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Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Local wine lists score awards for excellence
Opinion A trio of Winnipeg restaurants were recognized by Wine Spectator magazine for excellence when it comes to wine lists. Every year, the magazine honours some of the world's best wine lists with the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards. Restaurants submit their lists, with the best recognized in one of three ascending categories: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and Grand Award. In 2025 there were 2,010 winners in the first category, 1,704 in the second category and just 97 who received the magazine's Grand Award. The three Winnipeg restaurants that made the 2025 list: The Blue Marble at the The Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel (1979 Wellington Ave.) was awarded an Award of Excellence for the second year; 529 Wellington (529 Wellington Cres.) was once again given a Best of Award of Excellence (which it has received every year since 2003); and Vida Cucina Italia (222 Broadway), the Fort Garry Hotel's high-end eatery, was a new recipient this year, also earning the Best of Award of Excellence. Vida's Italian-centric list was spearheaded by sommelier/wine director Christopher Sprague, who moved to the Fort Garry Hotel in 2021 after building the impressive list at 529 Wellington over many years. For the complete list of Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards, see FREE PRESS FILES Fort Garry Hotel sommelier/wine director Christopher Sprague FREE PRESS FILES Fort Garry Hotel sommelier/wine director Christopher Sprague Sookram's Brewing Co. (479 Warsaw Ave.) and Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St.) have teamed up on a new brew, which is being celebrated today from noon-6 p.m. at both breweries with live music, food for purchase, games and hourly specials, along with a free trolley running between the two breweries every 10-15 minutes between 2 and 6 p.m. Dubbed Better Together, the event will see the release of the Better Together pale ale at both breweries. Also on the new (or new-ish) brew front, Blumstein Brewing Co.'s beers are now available in Winnipeg — specifically at the Quality Inn Craft Beer Market (633 Pembina Hwy.). The Pembina Valley brewery's four beers — the Beeren Pflucker saskatoon pale ale, Brommtopp Braun honey brown ale, Frintshauft Zintzung session IPA and Zumma Dach Mexican cream ale with cactus — have been available in the Morden/Winkler area for a few months now. And in Winnipeg, Good Neighbour Brewing Co. (100 Sherbrook St.) has unveiled the four furry friends chosen to adorn cans of the Pet Pals pilsner. The brewery encouraged people to send in pictures of their pets for consideration along with an entry fee, which went towards the Winnipeg Humane Society as part of the fundraising collaboration for the second year running. The beer comes in four-packs and stars Ava the pug, 20-year-old good boy Squid, Doogie the toothless tabby and Bernoulli, a Coton de Tulear, each on their own can. So far, $66,000 has been raised for the Winnipeg Humane Society, with five per cent of proceeds from the four packs (which are available at Liquor Marts, beer vendors and the brewery) earmarked for the humane society going forward. Beer and wine lovers, grab your calendars — you have some decisions to make about events coming up in mid-August. The eighth annual Winnipeg Beer Festival returns to Fort Gibraltar (866 Rue St. Joseph) on Sunday, Aug. 10, and will feature most Manitoba craft brewers pouring core and new brews. There are two sampling sessions (5-7 p.m. and 7:30-9:30 p.m.); tickets for each of the sessions are $50 plus fees and include all samples. Food is available for purchase, as are many of the sampled beers. Tickets and more information available online. On the wine front, the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) is throwing a party at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre (281 Donald St.) featuring a summer favourite — pink wines. Rosé the Night Away takes place Monday, Aug. 18 from 7-9 p.m. featuring rosé wines from all corners of the world. Tickets are $42 for CAPS Manitoba members and $55 for non-members. uncorked@ @bensigurdson Antigal 2023 Uno Rosé (Mendoza, Argentina — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) The grapes in this pink wine are a 'winemaker's secret,' according to the winery website; it's likely some combination of Malbec and Bonarda with other odds and ends. The wine is medium pink in colour and aromatically offers fresh watermelon and peach as well as ripe strawberry and melon notes. It's mainly dry, medium-bodied and slightly viscous, with ripe stone fruit, strawberry and peach candy flavours coming with a tart cherry component, modest acidity and, at 13.4 per cent alcohol, a medium-length finish. 3.5/5 Jean-Claude Mas 2024 Jardin de Roses Grand Rosé (Languedoc, France — $22.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Coming in a lovely, ornate clear bottle, this southern French rosé is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah grapes. It's pale pink in colour and aromatically offers fresh, leafy raspberry and strawberry notes alongside pear and floral components. Dry, light-plus bodied and slightly viscous, there's decent depth of flavour here, particularly the strawberry and raspberry flavours, with hints of peach and watermelon, almost a hint of sweetness and modest acidity before the quick finish (it's 12.5 per cent alcohol). 4/5 Tasca d'Almerita 2023 Regaleali Le Rose (Sicily, Italy — around $23, private wine stores) Deep pink in colour, this Sicilian rosé is made from the Nerello Mascalese grape, a variety somewhat like Pinot Noir that's native to the Italian island. Aromatically the Regaleali offers compelling raspberry, orange peel, chalk, strawberry candy and melon rind notes. It's a bigger style of rosé, bone dry and medium bodied and bringing fresh cherry and raspberry flavours along with hints of plum and an underlying chalkiness that adds complexity. Delicious stuff. Available at The Pourium, Kenaston Wine Market and The Winehouse. 4.5/5 Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CTV News
