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New Arrivals:

• Alkoomi Shiraz/Viognier
• Alpha Box & Dice "Blood of Jupiter"
  
• Alpha Box & Dice "The Fog"
• Alpha Box & Dice "Dead Winemakers Society"
• Alpha Box & Dice "The Apostle"
• The Apprentice Red
• The Apprentice White
• Cape Barren Chardonnay
• Water Wheel Chardonnay

• Bosquet Chateauneuf-du-Pape Red
• Bosquet Chateauneuf-du-Pape White
• Cormin Macon-Pouilly
• Cormin Pouilly Fuisse
• Fiou Sancerre
• Garudet Bourgogne Pinot Noir
• Grand Verdus Bordeaux
• Grand Verdus Bordeaux Tradition
• Grand Verdus Bordeaux Reserve
• Loury Pouilly Fume
• Trignon Cotes-du-Rhone White
• Vins de Vienne Cotes-du Rhone White

• Painted Wolf Chenin Blanc
• Painted Wolf Pinotage
• The Ruins Pinotage
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Wine

We are proud to offer a truly unique, eccentric, and broad selection of wines from around the globe. We spent countless hours tasting and researching to find the very best that each country has to offer, and to bring them to Lethbridge at a price that won't break the bank. We endeavor to make your wine buying experience, interesting, lighthearted, educational and rewarding, and our selection reflects that commitment. With over 1900 wines in stock every day, you are sure to find something that tickles your fancy.

 

Very Exciting: Alpha Box & Dice

New in from Australia are the extremely exciting, and highly-limited wines from Justina & Emma Lane. You may remember this dynamic duo from the extremely well-received RedHead Studios, the "Studio Winery" that the Lanes founded with Tony Laithwaite back in 2002. These are the folks that brought you the Yard Dog series of wines, the Viottolo label, a great many crazy one-offs, like "The Nebb" Nebbiolo, Changing Lanes, and barrel Monkeys Shiraz, among others. This latest project is uniquely theirs, and with the same winemaking talent and panache that defined Red Head Studios.

The wines we are getting are:

The Apostle Shiraz/Durif : Could also be phrased as Syrah/Petite Sirah, as these are synonyms for these grapes. Big, and fruit-driven, and powerful, with the massive fruit of the Durif, which can almost be Red Zinfandel-like, paired off with the black fruit of the Shiraz.

We got 24 bottles. Price is $29.75

 

Blood of Jupiter Sangiovese/Cabernet: I have LOVED all of the Redhead Studios Italian/French blends back when they stiull did them (they were the Viottolo label), and to see a new wine in the same tradition brings no small amount of joy to my heart. Spicy, redolent of berries, with tremendous structure and interest, this an absolutely deadly wine. THIS is why this is such an exciting release for us.

We got 48 bottles. Price is $29.95

 

Changing Lanes Tempranillo/Cabernet: The only "brand" that the Lanes carried over from the Redhead Studios stable, at least so far, the Changing Lanes has been one of favorite wines in the store, that no-one ever buys. Maybe it's the hologram label, but for whatever reason, it hasn't been a runaway success for us, but it's still a fantastic wine, and always worth a mention here.

We got 12 bottles. Price is $29.95

 

Dead Winemaker's Society Dolcetto: A pure Dolcetto, the third Dolcetto we have carried from Australia, and the third from a really cool winery. Wake up Italy! Dolcetto has passed you by! Delicate and feminine, as Dolcetto should be, but with just enough ooph to remind you with every sip that this is still a new-world wine.

We got 60 bottles. Price is $27.35

The Fog Nebbiolo/Cabernet/Tannat: Do any of you remember Red Head Studio's "The Nebb"? Probably not. It sold out in about 15 minutes flat, but among those of us who were working here at the time, the legend lives on. The Nebb was a pure Nebbiolo, and this is 70% Nebbiolo, from the same folks. These are also the same folks who had so much success blending Italian and French varieties under the Viottolo label. I had this last night (the 30th of August), it blew my mind. Fantastic stuff. You absolutely MUST try this!

We got 36 bottles. Price is $36.85

Beat the Heat!   My Guide to Summer Wines....

New and Popular: The Squid's Fist!       - SOLD OUT!!! -

     Look at the label: What more do I have to say? Produced by Australia's Some Young Punks Wines, it's a Sangiovese(70%) / Shiraz (30%) Blend, from the same Punks who brought us the Drink n' Stick, Monsters Attack!,  and Passion has Red Lips. Surprisingly honest to its Tuscan roots, this wine shows great dry, spicy, earthy, floral Sangio character, as well as big, rich, blackberry fruit, and a surprisingly mouthfilling richness and weight that can only come from the Shiraz. A dynamite wine that has a giant squid fighting a Jules Verne-esque submarine on the label. Really? What more do you people want form me?

