time as ever to pop by your favourite local brewery, beer vendor or Liquor Mart and stock up on some new and hearty local brews to help take the edge off that winter chill.

Hunker down, throw on a soup or stew and crack open one of these robust beers to help weather the storm.

The Kilter Brewing Co. Jucci Luxurious IPA (Winnipeg — $4.85/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors) is back once again, a double dry-hopped IPA made with Vic Secret and Cashmere hops. It’s pale gold and hazy in appearance with a frothy white head, bringing big ripe tropical aromas along with citrus, herbal hoppy and resinous notes. It’s medium-bodied and mainly dry, offering a wallop of tropical fruit flavours along with rich malt, resinous and grassy components, modest bitterness and, at 7 per cent alcohol, a long, lingering finish. Decadent, tasty stuff. 4.5/5

The Devil May Care Brewing Co. Farmstuff New World Saison (Winnipeg — $4.25/473ml can, brewery, beer vendors, Liquor Marts) was a happy accident — a batch of the Starstuff pale ale went awry, taking on funkier notes, and the brewers decided to lean into it, making an old world-style saison with a new world, hop-forward take. It’s medium gold in appearance and clear, with clove, wheat, banana candy and malty notes with a hint of hops. The dry and light-plus bodied saison combines earthy, spicy notes with yeasty, banana candy and hops components, a solid underlying malty note and, at 6.3 per cent alcohol, a deceptively smooth finish. Here’s to happy accidents. 4/5

How to keep yourself in fine wine and stay on budget

The typical January post-holiday cash crunch feels like it stings a little more this year thanks to the rising cost of, well, everything.

Consumers want quality products that don’t cost an arm and a leg and wine is certainly no exception. While there are plenty of bargain bottles out there, navigating the less expensive wines to get the best bang for your wine-buying buck can be a tricky undertaking.

There are, however, a few tips to keep in mind that can help you score a top tipple while going easy-ish on the wallet…

Bulk buyers bewareWhile buying wine in larger formats — think boxed wine, 1.5-litre bottles and the like — is typically a solid way to save money, quality-wise it can be a bit of a crapshoot.

Zero-proof drink quality improving with bevy of options

Whether you’re doing a full-on Dry January, have resolved to scale back your alcohol consumption or are simply looking for low- or no-alcohol alternatives to wine, beer, coolers and spirits, there’s no denying the selection of products available to pop and pour (or shake and stir) is better than ever.

Since last writing about low- and no- alcohol options in (Sober) October, the selection of low- and zero-alcohol drinks at Liquor Marts, grocery stores and private wine shops has improved markedly, while more local producers have begun exploring how to engage with those who choose to skip the booze.

And while this change can be seen as a reaction to the general trend of people choosing to drink less (or not at all), locals can also raise a booze-free glass to The Sobr Market, a non-alcohol bottle shop on Academy Road that continues to offer an increasing number of tipples for those looking for alternatives to alcohol.

Thankfully, with an increase in options the quality level continues to improve for many of these drinks. Here are 10 products recently tasted for those dabbling in Dry January or who have committed to an alcohol-free (or alcohol-reduced) lifestyle. Because prices aren’t regulated for these products like they are with alcohol, they may vary; alcohol levels and availability have been noted as accurately as possible.

Festive sparklers to ring in the new year

Open your fridge, shove those leftover holiday eats to one side and make room for some bubbly to help ring in the new year.

White, pink and red sparkling wine, festive brews, lower- and no-alcohol options, dry and sweet sippers, bargain bubbles and top-tier Champagne — here are a dozen fun fizzy drinks tasted over the last couple of months.

Sparkling crowd-pleasersCono Sur NV Chardonnay Brut (Bio-Bio Valley, Chile — $18.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

There might be just a splash of Pinot Noir in this Chilean bubbly, which is otherwise all Chardonnay; it’s very pale straw in colour and brings green apple skin, lemon-lime zest and chalky aromas. On the mainly dry and light-bodied palate it’s lively and racy, with vibrant acidity and lively bubbles delivering tart citrus, green apple and chalky flavours with a hint of grassiness and a modest-length finish. A solid sparkling wine for the price, especially for fans of bone-dry Spanish cava. 3.5/5

Easiest part of holiday dinner is picking the wine

As wine-and-food pairings go, your typical Christmas/holiday dinner is one of the easier meals to navigate with only one major exception: almost any wines you choose will likely end up being a hit.

The only wines you’ll want to avoid for your festive feast are big, dry and tannic reds. With turkey as the centrepiece of most December holiday dinners, grippy red Bordeaux, punchy California Cabernet, rustic Rioja and the like are simply too intense for such a meal and will overpower your bird and all the trimmings.

Even if you’re doing ham this year, avoid such full-bodied reds.

When it comes to your holiday meal, white wines of all styles tend to shine, but Riesling, both dry and off-dry, tends to glow just a bit brighter. In the former category is the Seppeltsfield 2023 Watervale Riesling (Clare Valley, Australia — $32.99, Liquor Marts and beyond), new-ish to our market and offering lovely lemon zest, chalky, green apple skin and floral aromas. It’s light-bodied and bone-dry, with fresh lemon and green apple flavours arriving with a beautiful chalky note, a hint of marmalade and racy, mouth-watering acidity. This is a Riesling that will convert those skeptics who don’t think they like the grape because it’s “too sweet.” 4.5/5

Savouring the fruits of Sicily’s unique terroir

It’s that time of year where best-of lists, forward-looking think pieces and reflections on the year’s highs and lows jostle for room on newspaper pages and clicks on websites.

Which got me thinking that I hadn’t properly chronicled my 2024 highlight when it came to wine — my trip in May to Sicily to visit wineries and attend Sicilia en Primeur, the region’s big industry tasting, courtesy of the Italian Trade Agency and Assovini Sicilia.

A large contingent of media convened on the southern Italian island for the event, with a few days of winery visits in smaller groups before the big trade tasting. Our small group featured journalists and creators from Denmark, the U.K., Japan, France and elsewhere, and was taken to wineries adjacent to and on the foothills of Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, which looms over the eastern end of the island. (The volcano was quiet while we were there, but got quite feisty a few weeks later.)

First, an overview on Sicilian wines. Generally speaking, the warm Mediterranean climate results in plenty of heat across the island, with ample sun and little rainfall across most of the island. Strong winds blow in from the sea from many directions, some of which can bring rain with them, particularly on and around Mount Etna, as our group was to discover. (More on that in a bit.)

Festive beers bring warm, hearty cheer to winter season

As the mercury creeps ever lower, daylight becomes more elusive and the calendar flips over to December, local brewers turn their attention to heartier brews — darker, bigger-bodied beers, some with seasonal flavours, and many with a higher alcohol content sure to keep you warm.

Most of the six wintry, festive brews reviewed this week have been in our market before, and are returning just in time for the holidays. They’re all brewed in Winnipeg and, unless otherwise noted, are available at the brewery at which they were made, at select beer vendors and at Liquor Marts.

Enjoy these slow sippers in our cooler temps, or tuck one in the stocking of your favourite beer-loving friend or family member.

Spirited advent calendars to satisfy local drink fans

With December creeping ever closer, advent calendar season is in full swing and there’s a growing range of options for drinks lovers.

Enthusiasm for Beaujolais Nouveau’s arrival wanes

Once upon a time, the third Thursday of November was cause for great celebration among wine lovers — it marked the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau.

These days, much of the hype around the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau has fizzled. While there’s the odd festivity around the arrival of the light and fruity French red in Winnipeg — Sous Sol in Osborne Village, for example, tends to celebrate the wine’s arrival every year — these days the wine lands with more of a whimper than a bang.

Area négociant Georges Duboeuf kicked off the Beaujolais Nouveau craze in the 1970s as a clever marketing tool to get people hyped up about buying wines from the region.

In the 1950s, producers from the region would ship their wine to Paris as quickly as they could post-harvest in order to get it in as many cafés, eateries and shops as possible. Duboeuf seized on that trend, and turned it into a global phenomenon under the banner “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” (Beaujolais Nouveau is here!).

Capital K launches new whisky, cocktail room

Winnipeg spirits fans have cause to raise a dram to new tipples hitting shelves this month. Capital K Distillery has launched the Tall Grass Prairie Gold Wheat Whisky.

