Kensington Wine Market

Tasting Schedule

*** FOR IN - STORE TASTINGS: PLEASE SELECT THE PICKUP OPTION - WE DO NOT SEND TICKETS - YOUR NAME IS ADDED TO THE GUEST LIST ***

VIRTUAL TASTING SAMPLES CAN BE PICKED UP OR DELIVERED ( FOR A FEE)

**NOTE** We are now offering Both Virtual and in-store tastings. Virtual tastings will clearly state that above the name of the tasting.

Liquor tasting samples for virtual tastings are typically 15ml each unless otherwise indicated.

We offer Free City Wide Delivery within the Calgary city limits for Orders Over $ 250 ** ONLY if all samples can be delivered at the same time. If you are purchasing multiple events - logistically, we may not be able to have all samples ready to go in one delivery. As you do have the option of picking up your samples, we will deliver as much as we can in the first delivery for free, any subsequent deliveries will be $10.
We can arrange shipping within Alberta for a fee. - packaging and shipping fees apply.
We do not ship out of the Province.

Please be sure to include a valid email address in your order as we will contact participants a few days before the tasting with instructions on how to participate.

Cancellation Policy:

Registrations can be gifted or transferred - you are welcome to allow someone else to take your place if you cannot take part in the tasting.
- For virtual tastings you will need to arrange getting them the samples if you have already received them, You are also responsible to send them the link for the tasting as it will be emailed to the purchaser.
- For in person events, You would need to give us their name for the list if you are not attending.

Tastings are non refundable – For both virtual and In Person events, you will receive a ** store credit for the value if you cancel more than 48 hours in advance of the event.
Due to the logistics of pickup and delivery of samples for virtual , cancellations will not be considered within 7 days of the tasting,** or if you have already received the tastings samples. Once delivered or picked up, we cannot take the tasting bottles back.
Store Credits can be used for anything KWM sells - you do not have to use them specifically for tastings.

Tastings typically start at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted. Please make sure you are aware of the start time.
We encourage participants to drink responsibly.

September 2023

The Lure of the Loire - with Geoff

September 28, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$35.00

France's Loire Valley is a lush, bucolic destination that draws thousands of tourists every year, and not just for the castles and gardens. It's also a destination that happens to produce some of the world's favourite wines. As a northerly wine-producing area the cooler climate makes it well-suited to white wines, most notably Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, personified in the majestic offerings from regions like Vouvray and Sancerre. The reds should not be overlooked however, the Cabernet Franc grape (the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon) sets the benchmark for this varietal globally, and Pinot Noirs from the Loire can be surprisingly good. Join us as we taste through an array of wines from these Loire Valley appellations. Ticket price includes cheese and charcuterie from our friends at Peasant Cheese.

Thursday, September 28th @ 7PM

This event is sold out.

Virtual Tasting
Adelphi & Ardnamurchan with Carl Crafts

September 29, 2023
6 PM
$45.00

*THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING*

Carl Crafts, Brand Ambassador for Adelphi and Ardnamurchan, will be our special guest as we dig into a range of both independent and distillery bottlings. On the Adelphi side of things, we have selected whiskies from Benrinnes, Caol Ila, the "Highlands", and Chichibu (yes, you are reading that right!) to sample. We will add to this a selection of whiskies from Ardnamurchan, which is one of the most exciting of the dozens of new distilleries in Scotland. We only received two bottles of the Chichibu, one of which we are opening. The other bottle will be made available for sale by ballot, exclusively to participants in the tasting!

Friday, September 29 @ 6 PM

*Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!*

This event is sold out.

Cheese Please Blind - M & M Match Up

September 29, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$50.00

Join Marnie from KWM and Michelle from Peasant Cheese for an interactive cheese and wine showdown. There will be 6 cheeses paired against 6 wines. Neither will know what the other is bringing to the table. Round 1: Michelle will present a cheese and Marnie will match a wine to it. Round 2: Marnie will present a wine and Michelle will match a cheese to it. The challenge will go back and forth for 6 rounds total. At the end, you can weigh in and declare your favourite match-up of the night.

