Staff Picks

Jason MacPhee

Wine Category Manager

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

In 1887 Emile Bouchon boarded a ship from Bordeaux to Chile. Upon arrival in the Colchagua Valley, he was able to build one of the most prominent vineyards of the time. Emile’s Grandson Julio traveled south and fell in love with the granite soils of the Maule Valley. In 1977 he acquired Mingre Estate where the family lives and produces wine today. I met the family and enjoyed their wines. Next I would love to experience the Maule Valley.

The J.Bouchon Canto Sur is produced using select Carmenere, Carignan and País grapes from their vineyards in Maule. Intense red fruit notes of cherry on the nose. The fruit carries over on the palate and is accompanied with a savory herbaceous peppery finish.

Lucas Mader

Category Manager for Beer, Refreshment, & Spirits, Cicerone

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

I don’t know about you, but the world is a little hectic these days. A little too on your phone, a little too busy busy. Wouldn’t it be nice to slow down, doing things the old fashioned way, and spend some time in a small town? Like Brasserie Dupont for instance, located in the small hamlet of Troupes, Belgium. Located just 10km from the French border lies this world-class, family run brewery. 

Still using a flame powered boil kettle, the same malt scales used for 100 years, and a steadfast tradition of doing things the slow way. You can sort of picture it now, can’t you? A little table on a tiny town street, easting some local hard cheese, drinking a great beer, slowly watching the world go by? Sounds pretty nice to me. 

Kathryn Harding

Director of Customer Experience, Sommelier

Picks to Share with Someone Special

I love PINOT NOIR, particularly the French variations, yet I am always on the lookout for something delicious from other parts of the globe. The great thing about a good Californian Pinot is its fruit-forward profile.  Unlike the cooler wine-growing regions, it boasts an abundance of cherry, plum, and raspberry notes that seamlessly leap from the glass as a result of the long sunny growing season. This pinot was medium-bodied, lush, velvety and smooth, and it didn’t require deep thought to enjoy. A great fruit-forward new-world pinot noir that isn’t trying to be anything more than a great Pinot Noir.

Alanna McIntyre

Product Specialist, Sommelier

“If I could visit any of our of producers/suppliers”

Gaby McCotter

Retail Manager

Favourite Fast Food Pairing: King of Donair

Pairing wine with a donair, a delicious and savoury dish, can be a bit of a challenge due to its combination of flavours, including spiced meat, vegetables, and creamy sauce. However, a Grenache-based rose might do the trick. A crisp, fruity, and slightly dry rose made from a blend of grapes can be a good match for a donair. The bright acidity and fruitiness of the wine complement the savoury and slightly spicy flavours of the meat, while the refreshing character of the rose helps cut through the richness of the sauce.
After all we are in Nova Scotia and well donairs are a popular fast food- with spring coming it’s time to drink roses!

Ryan Almeida

eCommerce Manager

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

“This is no small task- picking a supplier/producer that l’d like to visit, that is. Part of me wants wants to be in Europe’s many wine-growing regions but lately, I think I’d be happiest visiting Viva Mexico Distillery, where Master Distiller Sergio Cruz crafts Siempre’s delicious tequila. Made from 100% Blue Weber agave and sourced from both the Highlands and Lowlands, the juice ages for up to six months in American Oak barrels and produces all of those clean, grassy and fruity agave notes on the nose mingled with delicious oak, vanilla, and even more fruit on the palate. Sitting firmly in the middle between their Blanco and Anjeo, sip this on its own or sub for Blanco Tequila in your favourite cocktail recipe for added richness.

Kate Fraser

Retail Supervisor, Spirits Specialist

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

Distinctly influenced by Norse culture, the Orkney Islands are unlike any other Scotch producing region in Scotland. Scotch has a rich history going far enough back to make  your eyes cross, but at some point a settlement began in the Northern Islands and farming began. The landscape here is rich with fertile soil and rolling lowhills, and barley grows effortlessly. Where there is barley, there is whisky. I would love to sit amongst the archeological finds of ancient settlements with a hefty dram of Highland 12.

Stefan Nielsen

Retail Supervisor, Sommelier

“If I could visit any of our products/suppliers”

Just about everything I’m told you can expect at Azienda Agricola Foradori makes it sound like the perfect place to visit. You’ve got: Energetic, lively natural wines with none of the funk and all of the flavour; organic vegetable gardens on the property, cellar tours of old wines and raw milk cheese aging in caves. And all of this in a beautiful alpine village in the shadow of Dolomite Mountains. Elisabetta herself is said to be a wealth of knowledge and an excellent speaker, and an even better hostess. SIGN ME UP.

Matt Hodgson

Retail Supervisor

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

If you’ve talked to me before, it’s no secret I love beer. Home to 6 out of the 13 Trappist breweries in the world, Belgium is high on my list of places to visit. Arguably the most famous amongst those 6 is Chimay. 

The Scourmont Abbey was founded in 1862, with beer production always being a port of their legacy. The water for the beers is drawn from a well located inside the monastery walls. The filtered solids from the beer mash are recycled into livestock feed which is given to the same cows that produce the milk for Chimay cheeses.

Beer and cheese produced under one roof? Yeah, that’s where I want to go. The white happens to be my favourite, but I’ll happily have any of their beer.

Genny

Customer Service Sales Associate, Sommelier

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

I have always loved Spanish wines and Casajus as a producer represents everything that first drew me to these styles. It is a small family operation in the heart of Ribera del Duero. I would love to visit the gently rolling hills, see the old gnarled Tinta del Pais (tempranillo) vines while sipping on a glass of the Vendimia Seleccionada, which to me is the perfect marriage of centuries of tradition and modern winemaking techniques. Winemaker Jose Alberto Calvo Casajus’s love for the land shines through in his wines, which always strike a balance between robust fruit, balanced oak and energetic structure. 