We doff our cap to these 6 stellar wines for autumn enjoyment

Fall ends up being a bit of a busy time when you wear both the literary-editor and drinks-writer hats at the Free Press (figuratively speaking — although actual hats might help keep work tasks better sorted).

In recent weeks, there have been a number of winemakers, winery owners and export managers rolling through town, with whom I’ve met and tasted, as well as a range of other drinks-related events.

Meanwhile, on the books side, a lot of my time has been spent on the phone, or Zoom, chatting with authors ahead of their tours, book launches and the like, which are just now starting to slow down as the holiday season creeps closer. It can be tough to keep up, but it’s a good problem to have.

Anyhow, amid the chaos, here are a half-dozen wines I’ve recently tasted and enjoyed.

Scary-good concoctions fit for spooky-season fun

Here are six spooky-themed drinks for your Halloween parties, or to enjoy while handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters…

Larger space allows non-drinkers more alcohol-free options

The launch of the Søbr Market two years ago transformed the non-alcoholic drinks landscape in Manitoba in a profound way.

Pair big dinner with aromatic white wines, lighter reds

This edition of Uncorked will be the 18th to land on a Thanksgiving weekend, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t once again do a dish-by-dish breakdown of ideal wines for your big turkey dinner.

Generally speaking, for Thanksgiving I tend to drink/suggest aromatic white wines such as dry to off-dry Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Viognier or Grüner Veltliner; for reds I lean towards lighter, fruit-driven and not-too-tannic reds such as Gamay, Pinot Noir or Zinfandel — and perhaps a little bubbly to get things started.

If you’re heading out to pick up some Thanksgiving vino, The Winehouse (1600 Kenaston Blvd.) has put a dozen wines on sale that are potentially tantalizing turkey wines.

The 12 wines have been posted on the store’s social media accounts under the #turkeytwelve hashtag; they’re 25 per cent off until end of day Monday. Of that lot I’d recommend the Castell Blanc Cava for sparkling, either the Weiss Riesling or the No es Pituko! Viognier for whites, the Le Roc Ninette Rosé for a pink wine and the Rudi Rüttger Spätburgunder (a.k.a. Pinot Noir) for a red to serve as turkey tipples.

Cooler temperatures call for hearty, full-bodied wines

We’ve been getting decent daytime temps and plenty of sun as of late. But Manitoba’s cooler nights — and the pile of tomatoes and squash on my kitchen counter, frantically picked from the backyard garden on Thursday before frost hit — are a sure sign fall is here for real.

I’m among those who sip seasonally — with cooler months come hearty brown ales, marzens and stouts for beers, while on the wine side of things I tend to turn to heartier reds and whites with more body.

While many European examples of bigger-bodied wines deliver rustic, earthier notes with big, grippy tannins to help beat the chill of fall, there’s something to be said for drinking the deep and fruit-forward reds and whites made in so-called “New World” wine producing regions at this time of the year. Here are a half-dozen examples recently tasted and enjoyed that fall into that latter category.

The Wolf Blass 2022 Chardonnay (South Australia — $18.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is a stalwart Aussie white; it’s pale gold in colour, offering ripe peach, tropical fruit and red apple notes, as well as a hint of spice from oak aging. On the medium-bodied, fruit-driven palate, it delivers ripe red apple, peach, tropical fruit and lemon flavours that come with a hint of vanilla, modest acidity and a medium length finish. It’s a pretty textbook and consistent Australian Chardonnay for the price. 3.5/5

A weird year indeed for Winnipeg Wine Festival(s)

When the Winnipeg Wine Festival rolled out its full slate of events (the more intimate “Wine Down” ancillary events and the behemoth weekend public tastings) in January, it all felt a little bit… weird.

World of wine worth exploring during busy fall festival season

Here are reviews of a half-dozen wines I’ve recently tasted and enjoyed — some falling under the “Wines of Europe” umbrella (Italy in particular), others coming from new world wine-producing countries…

Spreading Oktoberfest cheer this September

While it’s nice to enjoy the warm, lingering days of late summer, there’s also reason for excitement for craft beer fans — fall is arguably the best season for new brews. As the pale pilsners, lagers and fruit-driven sours of summer fade into the rearview mirror, beer lovers are treated to deeper, more robust and hearty brews that come with autumn — brown ales, stouts, märzens and the like.

Winnipeg Wine Festival uncorks in September

As summer winds down, the slate of drinks-related events once again picks up, with all manner of tastings and celebrations slated to take place in the coming weeks and months.

The biggest of these is the Winnipeg Wine Festival, whose public tastings take place Sept. 20 and 21 at the RBC Convention Centre (375 York Ave.).

You’d be forgiven if you thought this year’s wine festival had already taken place. However, the fest that happened in January was, in fact, last year’s festival, which was pushed back from fall 2023 to early this year due to last summer’s work stoppage at Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.

While the 2024 fest casts a wider net than normal with the theme region — “Wines of Europe” — the overall fest is slightly more compact. The slate of ancillary “Wine Down” events that typically lead up to the public tastings has been scaled back to just one. On Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m., a wine-and-food event dubbed “The Perfect Pairing” takes place at Kitchen Sync (370 Donald St.), and will feature four food stations and eight wine stations for guests to try out a range of combinations. Tickets are $99 and are available at wfp.to/CeP.

Easy-sipping brews perfect for late-summer days

A quick dispatch this week, as I’m off on a quick trek to the Twin Cities for a late summer vacay, with the hopes of maybe trying some new/new-to-me Minnesota brews and some good eats at the Minnesota State Fair.

So here are six new local and easy-drinking brews — two lagers, a pair of pilsners and a couple of wheat beers — for your sipping consideration on warm, late-summer days and/or the glorious, looming Labour Day weekend…

Oh, and speaking of said long weekend, there will be no Uncorked next weekend — we’ll be back Sept. 7.

Bookstore Brewing Co. Timeless Light Lager (Winnipeg — $3.95/473ml can, Oxus, beer vendors, Liquor Marts)Made as a fundraising brew for the CJNU 93.7 FM radio station, this lager’s medium gold in colour and slightly hazy, with fresh malt, cracked oat and subtle herbal and citrus notes aromatically. It’s mainly dry, light-plus-bodied and with a subtle creaminess on the palate, which accentuates the grainier, doughier flavours while a herbal (but not bitter) component lingers in the background. Four per cent alcohol, with 93.7 cents from every can going to CJNU. Brewed at Oxus. 3/5

Sauv Blanc best to pair with tail-end of summer

For summer sipping, it’s hard to beat a well-chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Sure, Pinot Grigio is light and fresh, but it often lacks the lively, vibrant fruit flavours and racy acidity of Sauvignon Blanc. And yes, Chardonnay’s great, but it’s often made in a rounder, richer style (especially when oaked) that doesn’t translate as well on hot summer days.

France’s Loire Valley is considered the homeland of Sauvignon Blanc, but it’s in New Zealand where the grape has been embraced more than any other winemaking region. Producers there have been making boatloads of citrus-driven, sometimes-grassy and typically mouth-watering white wines that have captivated wine drinkers the world over.

Tasting New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc next to examples made in other parts of the world — and make no mistake, almost every winemaking region in the world is producing Sauv Blanc — shows the impressive stylistic range the grape offers. From lean and green to tantalizingly tropical, Sauvignon Blanc is anything but a one-trick pony.

Red wines without heavy tannins good summer sippers

There are plenty of tasty options out there for those who are craving a red wine in warmer temps that don’t involve big oak, heavy tannins or searing alcohol levels.

8 refreshing alternatives to beer for your long weekend

A hot and steamy August long weekend — is there a better time to crack a cold one and relax?

But for those who aren’t beer drinkers, a “cold one” means something quite different than a crisp pilsner or refreshing lager.

Those folks already know there are plenty of ale alternatives in the form of coolers, refreshment beverages, ready-to-drinks, patio pounders or whatever you want to call them. It’s a category that has exploded in recent years, spearheaded by the likes of Palm Bay, Mike’s Hard and White Claw.

Here are eight beer alternatives, listed from lightest to heaviest, with a range of flavours and base spirits — including some made locally. Pour any of these over ice and enjoy.

Olympic-calibre quaffing while world athletes compete

Wine is often thought of as a marriage of art and science — why not add sport to the mix?

