Melanie MoralesOne thing most of our staff have in common? Our love for good wine!
This is why we’re excited for today’s reviews. Here, we’ll share the wineries in Edmonton that top our list for different reasons (which we’ll get to as we break down what they offer). We also listed some of our favorite wines from these wineries along with our impressions of them.
How We Picked the Top Wineries in Edmonton
1. Gypsy Moon Winery
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| BEST FOR | The experience of making your own wine |
| WEBSITE | https://www.gypsymoonwinery.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 5 Rowland Crescent #105, St. Albert, AB T8N 4B2, Canada |
| CONTACT DETAILS | +1 587-290-2739 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Tuesday-Wednesday; Friday (11 AM-4 PM)
Thursday (11 AM-5 PM); Saturday (10 AM-3 PM); Closed on Sundays and Mondays |
| Crowd Favorites | Our Impression | Rating (with 5 as the perfect score) |
|---|---|---|
| Amarone Style (Winexpert) | Oaky Rich with a strong and firm finish with flavors of dark fruit and spice layered with notes of cherry, plum, and warm oak | 3.8/5 |
| Chardonnay (Vine Co) | Fruity Dry, full-bodied, with rich flavors of green apple, pear, and apricot | 4/5 |
| Dessert Wine (Apres Wine) | Chocolatey Smooth, decadent drink with strong fig and plum flavors and chocolate notes you won’t miss | 4.3/5 |
| Grenache Rosé (Vine Co) | Sweet Light wine with refreshing flavors of strawberry and red cherry | 4/5 |
| 1. ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| 1.1 Responsiveness | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| 1.2 Operating Hours | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| 2. MENU | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 2.1 Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 2.2 Range of Choices | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 3. VALUE FOR MONEY | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 4. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
If you’re looking for something a little bit different, Gypsy Moon Winery is one of your best bets. This is because they offer a craft winemaking experience – which means you get to try your hand at making your very own wine.
They work with four brands, Winexpert, Vine Co, Apres Wine, and Mangrove Jack’s. They offer an extensive range of wine kits to choose from.
All you have to do is choose a wine kit from these brands and then craft and bottle it yourself.
They take some time to be ready, though – taking around 4-8 weeks, depending on the wine kit you choose. After bottling, you can even get custom labels for your wine bottles.
As wine lovers, we love that we get to personalize our bottles the way we like them with these wine kits. You get to control the flavors too. Whether you like it fruity or full-bodied, you can achieve pretty much what you want.
You can’t expect stellar stuff, mind you, but considering it’s craft-it-yourself wine, it’s honestly pretty good. And a big part of the draw here is really the experience.
If you’re more interested in the winery experience or tour itself, rest easy that you’ll be guided well by the staff. They’re pretty welcoming and warm.
You may even get to work with the owner. We’ve done it before, though it didn’t happen the last time we went. Either way, whoever guides you will answer all your questions and see that you adhere to the instructions to ensure a good batch of wine.
The place also has a welcoming and relaxed vibe and it’s always spotless. It’s a great activity for parties and weddings as well.
As such, it’s probably an enjoyable and affordable option if you want to create your own personalized wine for your wedding.
You can even make it a fun night-out activity for the wedding party. They even have wine-making classes you can enroll in with your friends.
That being said, this is not the winery you should go to if you’re looking for a regular wine night. If you’re looking for something more traditional with a sit-down dinner and wine tastings, you should check out the other wineries on this list.
Pros
- Unique craft winemaking experience
- Affordable
- Friendly and knowledgeable staff
Cons
- Inconsistent operating hours
- Wine takes a long time to be ready
- Only works with four brands
Customer Reviews
The owner is so knowledgeable and friendly.
Cannot say enough great comments on this winery. We discovered this small local family business during the 2020 pandemic and have made it our go-to for wine. Michelle, the owner is so knowledgeable and friendly. Huge selection of all types of wines. -Ray P.
We will be back
Love the little known small businesses that are great at what they do. Had 2 batches done for summer. Bahama Mamma and Blood Orange Sangria. Was not disappointed. We will be back. Go see for yourself, great selection to choose from and knowledgeable owners. Easy way to create your own wine, labels and stock up for all occasions. -Mike K.
2. Barr Estate Winery Inc.
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| BEST FOR | Wine tours |
| WEBSITE | https://barr.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 51526 Clover Rd, Sherwood Park, AB T8B 1K9, Canada |
| CONTACT DETAILS | +1 780-819-9463 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday-Sunday (10 AM-6 PM) |
| Their Wines | Our Impression | Rating (with 5 as the perfect score) |
|---|---|---|
| The Other Red™ | Tart Full, complex flavors with medium body and clear notes of raspberries | 3.5/5 |
| The Barb™ | Sweet Sweet wine with red rhubarb and notes of citrus, honey nectar, and flowers and has a long finish | 4.5/5 |
| The Rhuby™ | Sweet and crisp Medium-bodied wine with a strong flavor of strawberries; you can taste some citrusy and floral notes with a sweet finish (this one’s crowd favorite) | 4.8/5 |
| The Jewel™ | Fruity You’ll taste hints of berries and red fruits; sweet and fruity flavor | 3.9/5 |
| 1. ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 1.1 Responsiveness | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 1.2 Operating Hours | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 2. MENU | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| 2.1 Quality | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| 2.2 Range of Choices | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| 3. VALUE FOR MONEY | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 4. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Just a little outside Edmonton, Barr Estate Winery Inc. is a fantastic winery to visit if you want to see how wine is made firsthand. They host tours here where you can stroll through the fields of rhubarb, sour cherries, and raspberries – and of course, witness the wine-making process.
