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KEEP CALM & WASH YOUR HANDS! - KWM COVID-19 Update!

Posted on March 13, 2020

Dear Customers, Suppliers & Friends,

We have been closely monitoring the evolving threat of COVID-19 and wanted to assure everyone we are following the advice of Alberta Health Services and Health Canada and will continue to do so as the situation develops. We took the following steps earlier this week to mitigate the risks to our staff, customers and suppliers:
- Staff have been asked to frequently wash their hands and avoid touching their face.
- We have increased the frequency with which we sanitize commonly touched surfaces and items within the store, as well as the bathroom.
- We have installed hand sanitation stations around the store for use by staff and customers.
- We are monitoring the health of staff and will ask them to self-isolate should they show any symptoms indicative of COVID-19.
- Two employees returning to Calgary this weekend (March 14) from out of Country have been asked to self-isolate for the next 2 weeks in accordance with guidance from AHS.
- We are also asking customers who have potentially been exposed to the virus or who are showing symptoms indicative of COVID-19 not to come to the store.
- We are also asking customers who have been to affected areas, or who have returned to Canada since March 12 not to come to the store.
- We are offering free delivery for orders over $50 within city limits to customers who are either self-isolating or who are concerned about being out in public. Please call the store for more information.
- We are also proceeding for the time being with all of our scheduled tastings and events, though we are taking adding precautions, are providing hand sanitizers on every table and we are asking all persons mentioned above to contact us to cancel their tickets.
- We are also relaxing our tasting cancellation policy and will offer store credit for anyone unable or uncomfortable attending, as long as they contact us prior to the start of the event.

We will continue to review and update our policies as the situation develops.

If you have any further questions about the precautions we are taking, free delivery or our in-store events don't hesitate to contact the store.

Andrew Ferguson
Owner
Kensington Wine Market
1257 Kensington Road NW Calgary Alberta T2N3P8
P. 403.283-8000 Toll-Free. 888.283.9004
www.kensingtonwinemarket.com
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Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada March 2020 Outturn

Posted on November 13, 2023

by Evan

Hop into spring? That remains to be seen.

It is March, shadows have been seen or not seen by prognosticating rodents from whimsical and try-hard small towns all over North America, and we now all wait to see which prophecies are true and which are not. Perhaps the groundhogs do know more than the average Farmer's Almanac, but we humans are nonetheless stuck waiting to see what happens.

Especially here in Calgary. Right now, looking out the window, it kind of does look like spring, with the sun shining and the snow melting. But hey, ten minutes from now there will probably get a snowfall warning and need to break out the long johns once more as a cold snap rears its ugly head.

At least it is March. Spring should arrive at some point in the future, regardless of pandora's shadow being or not being visible by some small critter that never asked for this task. The groundhogs have had their day in the sun (or not) for the year so we should leave them alone. April is just around the corner anyhow, then the Easter Bunny will be given its time to shine.

Before that though, we do still have March to get through, spring or no spring. What can always be counted on are new green bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada to arrive at the beginning of each month. Rejoice SMWS fans, for the SMWS Canada, have a better track record of delivering than any soothsaying vermin that I am aware of!

So what does this bounty of seven new SMWS bottles give us this month? It is a very interesting and lineup. Don't let the younger bottles fool you - the entire range benefits from time left alone in the glass and rewards you with remarkable complexity that belies the age stated on the bottles. Take a look:

63.47 - This Glentauchers is the start of our 101st SMWS Canada Outturn journey. It shows a nicely fruity forward and slightly herbaceous nose and a very juicy and fruity palate with a bit of spice up front. Very nicely put together and a great start to the lineup.
123.28 is the first of FIVE Highland region malts in the Outturn, which is the most Highlanders in one SMWS Canada tasting by my recollection. Though the nose is light and a touch muted compared to the brightness of the 63.47, the palate more than makes up for it. It is rich and silky and surprisingly full-bodied on the palate. The gorgeous mouthfeel is stereotypical for Glengoyne, where it was distilled. It is a lot of fun to have a Glengoyne from and a first fill ex-bourbon barrel - quite a contrast from the sherry-forward style that they are known for.
26.127 is the youngest of the range, and it is exciting for many, including myself. Any time a single cask Clynelish comes up you are going to have a good time, regardless of age. Juicy delight doesn't show that characteristic waxiness you would expect from Cly...

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Wine 101

Posted on November 7, 2021

by Bri

Somm: Making wine exciting and terrifying for Millenials the way Sideways did for Gen-X'ers

Wine 101 was the first wine course I took years back while living in Vancouver. It is what inspired me to dive in deeper and start my exploration into the extensive world of wine. The vast amount of knowledge was, to be honest, very overwhelming. I definitely had my doubts if this was the right path to take mostly due to the Somm show on Netflix. The dedication, rigorous work and crazy palate (and noggin) those individuals had me thinking.....yeah maybe not. Slowly, I dipped my toes into this world and finally, I just accepted that I had the control to choose the speed and amount of information thrown at me. Since that realization, it has been magical. The amount of history blows my mind daily. It was such a treat to teach this wine 101 class if by some chance I gave someone some information that blew their mind, then the circle is complete. Please join me with the following tasting notes and wines which I chose for the evening.

Domaine des Aubuisieres Vouvray Brut $26.99
Wanting to show the brilliance of Champagne - but on a budget - I picked the sparkling Vouvray from Bernard Fouquet. Having been made with the traditional champagne method, this wine allowed me to show people the many different styles sparkling wine can be created. Serious bubbles that are consistently the "best value in its appellation". The Chenin Blanc of Vouvray brings riper citrus and tree fruit to the bready flavours of Methode Traditionelle and racy, mineral acidity from the Loire Valley soils.

