One of the coolest wine happenings in Atlantic Canada right now is the emergence of funky little wine bars, with a range of wines by the glass and plenty of style, too.
A few East Coast restaurants feature wine-preservation systems and by-the-glass options, but here are three pure wine bars, with no kitchens, where the vino is all that matters. (Editor's note: Corked wine bar in Fredericton opened after this story was written.)
42 Princess St., Saint John, NB, 506-634-7340, info@happinezwinebar.com
Opened: November 2005
Who: Owner Peter Smit, from Amsterdam, started in the hospitality industry in 1973 in France. He spent 14 years teaching in the New Brunswick Community College hospitality program in St. Andrews, before opening happinez in uptown Saint John.
What: Located in the cellar of the historic Brodie building, happinez sports 51 seats and, in the summer, another 10 on the patio. Hapito, as the patio is called, has been featured by two architecture magazines. Staff sells 26 wines by the glass, using the Verre de Vin system. There are generally 12 reds, 12 whites, and two ports, plus around 55 cellar wines available only by the bottle. Charcuterie from New Brunswick’s La Ferme du Diamant, and goat cheese from Au Fond des Bois, near Rexton, NB, are also available.
1600 Barrington St., Halifax, NS, 902-405-4505, Twitter: @ObladeeWineBar
Opened: October 2010
Who: Owned by siblings Christian and Heather Rankin. Heather recently completed her Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers certification, receiving the Kent Clarke Award as the top graduate in Nova Scotia.
What: This chic, 70-seat bar features 45 wines by bottle only, and 38 by the glass, including 15 red, 15 white, two fortified, two sparkling, two dessert, one lightly sparkling and one rosé. There is no kitchen, but the menu offers 15 cheeses and 14 varieties of charcuterie. “My go-to favourites are the duck prosciutto from Ratinaud French Cuisine in Halifax and the Riopelle Triple Cream from Île-aux-Grues, Quebec,” says Heather.
426 Queen St. (upstairs), Fredericton, NB, 506-455-2638, sommelier@upwinebar.ca, Twitter: @upwinebar
Opened: March 2011
Who: Doug Williams and Shane Fraser are co-owners. Williams has been in the restaurant/bar business for 20 years, and is a certified sommelier.
What: This 28-seat wine bar is a upstairs from the Garrison District Ale House. There is currently no preservation system, but this could change as selection increases. On offer now are six to seven reds, six to seven whites, six dessert wines or ports and two sparkling wines. It also has more than 125 cellar wines, and it offers a limited menu.
While most of you likely enjoyed a day off on Monday, our St. John’s-based readers were at the office. Today, however, they’re either kicking back at home or making the trip down to Quidi Vidi Lake to watch rowers compete in the 193rd Royal St. John’s Regatta.
Claire Biddiscombe is the Editorial Assistant with Wine Access magazine and Managing Editor on the Canadian Wine Annual. Her work has appeared in print and on community radio stations across the country. She is the magazine’s resident science nut.
I just received my judge’s binder from the International Value Wine Awards, with my scores and the names of the wines that I tasted. Now it is time to go through it and find the wines that I liked, that I can actually buy. There aren't many, sadly.
Craig Pinhey is a member of the Wine Access National Tasting Panel, writes for the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal and is CBC Radio's Friday Wine Guy. He is an ISG certified sommelier. Follow him on twitter @frogspadca or visit him at frogspad.ca.
This past week, I've been in Calgary judging at the Wine Access International Value Wine Awards (IVWA). This annual competition attracts over 1000 entries from all over the world and the only requirement is that the wines are available for under $25 somewhere in Canuckland, making them a good value wine.
Craig Pinhey is a member of the Wine Access National Tasting Panel, writes for the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal and is CBC Radio's Friday Wine Guy. He is an ISG certified sommelier. Follow him on twitter @frogspadca or visit him at frogspad.ca.