Mark your calendars for second wine festival of the year

Doing a deep dive into a particular grape variety, wine-producing region or country is tough when you’re up to your eyeballs reviewing Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival performances and having to turn around your thoughts in short order.

Instead, here are some newsworthy local beer, wine and cider tidbits to whet your proverbial whistle.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the fringe beer tent…

First off, the Winnipeg Wine Festival is now selling tickets to this fall’s public tastings Sept. 20 and 21 at the RBC Convention Centre. Didn’t the festival already happen this year? Yes … well, sort of. The 2023 fest was pushed back to January of this year due to the work stoppage at Liquor Marts last summer.

Six-plus reasons to drink patriotically this long weekend

There’s never been a more important time to be supporting Canadian producers of wine, beer or spirits — locally and otherwise.

While Canadian wineries continue to produce reds, whites, bubblies, rosés and dessert wines (icewine and otherwise) that can stand up to many of the world’s best, the industry is looking anything but rosy.

Wildfires and bouts of extreme cold in recent years in the Okanagan Valley, for example, have seen vines killed or damaged, wines affected by smoke and a reduction in wine tourism.

Inflation has seen wine lovers change their drinking and spending habits, and a move towards low/no-alcohol alternatives has left some producers scratching their heads and scrambling to respond. More than a few Canadian wineries have closed, others have sold and many more are on the market, either officially or otherwise.

Tico Cornejo legacy: Celebrating 25 years of winehouse with Chilean tribute wines

In 1999, Pembina Fine Wines opened its doors as part of the second wave of private wine stores to enter the Manitoba retail liquor market.

It was spearheaded by Tico Cornejo, a former employee of the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission (MLCC), who ran the shop on Pembina Highway, and then at 1600 Kenaston Blvd. from 2009 on (when it changed its name to the Winehouse), until he died from progressive health issues at age 66 in January 2020.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2020/05/30/raise-a-glass-to-tico

On June 18, past and present employees along with friends, suppliers and others gathered at the Winehouse to celebrate 25 years since the store first opened.

Beer, wine and whisky all work in toast to dad

The dad: a creature who can be found roaming hardware stores or hovering over an outdoor grill, is stirred into a frenzy by raucous sporting events and, when fatigued, is often discovered napping with reckless abandon after imbibing alcoholic beverages.

(That intro works best when read in the voice of Sir David Attenborough or Werner Herzog, by the way.)

Yes, those are wildly stereotypical descriptions of the dads of the world (although this dad will admit to fitting at least a few of said stereotypes). But no matter what kind of dad or dads you have in your life, finding the right Father’s Day gift can be tricky.

Here are a few fun tipples tried in recent days that should make dads of all stripes happy … or you can always get him a tie.

Rain, rain go away, rosé season better be here to stay

It’s looking like we might get a bit of a break from the dark clouds and the seemingly never-ending intermittent rain this weekend — yes, that big orange ball in the sky seems set to once again make an appearance.

Three cheers for award-winning ciders and beers

Manitoba brewers have been busy raking up some serious hardware as of late.

On May 25 the Canadian Brewing Awards handed out trophies at a ceremony held in Hamilton, with five Manitoba brewers bringing home a total of 10 awards. Low Life Barrel House nabbed three awards — two golds and a bronze — while three other breweries each picked up two prizes: Kilter (one gold, one bronze), Nonsuch (two golds) and Dauphin’s Obsolete Brewing Co. (one gold, one silver). Contract brewer Bookstore Brewing Co. also nabbed a gold. (For all the local award-winning brews, visit wfp.to/yb6 and enter “Manitoba” in the search field.)

More recently, judges from across North America convened in Winnipeg from May 27-29 to judge at the third annual Prairie Beer Awards, which sees Manitoba and Saskatchewan breweries compete in a range of categories. In total, 13 Manitoba producers — 12 brewers and Wooden Gate Cider out of Pilot Mound — nabbed trophies, which were handed out in Winnipeg on May 31. Eleven golds, 10 silvers, nine bronzes and one honourable mention were won by local producers, with Little Brown Jug winning five golds and landing the brewery of the year award. And in the head-to-head Border Battle Cup, which tallies up the points garnered by Manitoba and Saskatchewan breweries, the home team once again came out on top.

For a complete list of Prairie Beer Award winners, see the competition’s Instagram or Facebook pages (@prairiebeerawards) — and if your favourite local brewery isn’t among the award winners, keep in mind that not all breweries enter competitions.

Uncorked readers are invited to share their thoughts on future beer, wine and spirit coverage

Judging by my inbox, we’re in peak survey season. Over the last week alone I’ve had requests to fill out online surveys from my auto mechanic, a rental car company (which I had to employ because of needing said auto mechanic), my mobile phone provider (don’t get me started), an airline (really, don’t get me started), a hotel, the organization that organized my recent week-long wine-tasting trip to Sicily (more on that trip soon) and a big-box store from which I purchased a wok. I don’t mind the occasional survey, especially when I have thoughts on how a person or […]

Wine-centric events flowing in Winnipeg and beyond

Apologies for the lack of an Uncorked column last weekend — I’ve just returned from a week in Sicily, where I joined about 100 other writers from around the world at the 25th annual Sicilia En Primeur event in Pollina. The event sees most wineries from the southern Italian island bring their wares for us writers to taste (over two days I managed to get through around 150 of the 400-plus wines being poured).

More on that fabulous trip to come.

In the meantime, here’s a quick roundup of drinks-related goings on past, present and future…

The winners of the In Good Spirits cocktail competition, which was held May 13 at the Fort Garry Hotel, have been crowned.

Bottles to help you raise a special glass to mom

Why Mother’s Day is associated so closely with brunch remains, for the most part, a mystery. Sure, you can search it up online (as I did), but most of the answers provided are some variation on “It’s a way to celebrate mom.” OK, fine, but why is mom’s special day inextricably linked to that festive, pesky meal that falls between breakfast and lunch? If you’re brunching with mom for Mother’s Day this year, or simply getting together with some friends/family for the midday feast, here are some fun, fresh wines that will make your brunch sing… Villa Conchi Brut Reserva […]

Craft brews fit for fine weather and feisty playoff hockey

As is common this time of year, Manitoba craft brewers have shifted their focus to pumping out brews geared towards warmer temperatures — lagers and ales that are lighter and sometimes fruitier.

A selection of sippable wines for the in-between season

In Manitoba, Mother Nature loves to foil the best-laid plans.

One random example: Little Brown Jug (336 William Ave.) had planned on launching some summer brews on its patio this weekend at an event called Summer Lager Patio Bash. It has pushed that back to April 26 and 27 as a result of the current not-so-summery temps.

Similarly, six days ago I sat on a downtown patio with a lovely beverage in hand, the glorious weather prompting me to consider writing a rosé roundup for this week’s Uncorked.

But as I sit here looking out the window at a thin blanket of snow and the wind howling, I’m just not feeling the urge to drink pink — yet.

Swing into spring with thirst-quenching events

Whether you prefer wine, beer or cocktails, the coming month offers all manner of fun events in a range of prices and settings…

It’s a classic beer-versus-wine showdown on Thursday, April 25, as the gang from the Pourium and the folks at Trans Canada Brewing Co. go head to head with food pairings at Pine Ridge Hollow.

The Grapes vs. Grains event returns after a wee hiatus; each of the meal’s five courses will features a beer and wine paired with each course. The Trans Canada and Pourium folks will explain the reasoning behind each of their respective pairings, and guests will vote on which pairing works.

The event gets going at 7 p.m.; tickets are $125 plus fees (including food, drink and gratuity) and are available at wfp.to/yUg.

What’s in a wine label? Does glassware make a difference?

It’s time to reach into the old Uncorked mailbag and field a few questions…

Are “reserve” wines better?

For the most part, the answer to this question depends on where the wine is coming from. Most Old World (read: European) countries have more strict rules and regulations around wine labelling, including when it comes to using the words “reserve” or “grand reserve” (or “reserva” and “gran reserva,” depending on the country). A “reserve” wine will typically have a minimum age requirement either in barrel, bottle or both before it’s released, all of which depends on where the wine’s coming from.