Friday, September 29th @ 7 PM

Seats Remaining: 6

October 2023

Virtual Tasting
Old Pulteney Distillery Vertical

October 3, 2023
7 PM
$80.00

*THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING*

UPDATE: Maurice Chevallier, Old Pulteney Brand Ambasador, will be joining us for the tasting! The staff here at KWM have a soft spot for the savoury whiskies from the Pulteney Distillery on Scotland's North Sea coast. With the return of the Old Pulteney 25 Year, and a 1982 vintage Gordon & MacPhail bottling kicking around, there was no better time to pull together an epic vertical of whiskies from the Pulteney Distillery. Participants will sample through 7 Pulteney whiskies, with a collective age of about 130 years... Andrew might even dig up some of his photos from the distillery!

** Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!!

Tuesday, October 3, 7PM

Seats Remaining: 11

Virtual Tasting
SMWS October 2023 Virtual Outturn

October 4, 2023
7PM
$60.00

*THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING

Log in, pour your drams and join us from home, the cottage, another country, or work... for the October 2023 Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada Virtual Outturn Tasting. The KWM team will be your guide as you sample through an exciting range of 7 new SMWS bottlings.

Wednesday, October 4th @ 7 PM

Seats Remaining: 18

Virtual Tasting
SMWS October 2023 InPerson Outturn 6PM

October 5, 2023
6 PM
$65.00

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Canada’s October 2023 Outturn tasting will feature 7 new bottlings. The range will be the same as the virtual tasting the night before but will also include nibbles from our friends at Peasant Cheese and the comradery that can only come from 18 SMWS Members in our tasting room. Please note, we will not be holding back stock of the Outturn bottles specifically to purchase for this in-person tasting, though there will likely be bottles of most whiskies still available.

Thursday, October 5th @ 6 PM

Seats Remaining: 8

SMWS October 2023 InPerson Outturn 8PM

October 5, 2023
8 PM
KWM
$65.00

Virtual Tasting
Benromach 2002 KWM Cask Launch with Richard Urquhart

October 10, 2023
7 PM
$40.00

*THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING*

!!!MORE SPACES ADDED!!! To celebrate the launch of our 5th KWM exclusive cask of Benromach, we are putting on a vertical tasting of 8 Benromach whiskies, half of which are single casks. The lineup includes the Benromach Core Range bottlings of 10, 15, and 21-year-olds, as well as the Benromach Contrasts Triple Distilled. For the single casks, we have the new Benromach Polish Oak, a 2007 cask bottled for Calgary's SinDicate whisky club, and two different KWM casks: our sold-out 2003, and the new 2002. Best of all, and this is late breaking news... Richard Urquhart will be joining us for the tasting!

Tuesday, October 10th @ 7 PM

*Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!*

Seats Remaining: 9

Virtual Tasting
Wolfburn 10 Years in the Making with Mark Westmorland

October 12, 2023
6 PM
$25.00

*THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING*

Wolfburn is the first of the dozens of Scottish distilleries which opened in the 2010s to bottle a 10-year-old whisky. To mark the occasion we're doing a Wolfburn vertical tasting with Brand Ambassador Mark Westmorland. We'll sample through 7 different expressions of Wolfburn, including the soon-to-be-released Wolfburn 10-Year-old!

Thursday, October 12th @ 6 PM

*Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!*

Seats Remaining: 9

Roaming the Rhone - with Geoff

October 12, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$40.00

If ever there was a case for microclimates and terroir it's France's Rhone Valley. The Northern Rhone has a continental climate that brings cold winters (by French standards) and warm summers, while the southern half of the region has a more Mediterranean climate featuring mild winters and hot summers. All this within a region that stretches 240 km from north to south, little more than a two-hour drive. The region is also wine central, from the grand Chateauneuf-du-Papes in the south to the noble and age-worthy Syrahs in the north. White wines from the region can also be spectacular, particularly the white Chateauneuf-du-Papes and the Viognier-based beauties from Condrieu and Hermitage in the north. Join us as we roam the Rhone from south to north, ticket price includes cheese and charcuterie from our friends at Peasant Cheese.

Thursday, October 12th @ 7 PM

This event is sold out.

Virtual Tasting
Admiring Archives Whiskies 5PM

October 13, 2023
5 PM
$70.00

THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING

We can't resist the beautiful labels Whiskybase puts on their Archives whiskies, and as for the liquid, it doesn't disappoint. Our selection for this tasting includes whiskies from Benrinnes, Caol Ila, Fettercairn, Longmorn, Miltonduff and a Secret Islay from 1990... And maybe, just maybe we might be able to get one of the Whiskybase guys to join us!