Our Price: $SOLD OUT

 

Deal of the Spring: Annie's Lane Coppertrail Shiraz 2002

     One of the best things about a recession, is that wine agents tend to do large-scale inventory clearouts. These clearouts are very rarely the mainstream, best-selling(boring) brands, because those tend to be their bread-and-butter during hard times. The axe always tends to fall on the boutique brands, the cool, interesting, rare, and wonderful items that are tough to sell to all but a handful of stores. The Annie's Lane is an example of a great little boutique wine that just couldn't cut it in this new, tougher economy. Initially offered at the eywatering Suggested Retail of $53.00 (ouch!) the Annie's Lane was recently drastically reduced by their representative, to such a ridiculously low price that we can offer it to you for $19.95. Aren't recessions grand?

                                                                                                                                 Our Price: $19.95 incl. GST

Back in Black: Mr Black's Concoction Shiraz/Viognier Returns!

        In thoroughly AWESOME news, the Must-Have Wine of 2009 has returned for its sdecond go-round here in Southern Alberta, and things are almost as insane this time. Without even an announcement of its return, Mr. black's is once again flying off our shelves. If you haven't had it yet, this wine is one of the few "hot-ticket" items that really delivers on the hype. The nose is gorgeously perfumed, with apricots, florals, and spice from the Viognier wonderfully accenting and balancing the dark fruit, tobacco, and pepper of the Shiraz. In the mouth the wine is both juicy, generous, and yet still balanced and structured. Get it while it lasts, as this wine doesn't tend to stick around very long!

                                                                                                                        Our Price:      $21.55 incl. GST

A New Look for a Spanish Classic:

Spencer Rolosen 'Madder Lake' Tempranillo 2005

    Tempranillo is one of the world's classic grapes. Just as Cabernet rules Bordeaux, and Syrah is the great grape of the Rhone Valley, so is Tempranillo the most characterful and distinguished grape of the Rioja. However, unlike Shiraz, Cabernet, Chardonnay, and most of the classic French grapes, Tempranillo hasn't seen a lot of love outside it's own borders. The New World seems bereft of Tempranillo, despite it being, by all accounts, a very versatile and relatively easy to work with vine, and one whose quality is beyond question.

   Enter Spencer Rolosen, who abhor the ordinary, and embrace the unusual, which endears thm to me right away. They produce some very interesting vines, from their Rhone-Ranger tribute, the Palaterra, which uses the very obscure Valdiguie grape variety, to their bush-trained Grenache Noir, and now this, the Madder Lake Tempranillo. This is a huge wine, which has obviously seen a fair amount of American Oak aging, as it shows both a rich mocha-like nose, full of black chocolate and espresso, combined with leather, smoke, spice, oak, sweet and spicy dark fruit, and a nice lingering earthiness. In the mouth this wine brings the pwer as well, intense and mouthfilling, but moderated by the surprisingly overt fruitiness, and backed by a nice, tannic backbone.

     And did I mention i got a bit of a deal on this wine as well? Last time we had it, this wine sold for $36.95, which while totally worth it, doesn't endear itself to everyone. This time around we were able to negotiate a far more appealing sticker price of $24.95. Only 10 cases available.

                                                                                                                 Our Price:    $24.95 incl. GST

Our Top 10 Wines of 2009: A Retrospective

10. La Monacesca Verdichio di Matelica

         If this were purely based on the quality of the wine alone, and did not take into account the popularity of the wine or the impact it had on the local wine scene over the course of the year, this could easily be our Wine of the Year. If all you've ever had for Verdicchio is the tame, straw-colored liquid that comes in a curvy bottle for $12, well, you haven't ever really had Verdicchio. This wine has all the fresh grip and bite of a top-notch New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but underpins it with a spot-on minerality, and just the lightest touch of pine nuts, almonds, and olive oil. A startlingly good bottle of wine.

Our Price: $21.95

9. Majella 'The Musician' Shiraz/Cabernet

        When a wine is 100% Coonawarra fruit, from a world-class winery like Majella, and sells for under $20, you better believe that it's on this list! A small independent winery owned by the Lynn family, we have been quietly carrying the Majella line for years. Small-batch, ultra-boutique wines, with forgettable packaging, they've done well, but this little wine has been a blockbuster for us. The wine is a big, blackverry and current monster, but look past the fruit, and you find a brooding herbal character, and surprising depth. Not an over-fruited sugar bomb, this is a classic, elegant, and juicy wine with more complexity than you would expect for the price. First rate!

Our Price:   $19.95

8. Tawse Echos Riesling

     Well this is a bit of a first, not only is this wine white, it's also sweet! Heavens! Okay, kinda exagerrating there, but not by a whole lot. With the focus of most wine drinkers still like a laser beam directed exclusively at the Dry Red category, wonderful, delicate whites like this seem to sneak in under the radar. This is one of the very finest New World rieslings I've had in a very long time; delicate and perfectly balanced, with a crystalline acidity, gorgeous white peach fruit, a lovely mineral undercurrant, and just enough petroleum, this sets a very high benchmark for how good not only New World Riesling can be, but a new standard for Canadian wines as well.

