Aligra Wine & Spirits Blog
Shop Local, Buy Local - More B.C. Wines than any store in Edmonton!
We 've counted them! As of today, November 1, 2011, Aligra Wine & Spirits has 185 different B.C. Wines from over 80 wineries!!
Come in and check them out! From cheeky labels from Dirty Laundry Winery like "Hush Hush Blush" and "Bordelo Red" to Winery of the Year - Sandhill's Small Lot series, Iconic wines such as Oculus, and Osoyoos La Rose - they are here!
As former British Columbians ourselves, we are proud to showcase this wonderful lineup of terrific Canadian wines. So many are award winners, have great stories behind them and most importantly, taste great!
Let us show you our favourites, recommend some for seasonal gift giving for friends or colleagues. We can custom gift wrap in our exclusive Aligra wine tubes and boxes.
Shop Local and come and visit us at West Edmonton Mall soon. Entrance 58 off 178th Street just inside the mall!
Okanagan Wine Tour continued
Another spectacular, sunny Okanagan day. We travelled northward and headed through the town of Penticton and up to the Naramata Bench on the east side of Okanagan Lake where many of the Okanagan's top wineries are situated. We stopped in to visit Mike, the owner of Township 7 and tasted the award winning Chardonnay that was recently served to Queen Elizabeth at a state dinner in Ottawa.
We drove down the winding road through numerous vineyards, sweeping views of the lake, orchards laden with robust apples stopping briefly at Therapy Vineyards where we stayed on our first wine tour back in 2006.
In the early afternoon, we stopped at the Okanagan Wine Information Centre in Penticton before driving along the other side of the lake and up to Summerland where we headed off the highway and up into the hills behind the picturesque town of Summerland on to Bottleneck Drive. Here, we stopped into Dirty Laundry Winery , a delightfully eclectic spot boasting more beautiful views, and delicious award winning wines with racy names such as Hush Hush Blush, and Bordello Red. Read more about this wineries titillating past!
Hungry, we drove out of Dirty Laundry, straight under a laden apple tree in a nearby orchard and plucked off two perfectly formed,. absolutely delicious apples to munch on. Hope the farmer wasn't watching........
Next stop was West Kelowna and the famous Quails Gate Winery . Today is the first day of the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival and the tasting room was packed with wine lovers! We enjoyed a VIP tasting with Brian, a passionate, friendly and very knowledgeable man who is a trained sommelier and chef. Honestly, we loved all the wines we tried. We strolled in the vineyards in the late afternoon sunshine admiring the views and determined that the plump, tight clusters of grapes would soon be harvested within the next few weeks. We were given a barrel ( empty - too bad!) to bring back to the store.
We drove down the winding road through numerous vineyards, sweeping views of the lake, orchards laden with robust apples stopping briefly at Therapy Vineyards where we stayed on our first wine tour back in 2006.
In the early afternoon, we stopped at the Okanagan Wine Information Centre in Penticton before driving along the other side of the lake and up to Summerland where we headed off the highway and up into the hills behind the picturesque town of Summerland on to Bottleneck Drive. Here, we stopped into Dirty Laundry Winery , a delightfully eclectic spot boasting more beautiful views, and delicious award winning wines with racy names such as Hush Hush Blush, and Bordello Red. Read more about this wineries titillating past!
Hungry, we drove out of Dirty Laundry, straight under a laden apple tree in a nearby orchard and plucked off two perfectly formed,. absolutely delicious apples to munch on. Hope the farmer wasn't watching........
Next stop was West Kelowna and the famous Quails Gate Winery . Today is the first day of the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival and the tasting room was packed with wine lovers! We enjoyed a VIP tasting with Brian, a passionate, friendly and very knowledgeable man who is a trained sommelier and chef. Honestly, we loved all the wines we tried. We strolled in the vineyards in the late afternoon sunshine admiring the views and determined that the plump, tight clusters of grapes would soon be harvested within the next few weeks. We were given a barrel ( empty - too bad!) to bring back to the store.
Okanagan Winery Visits-Aligra Wine & Spirits
Woke up this morning to a clear, warm, sunny day. The serenity of the lake, the sun rising behind the mountain, birds chattering busily in the trees and hedgerows - a perfect morning. After a delicious breakfast on the patio, we headed out to our first appointment at Burrowing Owl Winery. Thanks Donna for a great tour of the facilities!
Sitting at the north end of the lake, this mission style winery is surrounded by vines -theirs and other blocks owned by other wineries in the valley. It's Crush right now, and we arrrived just as the Gewurztraminer grapes were being brought in by the pickers to the press.
We helped the winemakers sort the first 10 pallets of this season's harvest. Wonderful getting your hands on the grapes and knowing that they would be turned into spectacular juice! We enjoyed some tastings of their award winning wines, including the 2008 Meritage before having a light lunch at the Sonora Restaurant. Aligra Wine & Spirits at West Edmonton Mall carries several of their wonderful wines.
Next stop Le Vieux Pin winery. This winery produces some big Bordeaux blends that are highly sought out by connoisseurs. They are sold out of their fabulous 2006 Apogee and Epoch at the winery, however, if you are looking for this vintage, it's available at Aligra Wine & Spirits.