Fernando

Customer Service Sales Associate

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

They say chateau reigns supreme in Bordeaux meaning winemakers and their techniques are what speak through the wine. I’ve enjoyed most of the Bordeaux wines I’ve tasted, but this was the first to garner my curiosity. Maison Sichel dates back to 1883, and while I wouldn’t be able to speak with the founders I’d have plenty of questions about their history and plans for the future. Hopefully they’ll open a Chateau Palmer or two while we talk. Found on the left bank and near the base of the Gironde river, one can expect black fruit, spice, dark chocolate, and elegance emanating from this excellent Bordeaux.

Daniela

Customer Service Sales Associate

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

Ginny Povall is a self-taught winemaker from Boston. In 2008, she moved to Stellenbosch and purchased Protea Heights, the first South African farm focused on growing indigenous protea flowers commercially. While Ginny still dedicates half of the 20 hectare property for protea cultivation, in 2009 she founded Botanica Wines, a winery that follows organic farming principles and biodiversity practices for more sustainability. (Fun fact: the wines’ brands and labels are inspired by the botanical flair that started with the protea flowers!). Botanica’s Big Flower Cabernet Franc is one of my personal favourites- it is a rich, full-bodied red compared to your everyday Cab Franc, showing an earthy character, with tobacco, ripe red fruit notes, and a touch of sweet red bell pepper.

Allie Barter

Customer Service Sales Associate

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

Blue Lobster is a Nova Scotia grown gem, located in the small town of Stellarton. The company features an array of spirits as well as a variety of yummy vodka cocktails. Their new Raspberry Lemonade Vodka cocktail is my new summer time favorite. It tastes exactly like the old frozen raspberry lemonade from Tim Hortons. The best part is that the cocktail is not carbonated so it is an easy chugger, or sipper if you so choose! Grab a pack, relax, and let your taste buds dance!

David

Customer Service Sales Associate

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

Deep in the heart of Veneto, green rolling hills, rich volcanic earth, and a breezy Mediterranean climate make Colli Euganei one of my top wine regions to visit. The wide variety of micro-climates which can be found in this sub-region of Veneto impart an indelible character to the wines produced here, and thanks to these aspects and the Lovo family’s dedication to organic production, Terregaie produces rich, consistent, and delicious wines unlike any other.

Now that spring is finally here, it’s time to break out the bubbly! grab yourself a bottle of Terregaie Prosecco from our chilled section and enjoy the beautiful Nova Scotian weather!

Sam

Customer Service Sales Associate

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

Growing up in Montreal, I’ve visited Ontario a thousand times before. However, I’ve never been to any of the wineries. 

Moray Tawse, drawn in by the potential of Ontario’s winemaking scene, opened Tawse Winery in 2005, and has been winning awards for his wines ever since. Tawse had a hand in producing some of my favourite wines from Burgundy, and I’d love a chance to try something that is a little closer to home, starting with this oh so delicious Chardonnay. Fresh and fruit driven but with an added depth of complexity from a touch of oak aging, contributing the perfect amount of toasty-ness.

Tianjun

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

While “Old Vine” may be an unregulated term, Seghesio Family Vineyards have devised their own strict guidelines for using the phrase. For them, “Old Vine” indicates a minimum age of 50 years, with the oldest vines being 94-year-old from Montafi vineyard in Russian River Valley that they purchased in 2011.

Since 1895, over five generations, the Seghesio Family have become expert leaders in Zinfandel, persevering through prohibition, earthquakes, fire and drought.

Sonoma Zinfandel represents our ideal expression of Sonoma County Zinfandel in any given vintage. It captivates with a complex fusion of blackberry, black currant, plum, cherry, and baking spice aromas. Its lively palate showcases succulent fruit interwoven with supple tannins, persisting from mid-palate to a gratifying finish.

Ireland McDonald

Customer Service Sales Associate

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

If I could visit one of our suppliers, Australia would be my top choice. I’d jump at the opportunity to explore Taras and Amber Ochota’s Adelaide Hills winery, where you can truly indulge in a taste of Aussie charm. Picture this: crisp Chardonnay grapes basking in the South Australian sun, crafted into a bottle of liquid gold! Their 2022 Chardonnay is a modern Aussie classic. Think tangy apples with hints of creamy goodness and a dash of minerality; It’s like a refreshing breeze on a hot day. Australia is known for its beautiful landscapes and welcoming hospitality and Taras and Amber Ochota’s winery captures the heart of it all. Cheers to savory chardonnay and hopefully some future travel adventures ahead!

Erica Priolo

Customer Service Sales Associate

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

As early as I can remember, I have been super eager to take a trip to Sicily and what better time now that I am able to enjoy one of the huge cultural attractions to Europe, food and wine. Specifically in Vittoria Sicily lies the vines of Arianna Occhipinti’s vineyard. Arianna has been passionate about vine culture since she was 16 years old, and began making wine in her early 20’s. Her Occhipinti SP68 White is biodynamic, tastes dry & crisp, and a medley of ripe fruit and fresh herbs. I dream of the day I get to relax on the romantic sunny planes of Occhipinti alongside a refreshing glass of white wine. As we progress into warm weather, I will be imagining it from my front yard.

Joel

Customer Service Sales Associate

“If I could visit any of our producers/suppliers”

Try something new and old! In the south of France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region just outside of the coastal commune of Narbonne, Gérard Bertrand is making biodynamic wine. This region is home to some of the oldest architecture in Europe just on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, the sea that influenced western culture as we know it. 

This particular wine is part of a new movement of wine making which is actually a renaissance of the original wine made from white wine grapes. How could one not want to go experience one of the oldest places in the world, drink like the ancients, and be part of a new movement?