A Fruitful Endeavour: Alberta's Cottage Wineries

When people think of wine, they don’t usually think of Alberta. Two local cottage wineries are changing people’s minds using Alberta-grown organic fruit to craft a surprising range of fruit wine.

I think most people assume that wines made from fruit like wild cherries, apples, strawberries, and raspberries are sweet and syrupy dessert wines. Although many are fine examples of dessert wine, the surprise is that many of the wines are medium-dry or off-dry and pair nicely with meals of pasta, Asian food, pork, red meats and salad.

In central Alberta, Brosseau’s en Sante Winery is using some unusual ingredients to make their refreshing fruit wines. In addition to typical fruits like apples and saskatoons, they use rhubarb, honey and even alfalfa hay!

Lovers of port will appreciate the fortified dessert wines made by Strathmore’s Field Stone Fruit Wines. For tastings of their entire selection of wines, drop in to their on-site wine store between May and September or call during the off-season to make an appointment.

You can find these wines at some Alberta farmers’ markets and in select liquor stores. Vendor information is listed on each winery’s website.

Try Alberta’s fruit wines tonight and sample a taste of Alberta in a way you thought you never would.