Most New World wine-producing countries, meanwhile, don’t have regulations around using the word “reserve” (other popular but essentially meaningless terms on New World wines include “vintner’s reserve,” “winemaker’s selection” and so on). It’s not uncommon to see some producers in Chile and Argentina in particular play a little loose with such words — for example, there are plenty of entry-level wines from the South American countries which sport “reserve” or “reserva” on the label, even if said wine is the lowest rung on the proverbial ladder.

Patent 5 Distillery takes home silver for single barrel whisky

Whisky hall of fame inductions, distillery birthdays, massive wine giveaways and Chardonnay for a cause — that’s what’s up in this week’s Uncorked…

Manifest spring with these fresh, fruit-forward wines

Sure, we’re still confined to plugging our cars in overnight, but the calendar insists we’re into the first few days of spring. That same calendar also offers a reminder that Easter comes remarkably early this year — next weekend, in fact.

If you’re looking to get into a spring mindset (overnight lows be damned), here are a half-dozen fresh, fruit-driven wines — including a few with possibly new-to-you grape varieties — to prime your palate for warmer temps. These wines are also remarkably food-friendly crowd-pleasers, and would work well for any manner of Easter dinner you might have in the cards…

The Pedra Cancela 2022 Winemaker Selection White (Dão, Portugal — $16.98, Liquor Marts and beyond) is made from the indigenous Encruzado, Cerceal Branco and Malvasia Fina grapes, a Portuguese white that’s quite pale in appearance but aromatically brings pretty pear, floral, white peach and subtle apple notes. It’s light-bodied and dry, with appealing apple, pear and peach flavours, a chalky salinity that works well with the modest acidity and a relatively short, crisp finish. Fresh and vibrant (and on sale until March 31 — it’s regularly $18.98). 3.5/5

The Tenuto Sassoregale 2022 Vermentino (Maremma Toscana, Italy — $22.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is an unoaked Italian white wine that’s pale straw in colour and brings fresh-cut flowers, peach, ripe red apple and ripe citrus notes on the nose. It’s light-bodied and dry, offering a fresh fruit salad of apple, peach, ripe lemon and lime, fleshy pear and mango, with medium acidity, a hint of chalkiness a modest-length, 13.5 per cent finish. A delicious, lively white that’s drinking beautifully right now. 4/5

St. Paddy’s Day parties on tap at local breweries

With the exception of maybe New Year’s Eve, there isn’t a day on the calendar when folks come together to raise a glass — typically a pint glass, in this case — in celebration that rivals St. Patrick’s Day.

And with the big day falling on a weekend this year, many of Manitoba’s craft beer and drinks producers are throwing parties where the taps will be flowing and whistles will be wetted.

Stone Angel Brewing Co. (1875 Pembina Hwy.) has long been the go-to brewery in Winnipeg for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The party is happening today, with all manner of Irish-themed festivities, including music, dancing, pipers, food from Loaf + Honey and perhaps even some Irish whiskey. Things get underway just before 2 p.m., and admission is $5.

Don’t be surprised, however, if among the many merry-makers there are some long faces — Stone Angel’s social media posts have indicated this is the brewery’s last St. Patrick’s Day before it shuts down in the near future, so today would be the ideal day to pop by and hoist a final pint.

Shrugging Doctor christens new winery and tasting room

In January 2017, Willows Christopher and Zach Isaacs officially entered the Manitoba drinks trade as Shrugging Doctor Brewing Co. The pair, then in their early 20s, began producing a modest handful of meads and ciders with a focus on delivery at a time, pre-pandemic, when there weren’t many options for ordering booze to your home.

Fast forward to today, Christopher and Isaacs, now both 28, have just opened their new 7,000-square-foot space at 483 Berry St. With about 10 wines on the go at any given time, as well as vodka sodas, hard iced teas, sangrias and more, both the quantity and quality of the products have ramped up.

Isaacs and Christopher first met in Grade 7, and grew up as friends in North Kildonan. In 2015 they registered as a partnership, incorporated Shrugging Doctor — now called Shrugging Doctor Beverage Company — in early 2016 and launched the following year. When they incorporated, the plan was to enter the market as a brewery. That inclination faded when the pair realized how much the equipment would cost.

For Christopher, it was imperative Shrugging Doctor succeed; when he turned 18, he and his parents disagreed on what direction he should go and he left home.

Novel bottles still to be had

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Products from this year’s wine festival are being stocked on Winnipeg Liquor Mart shelves. The Winnipeg Wine Festival offers wine lovers the chance to try a whole whack of new-to-Manitoba products, many of which are brought in exclusively for the festival. And while the temporary on-site store at the RBC Convention Centre tends to sell out many of the wines, there are always a handful of leftovers that end up being distributed to a handful of Liquor Marts. Those interested in finding products that were at the January fest can check out the Liquor […]

Festival set to pour over 100 new whiskies and liquors

With the Winnipeg Wine Festival receding in the rearview mirror, it’s time to shift focus to something with a little more kick — whisky.

The 12th annual Winnipeg Whisky Festival takes place next Friday and Saturday (March 1-2) at The Fairmont Winnipeg (2 Lombard Place) from 7:30-9:30 p.m. — unless you’re a VIP ticket-holder, in which case you can get in an hour early.

This year’s fest features around 250 whiskies and other spirits being poured, with more than 100 that are either new to the province or exclusive to the festival. Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the U.S. will all be well represented, as always, but the festival will also include drams from producers in India, Australia, Japan and beyond.

Those “other spirits” being poured include rum, tequila, gin and liqueurs; there’s also a cocktail bar for those who want to try their spirits in a margarita, old fashioned, cosmopolitan or similar concoction. Guests can also enjoy the food stations throughout the space, take home a souvenir glencairn glass and catch a ride home using available taxi vouchers.

Cheers to Cabernet Sauvignon

While wine trends come and go, Cabernet Sauvignon remains one of the most popular red wine grapes among both winemakers and wine drinkers alike. It’s still among one of the most widely planted wine grape varieties in the world and can be found growing in virtually every region in the world that produces wine (for better or worse).

First emerging in 17th-century France as an unplanned crossing between two very different grape varieties (Cabernet Franc, a red grape variety, and Sauvignon Blanc, a white wine grape), it came to prominence in Bordeaux as one of the primary varieties in the great, structured reds of the region.

Since then it has spread around the world, with producers making it both as single-variety wines as well as the backbone of many a big, bold red blend.

Cabernet Sauvignon offers a range of characteristics based on climate, soil and the like, from earthy and herbal to dense and jammy. It handles oak barrel as well or better than most red wine grapes, but is just as impressive without that wood influence, and often brings medium to firm-grip tannins, making it a wine that shines with food (think steaks or other beef dishes, sharp cheeses, stews and the like).

Manitoba breweries honoured at national awards

A pair of Manitoba breweries were among the winners at the 2023 Canadian Brewers Choice Awards, which were presented at the end of January at a ceremony in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

Good Neighbour Brewing Co. nabbed the New Brewery of the Year award; after starting out contract brewing beer in Winnipeg at Oxus Brewing Co. in 2021, the brewery, led by the team of brewer Morgan Wielgosz and marketing director Amber Sarraillon, opened its own bricks-and-mortar facility at 110 Sherbrook St. in May 2023.

One of two winners of this year’s Brewer of the Year award was Marcos Bardelli of new Dauphin-based Obsolete Brewing Co. Bardelli got his start making beer in Brazil before eventually making his way to Manitoba. Obsolete opened its doors in September 2023, and its beers have more recently landed on store shelves beyond Dauphin, including in Winnipeg (although they’re currently in short supply at beer vendors and are completely sold out at Liquor Marts).

There are still some tickets kicking around for Beer is Art, an event taking place on March 28 at WAG-Qaumajuq, which will feature nearly every Manitoba brewery, contract brewer and brew pub. Participating brewers are bringing new, exclusive and small-batch brews for people to sample as they wander the galleries and enjoy live music.

Not all Veneto wines are created equal

One of Italy’s most productive wine regions, Veneto doesn’t appear on the front label of many bottles. But the northeastern region is home to some of the country’s best-known and bestselling sparkling, white and red wines.

And while quantity certainly isn’t an issue, the quality levels on Venetian wines can vary greatly — and knowing what to look for on the label will go a long way in finding the region’s best bottles.

If you think of Italy as boot-shaped, the Veneto region sits near the very top of the back of the boot. Wine-producing regions can be found near Venice and the Adriatic Sea all the way inland, past Verona and up to the eastern shore of Lake Garda.