Marcel Servin Chardonnay Bourgogne $ 25.99
An obvious choice of grape to educate others, Chardonnay. This varietal has a vast amount of different in characteristics that can be expressed depending on climate and location. One of my favourite experiences when I took that Wine 101 class in Vancouver was when my teacher gave our class an un-oaked chardonnay. It was amazing to see this varietal, that has such a well-known flavour profile, and then BAM! Like life always does, it flips you upside down and smacks you in the taste buds. This Chardonnay is pale yellow with gold reflection. It has a VERY light oak presence, close to being completely unoaked in style. The nose is fine and elegant with fresh white fruits dominating (pear, white peach) blending with mineral notes.

Beck Riesling Spatlese $27.99
One of the most fascinating and exciting grapes out there is, of course, Riesling! In fact, it should Riesling! should nearly always be said with an exclamation mark if you ask me. With an outstanding amount of history, this grape is full of structure that can last decades. It can be made in dry, off-dry and sweet. Unfortunately, it has a reputation of being only sweet, but trust me, this grape can come in many d...

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The Perfect Pair

Posted on February 25, 2020

by Abigail

Valentineâ€™s Day is all about spending time with your special someone. We notarize the idea of splurging our significant others with chocolates, flowers, wine, and cheese, and stress ourselves out to make sure Valentineâ€™s Day is the most romantic day of the year. I think this is fully bogus, to be completely honest. We lose the magic, we pressure ourselves as well as our spouses and aggravate our credit card for some commercialized ideal. Instead, why donâ€™t we just take a step back, relax and just enjoy ourselves?

This tasting was created to show how to pair wines with food, to allow you to make a special pairing at home, to bring the romance back into date night.

How to Pair Wine with Food
I always look at pairing as if I was creating a meal; what flavours would work together, and what components do I need to balance out the dish?
When it comes to creating the perfect pair, we look at the elements of the dish vs the elements of the wine. Here is a basic guide of what to look for:

Sweetness - The general rule is to have a higher level of sweetness in the wine than in the food. Sweetness in food increases the perception of bitterness, astringency, acidity, and alcohol whilst decreasing the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wine.
Acidity - Acidity is generally a good thing with a pairing, especially if you have a very high acidity wine where it brings everything into balance. But if you pair a somewhat acidic dish with a low acidity wine, the wine will show as flat, flabby and lifeless.
Salt - Salt is GOOD! Just like cooking, salt helps enhance the flavour, and it also helps increase the perception of the body while decreasing the perception of acidity and astringency.
Heat/Spice - Spice isn't great for wine. It increases the acidity, bitterness, astringency and creates more of a burning sensation from the alcohol. Having a wine with lower alcohol levels and a touch of sweetness will be best for anything with a punch of heat.
Bitterness - Bitterness in food will increase the perceived bitterness in the wine you are having as well. This part is subjective. If you're one of those people that drinks your coffee black, youâ€™ll probably love it. If you're a person that loves their coffee with all the additions, maybe skip it.
Umami - Treat similar to bitterness. Umami basically brings out the worst in wine and will increase the bitterness in most wines. Trick to use when pairing umami-rich foods with wine? Add salt! Salt helps enhance the wine and somewhat counteracts the effects of umami.

Ok, so there you have it! These notes will help you pair anything with everything. But if you're still in a pickle about what to pick, just shoot me an email! (abigail@kensingtonwinemarket.com)

Rimarts Natura (24) with Assorted Fish Rillette & Crackers

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Single Barrel and Very Small Batch Bourbon

Posted on December 18, 2024

by Evan

Even though I seem to write a lot of these blog posts and do a lot of tastings here at Kensington Wine Market, the tastings themselves usually only fall into three categories.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Outturns each month

Canadian Whisky Tastings

Bourbon and American Whiskey Tastings

We do plenty of other tastings at the shop when it comes to whisky. Especially, you know - Scotch Whisky tastings specifically. But when you work with the likes of Curt Robinson and Andrew Ferguson - they tend to have the Scotch Whisky region covered. That is just fine by me. Along with the SMWS, Canadian and American Whisk(e)y are playgrounds that I am happy to make my own.

The SMWS Outturn tasting helm was passed over to me from Andrew mostly due to time constraints on his part. My love for single casks and cask strength Scotch was already long in the tooth before I started running the tastings, but has become even more galvanized because of it. Canadian Whisky kind of became mine by default when it comes to tastings and my love for the new craft distilleries popping up and the old guard big distilleries here in the Great White North developed organically over a short period. Bourbon and American Whiskey? I have to thank KWM Alumnus Hunter Sullivan for that. He is often missed by staff and customers alike for his incredible tasting notes and singular personality, and he was a font of knowledge when it came to Bourbon. I fell in love with Scotch first, but thanks to Hunter and also a trip to Kentucky with Andrew a few years back, this love has extended itself into Bourbon and American Whisky along the way.

So that is why I enjoy running these Bourbon tastings so much. Luckily, Curt and Andrew don't fight me for these tastings. They can stick on their side of the sandbox and I will stick on mine with you guys!

A quick rundown on what makes Bourbon, Bourbon:

Bourbon has to be made in the United States. It can not be produced in other countries.

Bourbon can be and is made in other states besides Kentucky. Kentucky just happens to be the largest producer of Bourbon by a vast margin.

Bourbon must be made from at least 51% Corn. Straight Rye must be at least 51% Rye. Straight Wheat Whisky must be at least 51% Wheat.

It must be initially aged in charred Virgin Oak containers. There is no minimum age requirement for Bourbon.

Straight Bourbon must be at least four years old unless specified on the label.

Straight Bourbon cannot contain any added flavouring or colouring.

Distilled to a maximum of 80% ABV.

Put in Barrel at a maximum of 62.5% ABV.

Bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV.

Being left alone to do these Bourbon...

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