Friday, October 13, 5PM

*Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!*

Seats Remaining: 28

In Defence of Chardonnay with Geoff

October 13, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$40.00

Over the past two decades, no grape has unjustly fallen from public favour as much as Chardonnay has. Okay, perhaps Merlot is in the same boat, but that is a story for another tasting. Much of the blame for this can be laid at the feet of the shortsighted but ongoing ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) movement, and people tiring of the buttery, heavy oak-driven style put out by the tanker load from California, Australia, and more. With all of the negative hype surrounding Chardonnay, it is easy to forget that it is one of the most versatile grapes around, giving us delicious champagne, flinty Chablis, crisp, unoaked patio sippers from both the old and new world, and much more. Join Geoff and explore what the Chardonnay grape is capable of, and why it is still deserving of our love! Cheese and charcuterie will be provided by our friends at Peasant Cheese.

Friday, October 13th @ 7 PM

Seats Remaining: 15

Virtual Tasting
Tantalizing Twenty-Five Year Olds

October 17, 2023
7 PM
$110.00

*THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING*

Twenty-five-year-old whisky has become ever more expensive and scarce in recent years. Macallan 25 Year Sherry Oak will now set you back more than $5K, Dalmore 25 Year is not far behind, and even Glenrothes 25 Year is nearly $1700. We could debate whether those whiskies are worth the price, but what we can say for sure is that there is still good value to be had... We've put together a range of 8 excellent 25-year-old single-malt Scotch whiskies, all of which are under $800 a bottle. In fact, you could buy the full set of 8 whiskies, for a thousand dollars less than a single bottle of Mac 25... Our range consists of whiskies from Balblair, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Glenfarclas, Glengoyne, Linkwood, Mortlach, and Speyside Distilleries. 200 years' worth of quarter-century-old malts!

** Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!
Tuesday, October 17th @ 7 PM

This event is sold out.

Junk and Juice: Wine & Snacks Virtual Tasting

October 19, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$80.00

*THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING*

We all know wine pairs well with cheese. But how about with Cheezies? Join Marnie and Evan in an exploration of the salty, savoury, and sweet side of wine pairing with assorted snacks and junk food.

This virtual tasting includes three full-sized bottles of wine and some choice packages of our favourite snacks that we will use to explore what works and what doesn't, all from the comfort of our own homes. Log in via Zoom for the tasting and share your own favourite junk food pairings with us!

Tasting Date: Thursday, October 19th @ 7 PM

*Tasting bottles and snacks will be available for pickup starting Thursday, October 12th*

Seats Remaining: 14

Beer & Cheese Please!

October 20, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$30.00

It has been a long time since we have done a beer tasting. It has been even longer since we collaborated with Peasant Cheese to run a Beer and Cheese tasting! Join Elijah in an exploration of 6 beers in different styles along with the cheese that will make them tick.

Cheese and charcuterie accompaniment for this tasting is provided by our fantastic neighbours at Peasant Cheese.

Friday, October 20th @ 7 PM

Seats Remaining: 11

Virtual Tasting
Battle of the Bens - Ben Nevis X7

October 24, 2023
7 PM
$100.00

THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING

The concept here is pretty simple, we are pitting 7 Ben Nevis bottlings in a head to head to head... you get the idea... tasting! We have cobbled together a range of Ben Nevis' from Boutique-y, Decadent Drinks, Maltbarn, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and Whiskybase. Which ones will reign supreme... only those who join us in battle will find out!

Tuesday, October 24, 7PM

*Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!*

Seats Remaining: 19

Tequila, Mezcal & More - The Agave Spirits Tasting

October 26, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$60.00

Those who know, know that to get the very best Tequila and Mezcal, you must avoid celebrities and their brands. What those same people may NOT know is sometimes you even need to leave the names "Tequila" and "Mezcal" far behind! Did you know that Agave spirits as a general class, outsold whisky in the US last year? Join us in figuring out why by exploring the various styles that are out there. Not only will we go through Tequilas and Mezcals, but we'll touch on Pechuga, Raicilla and other uncertified agave spirits!