Wander through the sparkling wine section of your favourite shop and you’ll see one of Veneto’s primary wine exports — Prosecco. Made from the Glera grape, it’s generally a fairly light, fresh and straightforward sparkling wine — a crowd-pleaser that works well with brunch, birthday parties and in a mimosa.

Woo your loved one with wine this Valentine’s Day

There’s no shortage of Valentine’s Day-related drinks events coming up — and savvy romantics know it’s best to jump on any/all options sooner rather than later.

De Nardi Wines (1360 Taylor Ave.) is hosting a Valentine’s Day wine tasting Thursday, Feb. 8, from 6 to 9 p.m., with a handful of different wines available to sample before the big day. Tickets are $40 for the casual tasting, with a charcuterie board available for purchase for an extra $20, at wfp.to/jaU.

It’s not specifically Valentine’s Day-related, but Little Brown Jug Brewing Co. (336 William Ave.) is hosting a swoon-worthy beer and cheese event on Sunday, Feb. 11, featuring cheese from the Cheesemongers starting at 4 p.m. The event features a range of beers, including some brewed specifically to pair with the featured cheeses.

Tickets are $45 plus fees at wfp.to/ja5.

Some slow-sippin’ brews for cold winter nights

My plan for this weekend’s Uncorked was to do a sparkling wine roundup so folks could get their New Year’s Eve shopping done and dusted before Liquor Marts and private wine stores are flooded with fizz-seekers.

That plan, however, was undone by a nasty respiratory bug I picked up on the way back from Barbados, which knocked me out for a full eight days. I’m just back in action now, and will dive into all the proseccos, cavas, frizzantes and other bubbly wines that I can over the next week.

For now, here are a half-dozen local brews for cool-weather sipping. Watch this space next week for all your festive fizz needs.

Barn Hammer Brewing Co. Whiskey Amaretto Sour (Winnipeg — $5.25/473ml cans, brewery, Liquor Marts, beer vendors)

Some gift ideas for those who imbibe

The days are ticking down until the big man in the red suit and the white beard squeezes down the chimney with presents for good girls and boys.

For the grownups in your life who enjoy wine, beer or spirits, there are plenty of gift options in all price ranges that are actually useful (versus, say, socks that say “IF YOU CAN READ THIS / BRING WINE” on the soles … although it could be argued those are useful too).

Consider this your last-minute shopping guide for stocking stuffers and gifts for under the tree — or maybe even a little gift to yourself this holiday season.

Ice buckets

Seven tried and true choices to add the perfect glow to your holiday meal

Last week’s Uncorked offered off-the-beaten-track wines to pair with that festive feast of turkey and all the trimmings.

This week features seven wines — four whites and three reds, listed roughly from lightest to heaviest — that are more conventional (but no less delicious) choices for your holiday meal.

I’m out of town on a little adventure, but I’ll be back in the coming weeks with last-minute gifts for wine/drinks lovers, some sparkling wine picks for New Year’s Eve and other festive holiday events and more.

The Thomas Goss 2022 Sauvignon Blanc (Adelaide Hills, Australia — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is pale straw in colour and brings bright gooseberry, lime, green apple and herbal notes that show nicely on the nose. It’s dry, light-bodied and tart (bordering on mouth-puckering), with juicy lime, green apple, gooseberry, grapefruit and chalky notes plus a steely note before the medium-length finish. There’s less of a savoury/bell pepper component here than is often found in Chilean examples — think of it more as on par with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but with slightly less intensity. 3.5/5

Five wines to level up your holiday feast

With just over three weeks to go until many a dining room table will be laden with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and all the fixings, it’s not too soon to be thinking about what you’ll be drinking with your holiday feast.

There’s nothing wrong with going for the same-old, same-old when it comes to pairing wine with the big bird and trimmings. My default is usually white wine, typically dry Riesling or modestly (if at all) oaked Chardonnay; for reds I’ll generally opt for Pinot Noir or Gamay.

But the big holiday meal is also a great chance to veer off the beaten bath and try something new — with the exception of big tannic red wines, you really can’t go too far wrong in the process. Here are five wines — four white, one red — that you may not have tried but would do nicely with your festive feast.

The Evolve 2022 Spontaneity (Okanagan Valley, B.C. — $27.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is pale straw in colour, a 70-25-5 blend of relatively lesser-known grapes Ortega and Ehrenfelser with Pinot Gris, British Columbia’s most widely planted white wine variety. Aromatically, there’s a veritable fruit salad of red apple and pear, along with peach, apricot and hints of spice. It’s light-bodied, dry and quite fresh, with fleshy pear and red apple flavours, peachy notes and hints of chalk and spice, all delivered with medium acidity that keeps things racy. This ultra-fresh white would also work well with sushi. 4/5

Booze events keep imbibers hopping during holiday season

From new releases to medal-winning spirits to funky parties, there’s no sign of things slowing down on the local drinks news heading into the holiday season.

The folks at Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St. N.) will be getting funky today starting at noon as they throw their first Brett Fest at the brewery.

No, brett isn’t the name of one of the brewers, but rather an abbreviated term used to describe brettanomyces, a genus of yeast that can produce a compelling, complex earthy and funky notes in beer (and wine).

The Low Life crew will be rolling out a number of new and returning brett beers aged in its big wooden foeders all day today, as well as other products, including Paradise Grove, a collaboration between Low Life and Next Friend Cider (which works out of the same facility) featuring beer wort and fermented apple juice co-fermented in a 1,000-litre foeder.

Uncorked now old enough to legally have a drink

In November 2005, a relatively fresh-faced (if already balding) 30-year-old penned his first wine column for the Winnipeg Free Press — which means Uncorked, if it were a human, would now be of legal drinking age in Manitoba.

After a decade working at Winnipeg private wine stores to help pay my way through university, I was contacted by longtime pal (and now Free Press arts and life editor) Jill Wilson about whether I knew anyone who might want to take over the weekly wine column, or if I might want to do it myself. Obviously, I chose the latter — who wouldn’t?

For the next eight years, I’d pen Uncorked on evenings and weekends while working full time at other jobs. These days I pen it at my desk in the Free Press newsroom — although the sampling still happens at home — where I’ve worked full time (first as web editor and now as literary editor) since 2013.

The recent-ish explosion of craft breweries, brew pubs, distilleries, cideries, meaderies and even wineries added a whole new element to Uncorked, to the point where I refer to it as a drinks column rather than a wine column.

WineDown gears up

Like so many events, the Winnipeg Wine Festival was impacted by the COVID pandemic. In 2020, the week of public tastings was first postponed from late April/early May to fall before being axed altogether. The following year the event was again cancelled, finally returning in the fall of 2022.

This year’s festival was again set to go in September before Liquor Mart employees went on strike in the summer, forcing organizers to put the fest on hold until things were sorted. After the strike was resolved, it was announced the festival’s public tastings would take place at the RBC Convention Centre on Jan. 26 and 27, 2024, with the annual gala dinner taking place on Jan. 25.

Now organizers have announced a scaled-back set of ancillary events as part of their WineDown series held in the lead-up to the public tastings. Only three WineDown events are currently slated to be held this year — a wine and appetizer event on Jan. 22 at the Delta Hotel (350 St. Mary Ave.); an Australia and New Zealand-themed tasting taking place at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Jan. 23; and a walk-around tasting highlighting wines from Argentina — the fest’s theme region — on Jan. 24 at the Leaf in Assiniboine Park.

One highlight of both the public tastings and ancillary events is the opportunity for wine drinkers to chat with winemakers, export managers and other winery representatives. It remains to be seen whether there will be as many winery principals in attendance this year given the rescheduled dates — and the prospect of leaving warm-weather wine country to come to Winnipeg in January.

Over a barrel: how the vessel used to age wine impacts taste

Between the vineyard and the bottle, there are hundreds of decisions made during the winemaking process that impact the final product that ends up in your glass. Of those decisions, few have as big an impact on a bottle of wine as the type of vessel used for aging before a wine is bottled.

Winemakers looking to preserve maximum freshness in a wine — think lighter white wines, rosés and some reds — stainless steel tanks are usually the way to go. They’re relatively inexpensive, low maintenance, generally impart no flavours and are airtight, meaning there’s little to no contact with oxygen. Wines aged in stainless steel typically stay in there for a short period of time and are crisp and fruit-forward.

