Staff Pick
Staff Picks
📚 Indoor Winter Hobbies
In the hills between Parma and Reggio Emilia lies Venturini Baldini, an estate founded in 1976 and known for producing high-quality, organic sparkling wines. Now managed by the Prestia family, they continue a tradition of organic farming, showcasing the diversity of Emilia Romagna. Leading the way is their Montelocco Rosso, a vibrant Lambrusco with dark cherry and blackberry aromatics, tart fruit on the palate, a touch of chocolate, and soft, frothy bubbles. A hint of tannin adds structure and balance.
March this year? It’s all about the World Baseball Classic. I’m clearing the schedule, no distractions, just locked in for every pitch like it’s Game 7. And you already know there’s a glass of Brusco in hand the entire time.
Staff Pick
Lucas Mader
Category Manager for Beer and Spirits, Cicerone
🌊🦞 Local Products
Let’s lean into the shoulder season weather for a bit, shall we? The brutal winter cold has slowed, but we’re still a long way from warm sunny days. I’m going to drink a beer that sits happily in between all of it. Our friends at North have just released Cheeky Pint – a lovely little English Pale Ale (or, Bitter, as it’s sometimes called). It’s got biscuity honey malt notes that mingle with subtle notes of fresh herbs, florals, and bergamot tea. Don’t drink it too cold, or you’ll miss some of the nuance. But please, go ahead and enjoy it beside a mountain of fish and chips.
Staff Pick
Kathryn Harding
Director of Customer Experience, Sommelier
📚 Indoor Winter Hobbies
With a new jigsaw puzzle in front of me, I can shut out the noise and settle into that perfect state of focus. It’s one of my favourite pastimes. To accompany this peaceful productivity, I usually sip on an easy, delicious glass of red, and the Rocca Castagnoli Chianti fits this perfectly. It offers just the right balance of red fruit, freshness, and a lovely mouthfeel. Approachable without being boring, it’s the ideal companion for an evening of puzzling.
Staff Pick
Alanna McIntyre
Product Specialist, Sommelier
🌊🦞 Local Products
The Tidal Bay appellation and wine style represents innovation and collaboration which I think is very Nova Scotian and what I love about our province. Tidal Bay captures our refreshing coastal climate in a glass. The wine is a down to earth style, kind of like us Nova Scotians. This accessible wine goes with anything, anytime, anywhere. It’s what you’ll want to order on a patio downtown this summer, it’s the perfect wine for a weekend at the cottage and it pairs amazingly with local seafood. Each Spring as the new vintages of Tidal Bay are released, I start to taste my way through the different offerings and am continually impressed. Lightfoot & Wolfville’s Tidal Bay is one I always come back to for its balance, delicious, and one of the few that is certified organic.
Staff Pick
Ryan Almeida
eCommerce Manager
🌊🦞 Local Products
We’re celebrating local this month and what better choice than a local sparkling wine; something we do here in Nova Scotia at such a high level. I’m choosing the Benjamin Bridge Brut Rosé which has been something I’ve reached for year after year. All at once, this wine packs punchy acidity, some creaminess, rounded edges, delicate cherry and strawberry falvours. It’ll show best alongside local dishes like boiled lobster dipped in warm butter, steamed mussels with crunchy sourdough bread, and freshly-shucked Maritime oysters all on their own. Yes, I said it. Oysters in their purest form.
Staff Pick
Stefan Nielsen
Retail Supervisor, Sommelier
🌊🦞 Local Products
When fun new Spanish wine hits the shelf, you know I’m into it. This one in particular is definitely poised to be a new hit…mark my words. It’s an expressive, aromatic blend of two fun, indigenous Spanish varieties – Treixadura and Godello and is bursting with tropical, exotic fruit notes, salty minerality and a zippy acidity that keeps you coming back for you. Be like me and dream of sunny patio days with a bottle of this baby on ice, sunglasses on and feet up. Salud!
Staff Pick
Matt Hodgson
Store Operations Manager
🌊🦞 Local Products
Like many of you, 2 Crows left a lasting impression on me. Never afraid to push boundaries, they consistently crafted some of the most interesting beers for both die-hard enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike. Though their doors may be closed, they won’t soon be forgotten.
Velvet Static feels like a fitting encapsulation of that legacy. Clocking in at 11.9%, it’s a stout built to age—something you can cellar and revisit for years to come. Amaro barrel–aged and conditioned on orange zest, cocoa, and vanilla, it pours inky black: rich and robust, yet remarkably smooth.
2 Crows truly saved one of their best for last.
Staff Pick
Fernando
Customer Service Sales Associate, Sommelier
🌊🦞 Local Products
I think it is important to know that this beer took 6 years to make. It also used rhubarb and honeycomb sourced from Brew Master Jeremy’s backyard. It is a testament to 2 Crow’s quality, patience, and passion. This wild ale exemplifies what Nova Scotia has to offer. You will be missed 2 Crows.
Staff Pick
David
Customer Service Sales Associate
🌊🦞 Local Products
My first exposure to Nova Scotia sparkling was the L’Acadie Joie de Vivre, a fresh and vibrant charmat method sparkling wine highlighting the best of one of Nova Scotia’s signature grapes, L’Acadie Blanc. Bruce Ewert has been running L’Acadie Vineyards since 2004, and the inert is not only organic but certified to the European Biocyclic Vegan Standard. Joie de Vivre is a dry and mineral expression of the grape, displaying lightly toasted notes alongside fresh concentrated citrus and strawberry.
Staff Pick
Michael Kamras
Customer Service Sales Associate
🌊🦞 Local Products
Between the accolades at numerous award shows and the love it’s been shown in store, it’s kind of hard to say something new about this wine. The wine itself is this brilliant contradiction of simplistic accessibility and nuanced complexity; and, because of this, it is the perfect gateway Chardonnay for those who are curious or too afraid of an oaked style. Whether it is watching people’s expression as they try it for the first time or sitting down to a glass of it for myself, the Blomidon Reserve Chardonnay brings a special kind of joy to my day!
