Aaron Winsor

Hello Prince Albert! How often do you visit the Canada VQA wine section? Some people will only drink Canadian wines while others may find better value in the USA, Chile, Argentina or Australia shelves. I must admit that I’ve judged Canadian wines at times for their prices and in the past, my perception was that to get big, full, fruity flavors, you needed to spend at least $40 to $60. Even though prices have continually climbed for wines of all types, I’ve invested more time and money in the VQA section, spending $20 to $40 on multiple occasions. My conclusion? I’ve taken this section for granted for way too long.

Hello Prince Albert! This week, it’s time for another Chardonnay showdown where I put two Chards head-to-head to see which tastes best or tickles my fancy (maybe a bit of both!). I put the Murphy Goode Chard from 2021 up against a newer item on the shelf, the Cupcake and Netflix collaboration Chardonay from 2022 called Love is Wine. Which Chardonnay was the cream of the crop? Read on to find out!

Hello Prince Albert! When you think of wines of the world, each region seems to have its own specialty and signature style. Some excellent examples are Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (as discussed last week), Champagne (from Champagne, France), Malbec (Argentina), Bordeaux blends (Bordeaux, France) and Riesling which reaches its fullest potential in countries like Germany, Austria and France. Among the amazing selection that consumers have to choose from, one of the most popular regions and most-visited wine sections are the wines of California; specifically Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. With so many options to look through, how do you choose which ones to take home and which to leave behind?

Hello Prince Albert! Since the summer started with some delicious BC wines, I thought it would be appropriate to finish the summer off with another pair of amazing wines from the Okanagan Valley. As a big fan of Riesling, I wanted to find something to taste side by side and I came across the Ehrenfelser varietal from a VQA sub-region of the Okanagan Valley called Lake Country (named from its close proximity to Lake Okanagan). It was an interesting comparison trying a dry Riesling (Quail’s Gate) and an Ehrenfelser (Gray Monk) and it was the perfect way to enjoy the warm weather of the past week. What can you expect from this relatively unknown wine? Let’s take a look and a taste!

Hello Prince Albert! As a lover of sparkling wines from around the world, I’m always looking for delicious wines at affordable prices. While there are literally hundreds of options to choose from, my search often leads me to Cremant (especially from the Loire Valley), Prosecco (over 30 varieties available in Prince Albert) and Champagne (which is usually out of my price range). Another category of sparkling wines which has become a personal favorite of mine over the years is Cava, due to its affordability and quality level. Have you given Cava wines a chance?

Hello Prince Albert! One of the most fascinating aspects of wine culture and the most important tool for selling wine products is the marketing found on shelves, bottles and wine labels. While you may not see many ads for wine in Saskatchewan (since our agricultural industry does not grow commercial winemaking grapes), the bottles and labels themselves have become flashier in order to draw the customer’s attention. The look of the bottle and label are important on a surface level (visual appeal) but more integral to the buying process for consumers is the actual information found on the label/bottle. With this in mind, I took a look at three affordable wine products this week.

Hello Prince Albert! With the changing of seasons and the shifting of colors occurring across Saskatchewan, harvest time has begun and with it comes the hard work and determination of our farming communities. Even for those that live in the city, it is almost impossible not to notice the rising columns of dust and particles from the surrounding fields as farmers toil to complete the arduous task of harvesting their crops.

Hello Prince Albert! What are your thoughts on Moscato? For many people, the Moscato grape/wine is a wonderful place to begin their wine journey as it is accessibly sweet and fruity with the added benefit of being quite affordable on average. As most wine drinkers develop a palate and/or gain further education on the intricacies of wine, they tend to move towards drier, more austere styles and leave the cheaper, sugary options behind.

Hello Prince Albert! One of my favorite regions of the world to taste wines from is Piedmont, Italy which produces famous wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Asti Spumante, and Barbera. While the wines of Barolo steal the show internationally (commanding $100-plus prices per bottle) and are often prized by collectors as some of the most age-worthy bottles, the wines of Barbera are certainly worth consideration and are a fantastic choice for affordability and creative food pairings. What is Barbera?

Hello Prince Albert! Are you interested in culture, wine, good food and excellent company? You may want to consider attending the Rotary Club of Prince Albert Wine Premier held every November at Plaza 88. The 17 th