Our Price:   $17.45

7. Rolf Binder Hales Shiraz

           The wine formerly known as "that one that's kinda like Heartland Shiraz" has finally moved out from under the shadow of our perennial best-seller and has developed a following of its own. A siken shiraz, medium-bodied, this wine is a big, berryish wine, with plenty of vanilla and chocolate notes as well, kept in balance by a moderate earthiness, and a hint of leather. Overall, a fantastic stepping-stone between commercial fruit-bomb Shiraz, and the monsters that lurk out in the deep waters.

Our Price: $19.95

6. Steele Shooting Star Merlot

          We have always loved Jed Steele's Merlots. His Clear Lake Merlot has been in the Top 10 the past 2 years, but it was the Shooting Star that really made waves this year. The biggest change for this wine was not in winemaking, or a praticularly good vintage, no the change was that they finally moved away from those godawful, hokey, brand-killing labels they had been coming with for so long. Strangely, one they were gone, sales have gone up 400%, strong enough sales for me to be able to include them on this list. A gorgeous, stuctured Merlot, far from the overly simple Californian Merlots that have made the grape the butt of jokes (though some of those are really funny!), it shows great blueberry fruit, solid tannin structure, earth, oak, leather, and spice. A very solid Merlot.

Our Price:   $18.95

5. Mr Black's Concoction Shiraz/Viognier

        First off, Yes! This IS back in stock! This could easily have been Wine of the Year, but I have a personal rule about not making any wine that is too scarce Wine of the Year, so here it sits in the 5-spot. Our best-selling wine from early spring right through mid-summer, when it sold out, this wine created a rare frenzy. Massively aromatic, with both the opulent licorice and black cherries of the Shiraz, and the ethereal apricot blossom of the Viognier, the wine was a massive, weighty, powerful presence on the tongue as well. This wine should be back early this spring, and we felt, needed to be included on this list.

Our Price: $21.55

4. Heartland Shiraz

      What more can you say about the Juggernaut that is Heartland Shiraz that hasn't already been said? The only repeat winner of our Wine of the Year honors ('07 and '08), this wine has been our top-selling wine for the past 3 vintages in a row. Massive fruit, great notes of graphite, plum, blueberry, freshly cracked black pepper, surprising tannic structure, and a tendency to reward a modest 6 months of bottle aging with surprisingly noticable results.  A truly complete wine, but not our Wine of the Year this time...

Our Price:   $19.95

3. Gladstone Vineyards '12,000 Miles' Sauvignon Blanc

     Despite the current global love affair with all wines red and dry, there has been a surprisng trend towards New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, that seems to buck all of the projections that point at white wine being far less marketable than red. Far from the buttery generosity of Chardonnay, or the perfumed excess of Gewurztraminer, or the many-layered but long-ignored Riesling, New Zealand's great white hope is a wine that is all about lean, clean, minimalism. The polar opposite of opulent Aussie shiraz, this wine boasts a lean and razor-sharp body, displaying notes of lime zest, celery, stainless steel, grapefruit, and granite. Light gooseberry and lemon chiffon notes add some soft femininity to this lean grayhound of a wine, but it's beauty is in its stark, lean, bracing assault on the senses.

Our Price: $16.75

 

2. La Joya Gran Reserve Carmenere

     There should be no surprise that this wine finds itself on our Top 10 this year, being as it sold out in a week-end the first time it arrived, and is the very best expression of Carmenere that I have tasted to date. It's a big, berryish wine, that is very well-balanced by a generous helping of earth in the middle palate, complemented by the signature smokiness of good Carmenere, the wine has an oak presence, but it is by no means an Oak Monster. This one wins on perfect balance and sheer drinkability, which is a factor considering just how big this wine is. A phenominal wine that could have a Wine of the Year award in its future.

Our Price:    $24.95  incl. GST

Wine of the Year 2009:   Goulart Reserve Malbec

     Again, no surprise here if you've had this. A gorgeous, opulent, totally over-the-top wine that is positively bursting with flavour. Malbec, and thus Argentinian wine, has been THE buzzword for 2009, with Argentina moving from the 8th-best-selling section in the store, to second, right behind Australia. This wine is massive, with big spice, huge toasty vanillin oak, coffee, chocolate, red fruits, blacberries, earth, graphite, smoke, really everything you could possibly want out of a Malbec, or a red wine, period. This satisfies every possible criterion for our Wine of the Year honors, being utterly brilliant, not terribly expensive, available almost year-round, and being (unsurprisingly) very popular with our customers. Bravo to the folks at Paris Goulart, this wine ROCKS!

Our Price:    $25.95  incl. GST (Currently SOLD OUT)