The weather continued to be hot and sunny and we carried on our tour, stopping briefly at Oliver Twist near Oliver. Their Rosada Splash, a dessert wine of syrah and viognier was delicious! We are working on getting them into Alberta.
Our next stop was award winning Hester Creek Winery on the west side of the highway south of Oliver. The last time we visited in 2006, it was a small tasting room surrounded by acres of vineyards next to Gheringer Brothers. Well, the owner, Curtis Garland has put millions of dollars into the development of this winery and the new 23000 square foot winery built into the mountain is a show piece. Nothing has been left out. Every detail has been taken care of. It's stunning! Robin, the sales and marketing director, showed us the 6 beautiful villas above the winery that all boast magnificent views of the valley. There is a gourmet, state of the art demonstration kitchen in the tasting room down below that seats 14 and is often the scene for celebrity chef demonstrations and tastings. Their wines are stellar, and we are proud to carry them in our store at West Edmonton Mall.
By now, the sun was slowing beginning to slip behind the mountains. Our last stop - Road 13 , where it's "all about the dirt". We met up with winery owner Pam. who showed us the new, huge warehouse and executive tasting room with a panoramic view of the entire valley. Their opening is this week for the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival. Their award winning wines - Honest John's red and white, Rockpile and Fifth Element are all available in Alberta, with more on the way. Be sure to give them a try.
As the sun began setting, we headed back to the Watermark Resort, where we enjoyed soaking in the hot tub before heading out for dinner. We're tired, but happy and looking forward to another fabulous Okanagan day tomorrow.
We will be posting photos on the website once we return home.
Sitting at the north end of the lake, this mission style winery is surrounded by vines -theirs and other blocks owned by other wineries in the valley. It's Crush right now, and we arrrived just as the Gewurztraminer grapes were being brought in by the pickers to the press.
We helped the winemakers sort the first 10 pallets of this season's harvest. Wonderful getting your hands on the grapes and knowing that they would be turned into spectacular juice! We enjoyed some tastings of their award winning wines, including the 2008 Meritage before having a light lunch at the Sonora Restaurant. Aligra Wine & Spirits at West Edmonton Mall carries several of their wonderful wines.
Next stop Le Vieux Pin winery. This winery produces some big Bordeaux blends that are highly sought out by connoisseurs. They are sold out of their fabulous 2006 Apogee and Epoch at the winery, however, if you are looking for this vintage, it's available at Aligra Wine & Spirits.
The weather continued to be hot and sunny and we carried on our tour, stopping briefly at Oliver Twist near Oliver. Their Rosada Splash, a dessert wine of syrah and viognier was delicious! We are working on getting them into Alberta.
Our next stop was award winning Hester Creek Winery on the west side of the highway south of Oliver. The last time we visited in 2006, it was a small tasting room surrounded by acres of vineyards next to Gheringer Brothers. Well, the owner, Curtis Garland has put millions of dollars into the development of this winery and the new 23000 square foot winery built into the mountain is a show piece. Nothing has been left out. Every detail has been taken care of. It's stunning! Robin, the sales and marketing director, showed us the 6 beautiful villas above the winery that all boast magnificent views of the valley. There is a gourmet, state of the art demonstration kitchen in the tasting room down below that seats 14 and is often the scene for celebrity chef demonstrations and tastings. Their wines are stellar, and we are proud to carry them in our store at West Edmonton Mall.
By now, the sun was slowing beginning to slip behind the mountains. Our last stop - Road 13 , where it's "all about the dirt". We met up with winery owner Pam. who showed us the new, huge warehouse and executive tasting room with a panoramic view of the entire valley. Their opening is this week for the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival. Their award winning wines - Honest John's red and white, Rockpile and Fifth Element are all available in Alberta, with more on the way. Be sure to give them a try.
As the sun began setting, we headed back to the Watermark Resort, where we enjoyed soaking in the hot tub before heading out for dinner. We're tired, but happy and looking forward to another fabulous Okanagan day tomorrow.
We will be posting photos on the website once we return home.
Okanagan Winery Visits by Aligra Wine & Spirits
What a spectaculary beautiful drive from Edmonton via Calgary and south through the Crows Nest Pass into B.C. yesterday. Clear blue skies all the way and magnificent gold and bronze shimmering autumn colours the whole way. Arrived in Osoyoos late last night and staying at the new Watermark Resort. Very nice! Wine tours lined up today and we'll report back on these later.
Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 - Order yours today!
Thursday November 18th, 2010 is the official release day of the 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau.
It's a tradition steeped in French history read more
It's a great excuse to throw a party to celebrate the new harvest, the autumn, whatever you want to celebrate!
Production is limited, and Alberta only sees a few hundred casesof this wine a year. We are taking orders up to October 1st so we can be sure to have enough ordered to arrive at the store on November 18th for you to pick up.
The Gamay we are bringing in is Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 in the pretty painted bottles. It will retail for $21.99 a bottle and for a case of 12 we offer a 10% case discount.