Concrete and clay vessels were among the original containers for wine, dating back to the beginnings of what we know as winemaking today. Clay amphorae that held wine have been discovered in Greece dating back to the Bronze Age, while qvevri — large, egg-shaped earthenware vessels — were developed in the country of Georgia, which is thought by many to be one of the birthplaces of wine as we know it.

Clay and earthenware vessels have become fashionable in recent years among wineries looking to preserve freshness in wines without sacrificing complexity. Like stainless steel, these vessels impart little to no flavours in a wine, but the slightly porous and bumpy interior surface changes the way a wine evolves and can soften up wines with higher acidity.

A raft of beer, wine and other boozy events to prime you for the holiday season

The snow’s on the ground and, with less than two months until Christmas, the holiday season looms. But before getting bogged down in Santa Claus and ho-ho-ho, and mistletoe and presents to pretty girls (to quote Lucy Van Pelt), give yourself the gift of a drinks-related event over the next couple of weeks…

About half of Winnipeg’s local breweries and contract brewers are gathering at the Wood Tavern (112 Marion St.) in St. Boniface on Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. as part of a mini beer festival.

Breweries taking part include Torque, Little Brown Jug, Bookstore Brewing Co., Low Life Barrel House, Kilter Brewing and more, and the event will feature appetizers, a palate-cleansing cocktail, samples from 10 different local makers and live entertainment. Tickets are $55 plus fees and are available at wfp.to/6Eo.

Sookram’s Brewing Co. has revealed details of its annual Beastmas celebration, which takes place today starting at noon. In addition to the new batch of its Star Beast imperial stout, five variations on the dark, punchy brew will be available. A larger batch of the Star Beast has been infused with flavours of Trinidadian black cake (vanilla, citrus peel, cinnamon and brandy-soaked fruit), while smaller batches include one infused with maple syrup and aged on maple staves; another that brings gingerbread flavours of clove, ginger and cinnamon; a third variation that features schmoo torte-like flavours; and a fourth “Mexican hot chocolate” version.

Canadian wine regions in crisis

From tasting-room closures to climate-related crises to a glut of grapes going potentially unused, red flags are being raised in wine regions in both Ontario and British Columbia as producers struggle to stay afloat.

And while store shelves in Manitoba might not look too different in the short-term, what’s happening as of late in Canada’s grape-growing and winemaking regions could have impacts that reverberate well beyond provincial borders.

Starting out west, larger companies have moved towards amalgamating operations, shuttering tasting rooms and winding down the public-facing component of longstanding, well-known brands.

In April, Sumac Ridge’s Summerland, B.C. tasting room was closed, with production shifted off-site to parent company Arterra’s Oliver-based facility (meaning the brand will remain). More recently, on Oct. 8 it was announced Red Rooster would suffer a similar fate, with on-site operations at their Naramata Bench facility winding down. Like Sumac Ridge, the Red Rooster name will stick around (for the time being at least) as parent company Andrew Peller Ltd. moves production to its Kelowna-based Sandhill winery.

Say ‘no thanks’ to big reds and go for less-tannic options, or stick to white wines, rosés or even beer

Dust off that gravy boat, bust out the decorative gourds and crack open that can of cranberry sauce — everyone’s favourite festive fall feast is back.

What wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner is among the most common questions I field from readers. And as the guy who this weekend will likely be relegated to picking the wines for the meal (and maybe mashing the odd potato), I’m pleased to provide a few tips on what does and doesn’t work with the typical seasonal meal.

First off, what doesn’t tend to work with a usual Thanksgiving dinner is a big red wine. The mouth-drying tannins and higher alcohol levels in full-bodied reds tend to overwhelm the turkey, stuffing and various sides. Steer clear of big reds made from Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and the like.

For reds, stick with wines made from either the Pinot Noir or Gamay grape. They tend to produce lighter-bodied reds with softer tannins that will work best with your bird. The former grape often brings earthier, more rustic flavours (good for those savoury sides) while the latter is more fruit-forward and versatile — think of Gamay as the cranberry sauce of red wines.

Many rewards to trying obscure varieties

Quick: off the top of your head, could you name a dozen wine grape varieties?

In her 2012 book Wine Grapes, esteemed British writer and critic Jancis Robinson (along with master of wine Julia Harding and geneticist José Villamouz) estimates there are some 10,000 different grape varieties in the world, focuing on a “mere” 1,368 varieties (over a whopping 1,200-plus pages) that tend to be used to make wine.

It’s an impressive number until you realize one third of global vineyard plantings are made up of just 13 different varieties; half of global plantings are made up of only 33 varieties.

From Aligoté to Zweigelt, there’s a world of wine grapes out there that lack the global star power of the Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignons, Syrah/Shirazes, Pinot Noirs, Merlots or Sauvignon Blancs of the world and, as such, don’t command as much of the spotlight (or retail shelf space).

Fall into heartier, fuller flavours

A scorching hot summer day practically begs for a crisp, light and refreshing wine — say, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Italian Pinot Grigio, Portuguese Vinho Verde or pale, delicate rosé.

But fall’s officially here, and with the shorter days and cooler nights, over here at Uncorked HQ, there’s a general shift from wines that are fun and fresh to those that bring heartier, fuller flavours.

One needn’t give up entirely on rosé in the fall — rather, look for deeper-coloured pink wines, which tend to bring more intensity and depth of flavour than, say, a very pale rosé from France’s Provence region. Many rosés from New World countries (think Chile, Argentina, California, Canada or New Zealand) fit the bill here nicely.

Fall is also the perfect time of year to explore richer, more complex white wines than your standard summer fare. The deep, tropical fruit flavours of a Viognier, rich barrel-aged Chardonnay from New World countries, Alsatian Gewüztraminer or Riesling, Austrian Grüner Veltliner and the like all excel in autumn and also happen to be ideal for Thanksgiving dinner.

Liquor Marts getting beer on shelves ASAP

It’s been a while since any new brews, local or otherwise, have made their way to Liquor Mart shelves, in large part due to the strike by unionized employees, which started in mid-July and ended in late August.

That seems set to change, however, as the “new arrivals” page on the Liquor Mart website now features a bevy of new brews, local and otherwise, that are coming soon. It seems the processing of local beer has been expedited to get the product received and on shelves as quickly as possible — a relief for brewers, who obviously prefer their product be consumed fresh.

Meanwhile, some local breweries have added other booze to their tap-room lineups since recent regulation changes surrounding licences took effect in early September.

Brewery tap rooms were previously only allowed to sell alcoholic beverages made on site (as well as non-alcoholic options, which could be made anywhere). Both Oxus Brewing Co. and Barn Hammer Brewing Co., for example, have posted on social media that they’re now carrying a modest selection of wines and spirits for consumption in their tap rooms.

Count on blends for the best of all possible grapes

This week’s tasting notes highlight a half-dozen blends — wines made from a combination of two or more grape varieties.

Producers have been blending different grape varieties together to make wines for ages — probably since the beginning of winemaking itself. As the industry has evolved, so too have the ways in which different grape varieties are blended together, and the reasons producers might choose to do so.

Some producers create blends with the notion of establishing a “house style,” if you will — a wine that’s consistent flavour-wise from year to year and isn’t as susceptible to vintage variation. In aiming for a house style made from a blend, a producer can add more or less of a particular grape variety (or swap out one variety entirely for another) to obtain a flavour wine drinkers recognize no matter when or where they’re drinking it.

Think of super-popular American red blends such as Apothic, 14 Hands, Ménage à Trois and the like. People keep coming back to these wines because (among other reasons) they always taste the same — they know what they’re getting. Most fans of this style of wine couldn’t tell you the grape varieties in the bottle, and don’t care.

Local breweries get in on Le Burger Week fun

It’s the last long weekend of the summer, there’s a big football game on tap, the weather’s shaping up to be great and Liquor Marts have reopened.

But for many locals, the most exciting aspect of this Labour Day weekend is the bevy of burgers on offer as part of Le Burger Week, which kicked off Friday and runs through to Sept. 14.

A number of local breweries have once again gotten in on the burger action this year. Devil May Care Brewing Co. has invited Freebirds Kitchen into the taproom (155 Fort St.) to serve up their creation, the Beelzeburger, while Sookram’s Brewing Co. (479 Warsaw Ave.) is hosting Tot Wheels, who will be cooking up the Sunfire.

