Did you know that Alberta is home to at least 10 wineries and meaderies? Nestled in some of our province’s most scenic regions are fruit groves, honey farms, and U-Vin establishments who all offer something a little different.
If you live within driving distance of any of the wineries, consider spending an afternoon exploring tastes, notes, and where the wine was made. If you can’t get out for tours or tasting, or your favourite local winery doesn’t offer tours, you are in luck: almost all the wineries and meaderies in Alberta sell their products through liquor stores and farmers’ markets across the province.
Support and shop local for your summer sipping days with any of these 13 delicious wine and spirit brands.
Calgary & Southern Alberta
Spirit Hills Flower Winery
The Bonjean family come from a long line of French winemakers and carry these traditions with them when creating their wine. But they also add a little twist by layering the grape wine flavour with that of wildflowers native to the region (Alberta foothills). From this process, Spirit Hills brings us exceptional floral flavours like YeeHaa! With berry, cinnamon, and apple notes, or Dande, described as “a summer’s field with honey.”
Address: 2380 Drive West Millarville, Millarville
Phone: (403) 933-3913
Chinook Arch Meadery
Mead, or honey wine, makes an excellent summer sipping companion for patios, campfires, or a cozy rainy night. At Chinook Arch, they are the honey experts, and carry this over into their mead-making process to bring us a huge variety of fruity and floral flavours. For those with less of a sweet tooth, they have a King Arthur’s Dry, with hints of clover and alfalfa; for those with those sweet cravings, they have a Bochet Vanilla, akin to roasted marshmallows; and, for those more in the middle with their tastes, Chinook makes many more balanced meads with fruits like cherry and black currants as well as grains and spices.
Address:386079 16th St. W, Okotoks
Phone:(403) 995-0830
City & Country Winery
Welcome to one of the few urban wineries in Canada and Alberta! City & Country is in the heart of Calgary but get their grapes from all over the world to bring you locally crafted wines, free of any artificial flavours or colours. Available now are Reds like an Okanagan Merlot and Gamay Noir, Whites such as Pinot Gris and a California White Blend, as well as a Rose. Another way you can enjoy this urban winery is through their Wine Club.
Address:544 38a Ave SE, Calgary
Phone:(403) 245-0449
Field Stone Fruit Wines
There are several occasions which call for a tasty fruit wine, especially with summer just around the corner. Field Stone is prepared with their current selection of refreshing fruit blends and dessert wines, all ranging from dry to more on the sweet side. The drier Raspberry Fruit Wine is a tart and crisp option described as a “clean burst of summer:” how perfect! The Field Stone wine variety can be purchased at numerous spots across Alberta and in their own wine store (shopping by appointment only).
Address: 10 km south of Strathmore on Highway 817
Phone:(403) 934-2749
Central Alberta
Fallen Timber Meadery
This family honey farm has been in the beekeeping business for over 50 years and the mead business for over 10. With their knowledge of honey, they created a line of refreshing session meads with a modern take to pair with their selection of traditional style meads. These traditional styles range from delicate and floral to full bodied and on the sweeter side. Their modern sessions come in a variety of fun flavours like mojito, lemon ginger, or apple raspberry.
Address: 5543 Township Rd 302, Water Valley
Phone:(403) 637-2667
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Grey Owl Meadery
In the southwest foothills is the scenic family honey farm of Grey Owl which also plays host to a full meadery. The mead they create is intended to be able to compete with wine in the sense that they want you to find the food it pairs well with and enjoy your sips with food; enjoy the subtle flavours and notes as you do with wine. Local flavours include fruits like haskap, apple, and black currant. Other flavours come from florals, spices, and of course the honey.
Address: 452036 AB-22, Alder Flats
Phone: (780) 542-1413
Delidais Estates Winery
You can visit both the Delidais Estates and the DNA Farm on which it sits. The farm is dedicated to Alberta prairie fruits so you can expect a full line of tasty fruit wines. Delidais pays homage to their past and their roots with their current selections like the Backbreaker with black currant flavours that are bold and full like the first pioneers, or the Bootlegger perfect for a modern take on a sangria!
Address: DNA Gardens: 35344 Range Rd 230, Elnora
Phone: (403) 773-2489
Edmonton & Capital Region
Barr Estate Winery Inc.
Take a tour, take a taste, find their wine at your local liquor store, or host a whole event at Barr Estate Winery! The Sherwood Park Winery sits in a scenic Strathcona County area where you can tour the farmland after trying and learning about the refreshing wines. Barr Estates wine selection includes local fruity flavours like raspberry, rhubarb, sour cherry, and strawberry.
Address: 51526 Range Rd 231, Sherwood Park
Phone:(780) 819-9463
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Vintners Cellar Alberta
No other winemaker can give you as much option as a U-Vin establishment. With Vintners Cellar, they give you the ultimate wine-making experience: select your grapes from anywhere in the world and simply allow Vintner to use their professional experience to turn these grapes into a delicious personal bottle of wine.
Address: 220 Lakeland Dr #130, Sherwood Park
Phone: (587) 990-9790
Corkbeard Wine Co.
As one of few grape wineries in Alberta, Corkbeard Wine Co. sources grapes born all around the world to create their lineup of whites and reds. This smaller family company offers a big menu of wines including a rose, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay, and more in between.
Address: 15006 135 Ave., Edmonton
Gypsy Moon Winery
This small-batch and boutique winery creates their bottles by numbers at only about 30. Due to this, each batch of wine and each bottle is that much more special- whether you save it or not! Gypsy Moon is also known as a U-Vin/U-Brew, where you get to select your grapes from anywhere in the world, and Gypsy does the work of turning them into wine, just for you. You can even recycle old wine bottles or purchase new ones from the winery.
Address: 25 Chisholm Ave #108, St. Albert
Phone: (587) 290-2739
Northern Alberta
Shady Orchard & Winery
Sip the tastes and notes of Alberta’s most flavourful berries and fruits with a Shady Orchard wine. This smaller winery and shop in northern Alberta has a large orchard and U-pick farm adjacent, which you can visit for the berry-picking and wine shopping. Some of their high-quality fruit wines include Saskatoon-Raspberry (a full and semi-sweet wine), Cran-Raspberry (a dry wine with tons of flavour), or the lighter Strawberry. They have many to choose from, so it all depends on your mood and tastes!
Address: 16115 Township Rd. 744, High Prairie
Phone: (780) 523-5260
Birds & Bees Organic Winery, Meadery and Distillery
This isn’t your grandmother’s wine or mead or vodka. The Birds & Bees group have established themselves as a popular distillery and winery in Alberta through fun flavours, unique combinations, and some pretty catchy titles. The wines are crafted using local fruits and honey and come in 10 different flavours. This year’s newest addition from the northernmost Organic Fruit orchard and Winery / Meadery in the world is the Smokin Organic Saskatoon, infused with hemp and offering a semi-dry finish. B&B also sell a line of regular and flavoured vodkas.
Address: RR 115, Two Hills County
Phone: 780-668-3371
By: Bernadette Gallagher
You forgot Burwood Distillery with their bee farm and honey based spirits made from meads: https://burwooddistillery.ca/
All these listed places are fantastic as well! So excited for what Alberta has been putting out for high quality beverages!