Thursday, October 26th @ 7 PM

Seats Remaining: 5

Cheese Please - M&M Matchup Round 2

October 27, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$50.00

ROUND 2! Join Marnie from KWM and Michelle from Peasant Cheese for their 2nd interactive cheese and wine showdown. There will be 6 cheeses paired against 6 wines. Neither will know what the other is bringing to the table. Round 1: Michelle will present a cheese and Marnie will match a wine to it. Round 2: Marnie will present a wine and Michelle will match a cheese to it. The challenge will go back and forth for 6 rounds total. At the end, you can weigh in and declare your favourite match-up of the night.

Friday, October 27th @ 7 PM

Seats Remaining: 5

Virtual Tasting
Whisky Agency Wonders

October 31, 2023
7 PM
$90.00

THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING

Looking for something to do after the kids crash from their sugar high, or while you hide in the basement with the lights off so no one comes trick or treating at your door? We have the tasting for you!

German-based The Whisky Agency is one of the most interesting and influential independent bottlers whose whiskies are highly sought after in Europe and Asia. We recently got a very interesting shipment we are just dying to try, so naturally we built a tasting around them. In you have the courage to join us, you'll taste your way through Bowmore 1996, Bruichladdich 2004, Glenburgie 1995, Ledaig 2009, a pair of Macduffs from 2011 in sherry, and a 2007 Secret Islay single malt.

Tuesday, October 31 @ 7PM

*Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!*

Seats Remaining: 28

November 2023

Elements of Islay & More with Celine Tetu

November 3, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$50.00

Our friend Lily, aka Celine Tetu, will be our special guest as we sample our way through the new Elements of Islay core range and some other treats from the Elixir Distillers Portfolio; think Single Malts of Scotland and Port Askaig. While this lineup will be peat forward, you can be assured something old and dignified will make an appearance too!

Friday, November 3 @ 7PM

Seats Remaining: 9

Virtual Tasting
Introducing Claxtons with Tom Roskams & Martin Burnett

November 4, 2023
5 PM
$50.00

THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING

We are thrilled to introduce Claxton's whisky to the Canadian market, and will be joined for this virtual tasting by Claxton's Whisky Director Tom Roskams & General Manager Martin Burnett. For the occasion, we've pulled together an eclectic selection of malts, both young and old: Arran 2011, Glasgow 2017, Glen Grant 1998, Glenrothes 1988, Mannochmore 2008, Royal Brackla 2010, and Tobermory 1995. The early start time is to accommodate our special guests, who will be joining us live from the UK!

Saturday, November 4, 5 PM

*Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!*

Seats Remaining: 32

Virtual Tasting
Revisiting BenRiach & GlenDronach

November 7, 2023
7 PM
$50.00

THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING

It has been a wee while since we shone a little light on BenRiach and GlenDronach, two of our favourite Speyside Distilleries. So we've pulled together a selection of 7 malts, 3 from BenRiach (including the new 16 Year and a 1997 single cask) and 4 from GlenDronach (including the 15, an old 18, and the 21). The KWM whisky team will be joined by Calin Manuel from Brown Forman Canada for the occasion.

Tuesday, November 7 @ 7PM

*Tasting is poured and ready for pickup!*

Seats Remaining: 26

Syrah vs. Shiraz with Geoff

November 7, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$50.00

Syrah has its origins in France's northern Rhone Valley, but the Aussies decided it's happier in South Australia. The two styles will go head-to-head in a no-holds-barred cage match, AKA our tasting room. Australia will send in their reigning champ from the Barossa Valley while France will counter with a powerful Crozes-Hermitage. No throwing chairs or beating up the referee, he's sensitive. Cheese and charcuterie will be provided by our friends at Peasant Cheese.

Tuesday, November 7th @ 7 PM

Seats Remaining: 15

Fall Single Malt Festival - Night 1

November 9, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$65.00

*THIS IS AN IN-STORE FESTIVAL TASTING!*

Our ever popular Fall Single Malt Festival is back, and as with last year, we are offering two more or less identical Fall Single Malt Festivals, two weeks apart, to give as many of our whisky friends as possible a chance to attend. There will be up to 100 whiskies to sample, and the price includes a KWM logo glass Glencairn whisky glass. As always our neighbour Peasant cheese will be lining your stomachs with delicious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and other treats! Both Festivals are limited to 90 participants and we are asking people to only register for one date or the other, and not both, out of respect for our other customers.

Thursday, November 9, 7 PM - 9 PM.

This event is sold out.