Over at Barn Hammer Brewing Co. (595 Wall St.), meanwhile, they’re welcoming PVG’s Street Eats and their creation, The Smokey Bandit.

Raising a glass to events celebrating … raising a glass

If the thought of navigating the rocky landscape of retail booze-buying right now is enough to drive you to drink, take the opportunity to check out some beverage-related events taking place around town and beyond over the next month…

Torque Brewing celebrates seven years of beer today, with music from Diedra Borus, Northern Royals and Ladywood throughout the day, plus small-batch pours, food, vendors and more. The festivities run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the brewery (330-830 King Edward St.).

Over at The Beer Can (1 Granite Way), Nonsuch Brewing Co. is teaming up with four local watering holes on Sunday to offer beer-based cocktails. Check out collaborative cocktails with Langside Grocery, Sous Sol, The Roost and Patent 5 Distillery (the Beer Can and Nonsuch will also be making special drinks of their own).

Pop by a Winnipeg Goldeyes game between Aug. 21 and 27 and check out the latest offerings from Devil May Care Brewing Co., Little Brown Jug, Dastardly Villain Brewing Co. and Fort Garry Brewing Co. as they take over the taps at Shaw Park’s Craft Beer Corner.

Striking selections to sip and savour

Last week I offered tips and tricks on shopping during the Liquor Mart labour dispute. Since then, Uncorked readers, the situation for consumers has gone from bad to worse.

Single-day lockouts and the occasional strike day have been replaced by a full-on work stoppage by unionized Liquor Mart employees. A visit this week to one of the five Winnipeg Liquor Marts during their limited hours (noon-5 p.m. on weekdays, and not at all on weekends, as of this writing) saw long lineups at the door, with tills being operated and shelves being stocked by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries management while disgruntled Liquor Mart staff walked the picket line outside. In short, a tense and not-so-pleasant experience.

By contrast, stops at beer vendors, private wine stores and local producers this week found them busier than usual as a result of the labour dispute, but still offering a far more enjoyable retail experience. For the most part shelves continue to be well-stocked (save for a few of the bigger-name ciders and coolers) and there’s far more elbow room.

This week’s featured wines are carried by private stores, while the beers tasted were made locally and are available either at the brewery where they were made (and where you can sit and enjoy some in person) or at better beer vendors.

Lining up your libations during labour disputes

Manitoba’s booze-buying opportunities continue to be both shaken and stirred by ongoing labour disputes between Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MLL) and the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU).

With the situation continuing to change day by day — from strike action to employees being locked out of certain stores to shipment and delivery issues at the MLL warehouse — customers have been left wondering where and when they can find their favourite products (or a suitable substitution).

Thankfully there are plenty of options out there — at least for now.

First of all, before heading to your nearest Liquor Mart to stock up, it’s best be sure they’re open — check the Liquor Marts website to see which stores might have been affected by work stoppages. Hours of operation are being updated daily as things change.

Warm-weather workhorse grape excels in red blends

If there were ever a wine grape that could be considered a team player, it’s Grenache.

The fifth most widely planted red wine grape in the world (and seventh overall), Grenache might not get as much attention as Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and the like, but it’s an important component in wines made in warmer corners of the world.

Like many grapes, it confusingly goes by a number of different names — in Spain it’s called Garnatcha, Garnacha Tinta or Garnatxa, and some French producers refer to it as Grenache Noir in order to differentiate it from its white-grape cousins Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris.

The grape is thought to have first been planted for wine production in the Catalonia region of northern Spain before spreading across the Mediterranean Sea to southern France and Italy, where it’s mainly made into red wines but can also be made into flavourful rosés. In the New World, Grenache is most widely planted in Australia’s Barossa and McLaren Vale regions, with healthy pockets of the grape also found in California.

Lots of beer and cider events throughout the summer

Beer and cider lovers in Manitoba have plenty to look forward to this summer, with all manner of range of tastings, beer-and-food pairings, brewery concerts and more coming over the next couple of months…

Morden’s Rendezvous Brewery and Taproom will be serving up brews in Carman today at the Carman Fair, which started on July 13 and runs through to the end of today. The beer gardens open from noon to 2 a.m. and feature performances by Daniel Desorcy and others. For more on all the fun on tap, see carmancountryfair.ca.

Back in the big city, the Beer Can at the Granite (1 Granite Way) is hosting Ciderday, featuring Manitoba cideries Next Friend, Wooden Gate and Dead Horse, today from 2 to 6 p.m. The trio of cider producers will be sampling a range of their products; $25 gets you a cider passport, which will get you six four-ounce pours — they’re available at the Beer Can bar the day of the event.

The second edition of Ballpark Brewfest takes place next Saturday (July 22) from 1 to 5 p.m. at Shaw Park. A total of 24 local craft breweries, brew pubs and contract brewers (plus one cidery) will be on hand to pour their wares all afternoon, rain or shine (booths are set up under the roof of the concourse area). Tickets are $60 plus fees and include all samples, a miniature souvenir mug and your choice of a hotdog, burger or slice of pizza. See wfp.to/NaF for details.

Italian reds and Kiwi whites for summer

With all the folk fest coverage this weekend, there’s little room in this week’s arts and life section for me to yammer on too much about all things wine, beer and spirits. So here are notes on three New World wines as well as a trio of tasty Italian reds I’ve tried recently…

The Sileni 2020 Straits Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand — $21.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) brings intense grapefruit, gooseberry and ripe lime aromas, with secondary grassy and bell-pepper notes. There’s a hint of chalkiness in there as well. It’s light-bodied and dry — and, with a relatively older vintage, slightly more developed than younger Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand — offering ripe (but still tart) citrus flavours while avoiding getting too herbal and green. Having said that, the acidity is still quite zippy, and that chalky note gets a chance to shine through on the finish. Quite tasty. 4/5

Toasting Canada

While there’s never a bad time to encourage folks to drink Canadian wines, the Canada Day weekend always seems a particularly good time to advocate for vino made in our own backyard.

We’re not talking about the cheapo stuff made in bulk from a blend of “domestic and international grapes,” as the labels point out, but rather those made from grapes grown in Canada, many of which sport the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) logo on the bottle.

This year, trumpeting made-in-Canada wines comes with a greater sense of urgency, as producers in grape-growing and winemaking regions from coast to coast have struggled with some serious setbacks, particularly over the past 12 to 18 months.

Out east, Nova Scotia producers are looking for help from their provincial government after a ruling by the World Trade Organization — based on complaints from Australia — stated wineries in that province were unfairly advantaged by an excise tax exemption. As a result, tax on a bottle of Nova Scotia wine has gone from 43 per cent to a whopping 140 per cent.

New local whisky back online

Patent 5 is getting set to release its second limited-run whisky online and in person. After some online difficulties last year during its first release, they’re hoping the process is as smooth as the stuff inside the bottle.

In November 2022, the Winnipeg distillery launched its first whisky, a 300-bottle run aged in used sherry casks for over three years. The whisky, which retailed for just under $80, sold out within 90 minutes despite a website crash that frustrated co-owner Brock Coutts (and many whisky lovers looking to snag a bottle).

The online gremlins have seemingly been exorcised. Coutts and crew will release their second whisky in person at their facility, located at 108 Alexander Ave., and online at patent5.ca on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Unlike the first whisky release, which was aged in sherry casks, the new release was aged for 38 months in gently used American oak barrels, and features a blend of corn, wheat and malted barley (versus the prior release, which was corn-dominant).

Toast Dad on Father’s Day

If Dad loves beer — and, let’s be honest here, most dads do — there are plenty of options for raising a glass with pops this Father’s Day weekend.

Kilter Brewing Co. just released its Big Daddy’s Root Beer Float, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout infused with root beer spices, vanilla and more. In addition to launching the beer, the brewery is spending the weekend making three different types of beer floats (and a non-alcoholic option) in its taproom (450 Rue Deschambault) and on the patio. Kilter is open until 11 p.m. tonight and all day Saturday.

Over at Devil May Care (155-A Fort St.) they’re serving up a three-course Father’s Day craft beer brunch with Loaf & Honey Saturday at 11 a.m. that pairs each dish with a different beer. Tickets were still available at press time; they’re $65 plus taxes/fees at wfp.to/NBH. (Trans Canada Brewing Co. is also doing a Father’s Day brunch, but it’s already sold out.)