To order yours, contact info@aligrawineandspirits.com . Put Beaujolais Nouveau order in the subject line. Be sure to include your name and telephone number too. All orders must be prepaid.
A bientot!
It's a tradition steeped in French history read more
Production is limited, and Alberta only sees a few hundred casesof this wine a year. We are taking orders up to October 1st so we can be sure to have enough ordered to arrive at the store on November 18th for you to pick up.
The Gamay we are bringing in is Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 in the pretty painted bottles. It will retail for $21.99 a bottle and for a case of 12 we offer a 10% case discount.
To order yours, contact info@aligrawineandspirits.com . Put Beaujolais Nouveau order in the subject line. Be sure to include your name and telephone number too. All orders must be prepaid.
A bientot!
First International Grenache Day - Celebrate with US September 24th!
September 24th is International Grenache Day and we are celebrating here in Edmonton! Stop by the store between 3 and 5 pm and taste some of this under-valued, versatile grape. Many grenache style wines available for purchase - either single varietal or in a delicious blend.
Read more about International Grenache Day here.
Read more about International Grenache Day here.
Like BIG Red Wines? Save the date - September 30th 2010
ROBUST REDS FOR ROTARY September 30th at Delta Edmonton South - come out and enjoy tasting more that 100 wines while raising money for ROTARY.
Tickets are available for sale at ALIGRA WINE & SPIRITS - West Edmonton Mall. $50.00 each. Includes great appetizers and a Silent Auction. Wines poured are available for purchase at Aligra Wine & Spirits.
For more information visit www.aligrawineandspirits.com
Tickets are available for sale at ALIGRA WINE & SPIRITS - West Edmonton Mall. $50.00 each. Includes great appetizers and a Silent Auction. Wines poured are available for purchase at Aligra Wine & Spirits.
For more information visit www.aligrawineandspirits.com
Aligra Wine & Spirits is a proud sponsor of The Fabulous at 50 Trade Show and Martini Party
If you are a "Boomer Woman" you are going to want to be in Edmonton on November 6, 2010!
That's when the Fabulous at 50 Experience is taking place at Lions Rec Centre 111 Ave & 113th Street, Edmonton.
The day promises to be filled with fabulous exhibitors, amazing line up of guest speakers, and in the afternoon a Martini Party and explosive performance by Wayne Lee!
Doorprizes, swag bags for the early birds, demos, artists, things to buy, people to meet and connect with!
Don't miss it Ladies! Bring your girlfriends, mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmas, aunts any woman who is Hot, Passionate and Fabulous!
As the sponsor of the Martini Party - Aligra Wine & Spirits will be introducing the "Hot Flash Martini" a cocktail bound to please any hot boomer wanting a fun drink in the afternoon. A wine bar will also be open serving samples of some terrific wines by the glass.
Tickets are 2 for $20.00 in advance or $15.00 at the door.
Available at Aligra Wine & Spirits West Edmonton Mall, Tix on the Square, or Eventbrite
The show is in support of Suit Yourself
Wine Classes starting this fall at Aligra Wine & Spirits
It's Back to School at Aligra Wine & Spirits West Edmonton Mall.
If you have always wanted to learn about wine, gain knowledge in the major grape varietals, become a more savvy wine shopper, then sign up for the first class of the Wine Fundamentals - The Classics series now!
First class is scheduled for Monday September 27th 7pm - 9 pm at Aligra's store conveniently located at Entrance 58 Main Level, West Edmonton Mall.
Class cost is $39.95 per person and includes workbook, 6 bottle Aligra bag, tasting 7 different major wine varietals and a bonus Special Discount Card valid in the store.
Don't be disappointed, sign up today! Register Today!
If you have always wanted to learn about wine, gain knowledge in the major grape varietals, become a more savvy wine shopper, then sign up for the first class of the Wine Fundamentals - The Classics series now!
First class is scheduled for Monday September 27th 7pm - 9 pm at Aligra's store conveniently located at Entrance 58 Main Level, West Edmonton Mall.
Class cost is $39.95 per person and includes workbook, 6 bottle Aligra bag, tasting 7 different major wine varietals and a bonus Special Discount Card valid in the store.
Don't be disappointed, sign up today! Register Today!
Want to win tickets to The Backstreet Boys at Rexall Place?
Great chance to win tickets to see the Backstreet Boys at Rexall Place in Edmonton August 9th!
When you spend $100.00 or more at Aligra Wine & Spirits between July 22 and August 5, 2010, you can enter your receipt for purchases at West Edmonton Mall's Guest Services for a chance to win tickets! Come on in and purchase your summer cocktail party drinks, wines for your weekend, or upcoming dinner party and barbecue. Contest is open to all shoppers spending $100.00 or more.
When you spend $100.00 or more at Aligra Wine & Spirits between July 22 and August 5, 2010, you can enter your receipt for purchases at West Edmonton Mall's Guest Services for a chance to win tickets! Come on in and purchase your summer cocktail party drinks, wines for your weekend, or upcoming dinner party and barbecue. Contest is open to all shoppers spending $100.00 or more.
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