In February 2025, Manitoba (and most other provinces) pulled American liquor from store shelves as part of the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.
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In February 2025, Manitoba (and most other provinces) pulled American liquor from store shelves as part of the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.
In February 2025, Manitoba (and most other provinces) pulled American liquor from store shelves as part of the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.
Then in December, the province followed a similar course to others and put American booze that was already on hand back on shelves, selling off inventory that had been wasting away in warehouses for months, and directing proceeds from those sales to charities.
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A liquor mart employee helps stock American alcohol onto shelves
A liquor mart employee helps stock American alcohol onto shelves
Lineups sprung up at numerous stores as consumers snapped up bestselling American products — think Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniel’s, Apothic Red and the like. After that initial rush, what was left has been languishing on shelves ever since, with many products eventually being drastically discounted for a quick sale, lest they become too long in the tooth.
I decided early on not to write about/review U.S. products in this space until things were well and truly sorted. But a few months back, I found myself in the mood for a big, oaky red wine and — in a moment of weakness, or nostalgia, or maybe just curiosity — I picked up a $30-ish California Cabernet Sauvignon.
It was one of the only times I’ve experienced guilt about buying a wine — was I being a bad Canadian whose elbows weren’t up high enough? I figured the proceeds were going to a good cause, and I wasn’t going to review said product, so… no harm, no foul, right?
The Cab, which I had tried and enjoyed in the past, failed to move the needle for me this time. I don’t think the wine was past its prime — could the shame I felt in buying an American wine have left a (proverbially) bitter taste in my mouth?
The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney.
By necessity, most savvy wine drinkers quickly moved on from American wines. That move has been relatively easy, as there’s no real style of wine from the U.S. that’s truly irreplaceable; there are plenty of equivalents out there that are just as good (or better) from other countries:
• For those missing California Cabernet Sauvignon, there are plenty of very good to great options from Australia, Chile and Argentina that bring big, bold flavours with balanced oak.
Source: Read the original article on www.winnipegfreepress.com