If Dad considers himself to be quite the funnyman, take him down to Torque Brewing Co. (330-830 King Edward St.) for Dad Joke Bingo, which takes place tonight at 7 p.m. There’s no cost for admission.

All hail the Wine King

In 17-plus years of writing about wine and drinks for the Free Press, I’ve chatted with some pretty heavy hitters in the industry. But arguably none have made as big an impact on the Canadian wine scene — and, arguably, the global drinks landscape — as Anthony von Mandl.

The 73-year-old von Mandl was in Winnipeg in May to receive the International Distinguished Entrepreneur Award (IDEA) from The Associates of the University of Manitoba’s Asper School of Business. He doesn’t do a lot of interviews, but I figured I’d put in a request for even just a few minutes of his time to talk wine.

First, a Coles Notes version of his life: born in Vancouver, he and his family moved to Europe before he returned to Canada to go to school. Von Mandl followed his passion for wine and set up an importing company, which didn’t do so well, then purchased a run-down winery in the Okanagan Valley in 1981 and renamed it Mission Hill.

As the winery made slow inroads, von Mandl generated cash flow by essentially creating the flavoured cider category followed by the Mike’s Hard line of coolers, both of which took off (and which he subsequently sold).

A little chill is always welcome in your wine

With temperatures set to hit 30 C or higher for the next number of days, many will be looking to beat the heat with a glass of something chilled. Whether it’s white, rosé or even red — yes, you can (and should) chill some reds, more on that in a minute — there are a few tried-and-true tips and tricks to cool down your wines in a hurry.

Generally speaking, you can gauge how much to chill your wine by its colour. Lighter whites and rosés as well as sparkling wine tend to taste best when they’re chilled right down — think Sauvignon Blanc, Cava, Pinot Grigio, rosé from France’s Provence region, and the like. Slightly darker (and typically heavier) white and pink wines still taste best chilled, but that oaky Chardonnay probably doesn’t need to be quite as cold as, say, a racy, citrusy Vinho Verde from Portugal.

As for chilling reds, lighter varieties such as Pinot Noir and Gamay do quite well after about 15-20 minutes in the fridge, while heavier fruit-driven reds (think entry-level Argentine Malbec or Aussie Shiraz) can also stand to be served slightly cool — say, 10-15 minutes in the fridge. More full-bodied, tannic and/or oak-aged reds, however, don’t do well when served cold; the lower temperature accentuates the tannins, making them seem even drier. However, the suggestion of serving a red at “room temperature” typically means between 16-18 C, so feel free to pop them in the fridge, even just for five-10 minutes.

If you’ve just come back from your favourite shop and need your wine chilled in a hurry, some methods work faster than others. While 25-30 minutes in the freezer will make a wine a modestly cold, you can get a wine much colder far faster by popping it in an ice bucket (or any bucket, but preferably metal) with cold water and a whole bunch of ice cubes. You can speed this technique up even more by adding some salt to the water, which lowers the water’s freezing temperature, and stirring or agitating the water-and-ice solution occasionally. And if you can’t get the bottle fully submerged, flip it upside down halfway through.

Local libations win big

Manitoba brewers, bartenders and sommeliers have been hauling in the hardware this past week.

On May 15, the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) held the In Good Spirits cocktail competition as part of MB Somm Week. The event saw 14 local bartenders/mixologists square off in front of a capacity crowd at the Fort Garry Hotel to see whose cocktail would reign supreme.

The winner of the event was Alex Weiss of Preservation Hall Eatery + Wine Bar, with his “Sanguine Swizzle” cocktail — featuring blanco tequila, hibiscus tea, beet juice, green pepper juice, champagne acid, mint, basil, strawberry-honey syrup and crushed ice. Preservation Hall (655 Empress St.) has added the drink to its spring/summer cocktail list, if you want to give it a try. Weiss, meanwhile, has won a trip to Kentucky for his efforts.

Second place went to Jason Thompson of Gather at the Leaf in Assiniboine Park for his “Hot Date” cocktail, while third place went to Tanika Born of Sous Sol for the “Bee Movie” cocktail. The people’s choice went to Josh Rhoopchand of the Manitoba Club for the “Virginia is for (Breakfast) Lovers” cocktail.

Professional sommeliers are gathering and they hope you’ll raise a glass with them

Manitoba sommeliers are uncorking a week-long celebration, and wine lovers of all stripes are invited.

The Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) kicks off MB Somm Week on Monday, with a week of tastings, masterclasses, tours, competitions and more running through May 16 and taking place in venues throughout the city.

The events, which are open to both members and non-members, coincide with the 10th anniversary of the local chapter, which is made up of those working in the wine industry — at restaurants, wine stores, Liquor Marts and the like — as well as amateur enthusiasts and wine lovers. (For details and to buy tickets, see wfp.to/mbsommweek.)

Manitoba’s CAPS chapter holds tastings throughout the year featuring local experts, visiting winemakers and export managers.

Local citrus beer offerings must mean summer nears

Another month, another compelling collection of new local brews hitting the shelves of tap rooms, beer vendors and Liquor Marts throughout Winnipeg and beyond…

One of the first beers brewed at its new Sherbrook Street brewery, the Good Neighbour Brewing Co. Tangerine Wheat ($4.25/473ml cans, brewery, Liquor Marts, beer vendors) is pale gold in colour and slightly hazy, bringing ripe orange and wheat notes on the nose as well as underlying malt and spice notes.

It’s mainly dry and light-bodied, with a subtle creamy texture fleshing out the tangerine and grain notes, low bitterness, the spice component sticking around throughout and a crisp, clean finish (it’s five per cent alcohol). Crushable but with some complexity — very well done. 4.5/5

The Nonsuch Brewing Co. Mango Farmhouse Ale ($4.80/473ml cans, brewery, Liquor Marts, beer vendors) offers much of the same appearance-wise, while aromatically delivering concentrated tropical fruit notes, along with some lemon candy and earthy, funky spice, courtesy of the inclusion of brettanomyces yeast.

Calculating climate costs into the price of your next bottle

Earth Day is a time to reflect on the ways we can go about reducing the harm we cause to the planet, both in the short and long term.

There are steps we can take to be kinder to the Earth as it pertains to wine-drinking habits — seeing as grape-growing and winemaking impact the planet, and rarely for the better, it’s worth considering when picking out your next bottle of wine.

A jaunt through wine country typically rewards visitors with picturesque rolling fields of rows of vines, with healthy-looking, well-manicured plants soaking up the sun as the fruit ripens. But there’s typically way more going on in those vineyards than simple photosynthesis.

Grape vines produce the best fruit when they’re planted in warm, dry climates where they have to work hard to get moisture, with roots burrowing deep into the soil in search of water. When that water’s not there in decent supply and rain is in short supply, grape growers are often forced to pipe in water to irrigate vines — and it can take a whole lot of this precious resource to keep the plants healthy.

Argentine Malbec and producers gets their day and their due

For the last 13 years, Argentine wine producers and marketers have proudly pumped the tires on the country’s flagship wine-producing grape variety every April 17.

Brews for both seasons

This is the time of year when beer drinkers typically shift their sipping habits from heartier, heavier brews to lighter, more refreshing lagers and ales.

It’s whisky o’clock

My recent bout with COVID-19 at the end of February really couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Bank and climate crises are crowding the vines

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the U.S. could spell big trouble for winemakers in California.

Take a journey to France for standout red wines

If there were ever a wine-producing region to be relied on for pumping out high-quality reds at a reasonable price, it’s France’s Rhône Valley — particularly wines from the southern Rhône.

Find the perfect wine to grace your holiday dinner table

Whether you’re stuffing a turkey, glazing a ham or ordering takeout this holiday season, nothing finishes off that perfectly planned festive feast quite like the right bottle of wine. Here are 10 tipples I’ve recently tried that drink well on their own, but would also complement all manner of yuletide eats…

Treat yourself to one of these spooky brews

In today’s Free Press arts and life section you’re treated to a roundup of must-see Halloween TV, a Halloween-themed playlist, a preview of WSO’s Nosferatu and more. On Monday, when kids are making the rounds screaming on peoples’ doorsteps, you can read about the team’s taste test of new-to-us treats.