Fall Wine Festival

November 16, 2023
7 PM - 9 PM
KWM
$40.00

*THIS IS AN IN-STORE WINE FESTIVAL!*

The festival of all festivals... Join us in celebrating the start of our Fall Super Sale with some of our favourite wines and catering from Peasant Cheese! There will be more wine open than you can taste so you will have to be choosy - but can you resist all of the deals?

Thursday, November 16th from 7-9 PM

Seats Remaining: 31

Virtual Tasting
The Scotch Guy's First 20 Years: A Retrospective - Virtual Tasting

November 21, 2023
7 PM
$60.00

*THIS IS A VIRTUAL TASTING*

Andrew, aka the Scotch Guy, started his career in whisky at KWM on November 24, 2003, making this his 20th Anniversary in the business. One of our other whisky team members came up with the idea of doing a retrospective tasting, where he could reflect back on his journey, and some of the interesting brands that helped chart his course. Andrew will host both virtual and in-person versions of this tasting (on different nights), with the same range of whiskies. The lineup is still in flux... but it will include a new 10-year-old cask of Kilchoman 100% Islay, bottled to mark his anniversary, and some long sold-out KWM exclusive casks of Arran (19 Year) and Imperial (29 Year), as well as whiskies from Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Springbank, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. You'll sample 8 great whiskies, while Andrew waxes nostalgic sharing some of his favouirte stories, a few tall tales, and a handful of old photos!

Tuesday, November 21 @ 7PM

Seats Remaining: 17

The Rise Of Riesling with Geoff

November 21, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$40.00

There was a time, not so long ago when people would see the tall Riesling bottles on a shelf (called a flute) and assume it contained a cloyingly sweet, bland white wine. There was a time many years ago when this may have been true, but the Riesling realm contains some of the greatest and longest-lived white wines on the planet. Germany and Austria produce the lion's share but there are surprising entries from other parts of the world that may surprise you. Cheese and charcuterie will be provided by our friends at Peasant Cheese.

Tuesday, November 21st @ 7 PM

Seats Remaining: 15

Fall Single Malt Festival - Night 2

November 23, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$65.00

*THIS IS AN IN-STORE FESTIVAL TASTING!*

Our ever-popular Fall Single Malt Festival is back, and as with last year, we are offering two more or less identical Fall Single Malt Festivals, two weeks apart, to give as many of our whisky friends as possible a chance to attend. There will be up to 100 whiskies to sample, and the price includes a KWM logo glass Glencairn whisky glass. As always our neighbour Peasant cheese will be lining your stomachs with delicious cheese, charcuterie, sausage rolls, and other treats! Both Festivals are limited to 90 participants and we are asking people to only register for one date or the other, and not both, out of respect for our other customers.

Thursday, November 23, 7 PM - 9 PM.

Seats Remaining: 24

Cheese Please Aussie Madness Kitchen Par

November 24, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$60.00

Seats Remaining: 15

The Okanagan Wine Tasting with Geoff

November 28, 2023
7 PM
KWM
$60.00

Our B.C. neighbours have been making a name for themselves in the wine world. It's safe to say the progress that has been made in a relatively short period of time is nothing short of remarkable; old-world regions have had centuries to figure things out, whereas B.C. has made it this far in about 40 years. Join us as we celebrate the wine of the Okanagan Valley, from sparkling to white, rose, red and yes, ice wine. Cheese and charcuterie will be provided by our friends at Peasant Cheese.

Tuesday, November 28th @ 7 PM

Seats Remaining: 15

December 2023

The Scotch Guy's First 20 Years: A Retrospective - In-Store Tasting

December 1, 2023
7PM
KWM
$65.00

Andrew, aka the Scotch Guy, started his career in whisky at KWM on November 24, 2003, making this his 20th Anniversary in the business. One of our other whisky team members came up with the idea of doing a retrospective tasting, where he could reflect back on his journey, and some of the interesting brands that helped chart his course. Andrew will host both virtual and in-person versions of this tasting (on different nights), with the same range of whiskies. The lineup is still in flux... but it will include a new 10-year-old cask of Kilchoman 100% Islay, bottled to mark his anniversary, and some long sold-out KWM exclusive casks of Arran (19 Year) and Imperial (29 Year), as well as whiskies from Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Springbank, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. You'll sample 8 great whiskies, while Andrew waxes nostalgic sharing some of his favouirte stories, a few tall tales, and a handful of old photos!

Friday, December 1 @ 7PM

This event is sold out.

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