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Superman helping Humane Society get more dogs adopted
The Winnipeg Humane Society received a special visit from the Man of Steel and the Maiden of Might to help boost adoptions.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Super-Spike is back and killing it
Western Canada's largest outdoor volleyball tournament, Super-Spike, is back for its 22nd year with its highest team count since 2018, featuring 375 teams and just under 3,000 volleyball players in the weekend-long event that combines a music festival atmosphere with sport. 'It's been many moons since we saw a nice increase like that,' said event general manager Greg Paseshnik. 'And it's just very encouraging for the longevity of this event, and people are really excited.' The fundraiser tournament, which runs Friday and Saturday at Maple Grove Rugby Park in south Winnipeg, is welcoming Virginia to Vegas and Preston Pablo as headliners in their first ever appearance at Super-Spike. Paseshnik says the rise in numbers is thanks to new participants being 'blown away' by the experience, along with the event's continued affordability. '(Volleyball's) the foundation of the event,' said Paseshnik. 'But there's so much more going on. The music we take pride in, programming a great lineup of artists every year, the amount of food trucks that come out, the festival vibe that we take pride in putting on, and we also take pride in keeping the event affordable.' Various Manitoba acts will also be performing, including Encore, Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds, Daniel Desorcy, Always Dale and multiple DJs throughout the weekend. This year, the event will raise funds for the Winnipeg Humane Society. While Volleyball Manitoba remains Super-Spike's core partner, the organization selects a secondary charity to support each year. 'One of the greatest things about Super-Spike is that every dollar we raise goes back to supporting our community,' said Paseshnik. 'We're a not-for-profit charitable event, and we've raised one and a half million dollars to date for groups in the community.' For the volleyball community in Manitoba, Super-Spike has become a 'staple event,' according to Paseshnik, though many non-volleyball players also take part. 'With those 3,000 people playing volleyball this weekend, we do a lot of market research and only half of them, in all honesty, are part of that volleyball community,' said Paseshnik. 'They're really out here having fun. They're here for the atmosphere.' Both competitive and recreational games will take place over the weekend. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I can confirm, since Super-Spike's been around, the numbers in the beach volleyball leagues have skyrocketed,' said Paseshnik. 'People forget how much fun it is to play beach volleyball.' Paseshnik hopes for better weather than last year, which brought lightning, hail and heavy rain, and is also prepared to take precautions against wildfire smoke, which has caused delays and cancellations of sporting events across Manitoba. 'We're hoping things are going to be fine, but at the same time, we are preparing some contingencies and making sure that people are aware to come prepared and to know their own limits,' he said. Weekend passes for non-tournament participants are available for $39 and can be purchased at
CTV News
05-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘It's all about creativity': Winnipeg Humane Society calls for cat blanket yarn donations
The Winnipeg Humane Society needs your help to keep their cats cozy and comfortable as they await adoption. The Winnipeg Humane Society is looking for some help to keep their cats cozy and comfortable while they await adoption. Knit and Purling, a group of volunteers that meet weekly at the shelter, knits blankets for newly adopted cats and is asking for donated yarn to keep the initiative going. 'We're down to the last bits and pieces,' said June Catrijsse, lead for Knit and Purling. Catrijsse said the group of approximately 25 knitters formed three years ago and aims to make between 30 and 90 blankets a week—which she said corresponds with the weekly number of adopted cats at the shelter. 'Our little group can't necessarily hit that goal, but there's a lot of (members of the public) that come in and pick up yarn and take it home, make the blankets and bring them back,' she said. June Winnipeg Humane Society June Catrijsse said the volunteer knitting group formed three years ago. Uploaded July 4, 2025. (Glenn Pismenny/CTV News Winnipeg) Catrijsse said the group is looking for number four or five yarn that is 100 per cent acrylic, adding that this yarn is ideal for cat blankets and can hold up for over a decade. She said donated yarn can be dropped off at the Winnipeg Humane Society at 45 Hurst Way. People can also knit blankets and drop them off at the shelter, which Catrijsse said should generally be 24' x 24' inches. 'If they're a little bit larger that don't worry, that's fine. We can use them in other areas of the shelter. Or if they're a little bit smaller, we use them for the kittens that come in,' said Catrijsse. Winnipeg Humane Society cat A cat at the Winnipeg Humane Society lying on yarn blankets on July 4, 2025. (Glenn Pismenny/CTV News Winnipeg) People looking to also volunteer with the group can reach out to the shelter. 'If you don't know how to knit or crochet, that's fine. Just come and we will teach you how to do that,' she said. The group has also expanded to make dog coats to help keep recently shaved dogs warm and prevent any from chewing out their stitches. 'It's all about creativity and being a real animal lover.'
CTV News
05-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Humane Society needs materials for car blankets
Winnipeg Watch The Winnipeg Humane Society needs your help to keep their cats cozy and comfortable as they await adoption.