Barr Estate Winery Inc. is a family-owned and managed business known for fine wines of incredible quality. That said, they’re not the ones to go to if you want variety since they only make four kinds of wines, all of which we listed in our table of their wines earlier.
If you’re a quality-over-quantity kind of person, then they’re perfect for you. The fruits used for these wines are grown on their farm, and the owners are involved in the whole process of making their wines, resulting in wines that are flavorful and unique.
Their ingredients and process are simple, resulting in wines that people have grown to love.
If we were to describe this winery, we can say the vibe is very quaint and rustic. It has a homey feel that makes anyone feel comfortable.
If you want to try their stuff before going to the winery, you can buy their wines directly from them or through their online stores. You can also check these retailers.
Do know that these get sold out pretty quickly because they only produce as many bottles as the harvested fruit will make.
Anyway, their wines are reasonably priced for their quality if you ask us. We do wish they would offer more kinds of wines in the future – we’ll be first in line to try them!
We also held one of our corporate events here, which was so fun. They have an ideal outdoor setting for different kinds of events and we totally recommend it!
Pros
- Wine made from locally-grown fruits
- Offers wine tours
- Can host events
- Homey and comfy feel
- Affordable
Cons
- Only produces 4 kinds of wines
- Can sell out quickly due to limited stock
Customer Reviews
Highly recommend this
What an amazing little place! It’s just minutes from Edmonton! We found out about this winery through Groupon. Four of us went there and we loved it. The have “The Other Red”, the “Barb” and the “Rhuby”. Great wines made from either rhubarb, raspberries and sour cherries, or a combination of! If you’re looking for something new to check out in Ed. I highly recommend this winery! -Martin Vendrame
Good glimpse at what it takes to make wine small scale
The wine is great and unique tasting. Definitely a good pick for a quick tour of a small wine making operation. If you ever want to get a good glimpse at what it takes to make wine small scale this is the place to do it. Try the Groupon! -Gavin I.
3. Corkbeard Wine Co.
| Title | Info |
|---|---|
| BEST FOR | Wide range of flavors |
| WEBSITE | https://corkbeard.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 15006 135 Ave, Edmonton, AB T5V 1R9, Canada |
| SOCIAL MEDIA | https://web.facebook.com/corkbeardwineco/?ref=br_rs&_rdc=1&_rdr |
| Crowd Favorites | Our Impression | Rating (with 5 as the perfect score) |
|---|---|---|
| California Rosé | Fruity Refreshing wine with distinct flavors of strawberry, apricot, and raspberry | 4/5 |
| Mymymy Merlot | Velvety Smooth and full-bodied wine with dark fruit flavors (blackberry), black licorice, and clove | 3.9/5 |
| California Cabernet Sauvignon | Lush Full-bodied wine with flavors of plums, black cherries, and a rich finish of vanilla | 4.8/5 |
| California Red Blend | Rich Medium-bodied wine with a rich mouthfeel and distinct flavors of boysenberry jam, black cherries, and a hint of black pepper; finishes soft and round | 3.9/5 |
| 1. ACCESSIBILITY | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 1.1 Responsiveness | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 1.2 Operating Hours | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 2. MENU | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 2.1 Quality | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 2.2 Range of Choices | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 3. VALUE FOR MONEY | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| 4. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
If you’re looking for a winery offering a wide range of flavors and kinds of wine, then Corkbeard Wine Co. is for you. We love them not just because their wine is of excellent quality, but because of the vibrant community that they’ve built.
The idea for the winery sprouted from a fun family gathering involving burning ends of corks and drawing mustaches on each other. Yep, that’s where the name comes from and not some old-time pirate who sailed the high seas: Corkbeard.
Anyway, they’re the youngest winery on this list but we think they’re worth featuring because of their consistently great wines and amazing customer service.
They have a huge team that manages the whole wine-making process and makes sure that their wines are ready for production. Their grapes are California-grown, interestingly enough but sold in Alberta.
If you’re curious about wine, just ask them on their social media and they’ll get back to you right away. Based on our experience, their representatives are warm, knowledgeable, and easy to approach.
We love that their wines have simple yet amazing flavors that are crowd-pleasers. Their Rosé even won the gold prize in the 2022 Alberta Food and Beverage Expo Consumer Choice Awards – which proves that we’re not alone in our love for their wines.
If you follow them, you’ll see that they hold a lot of fun events, quizzes, and other promos. We recommend following them so you’re up to date on the best deals on their wines.
For example, if you’re a part of their wine club, you get 20% off their wines.
That being said, we do wish they had a hotline and a more updated website. It makes it a bit hard to look through their products and services if you’re only checking them out online – a visit is much better for that with this winery.
Pros
- Wide range of flavors and kinds of wines
- Vibrant community
- Lots of events and promos
- Won an award at the 2022 Alberta Food and Beverage Expo Consumer Choice Awards
Cons
- Youngest winery
- No hotline
- Outdated website
Customer Reviews
Great to see a local company produce good wines
Fantastic wines there small batch selection is fantastic especially the Merlot and the Pinot Noir haven’t tried the other two yet but I’d imagine there full of flavor. I do enjoy their Red blend there Rose and of course the Chardonnay blend. Great to see a local company produce good wines. -RJW
The wines are amazing
So good! The wines are amazing, every one. The Chardonnay was amazing and I usually don’t favour a Chardonnay. Highly recommend! -Jeannette Tougas
