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Winnipeg Free Press

Turning over a New Leaf for a great cause — wildfire relief

Opinion A Winnipeg brewery and a local beer enthusiast/social media personality have collaborated to make a brew in support of victims of Manitoba's wildfires. The New Leaf Lager, a collaboration between One Great City and Trevor Allain, aka @beerandbaphomet, was made using donated malt and hops, with a portion of proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross. (Supplied) One Great City (1596 Ness Ave.) and Trevor Allain, who posts on Instagram as @beerandbaphomet, have teamed up to create New Leaf Lager, a hoppy lager made using donated malt from Manitoba's Scythe Malting and donated hops from Saskatchewan's JGL Shepherd Farms, which Allain helped make at the brewery. They'll launch New Leaf Lager on Sunday, Aug. 24, at the brewery in an event running from noon to 10 p.m. In addition to the beer launch, One Great City will be hosting a tap takeover, which will see beers on tap from locals such as Devil May Care, Oxus, Sookram's, Good Neighbour and others alongside contributions from Calgary's Establishment Brewing, Cabin Brewing and more. All breweries donated their beer, which will sell for $5 a pint on the 24th, with all proceeds going towards the Canadian Red Cross in support of wildfire relief. A dollar from each can will also be donated. There's no cost to attend the event, which will also feature live music, and beers (and food) will be available for purchase. To see a video of the New Leaf Lager being made (via Instagram), click here. That's not all that's going on around town drinks-wise over the next week or so… If you're looking for something to do today, Nonsuch Brewing Co. (125 Pacific Ave.) is celebrating simple yet mighty brews all day at the brewery/eatery. Smash Fest features five different brews made with a single malt and single hop (or 'SMASH'). There will be new SMASH brews and burgers to accompany a special menu, plus DJs spinning tunes. Admission is free, with brews, burgers and more available for purchase. The Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) wants Winnipeg wine lovers to enjoy the tail end of summer by drinking pink. CAPS Manitoba is hosting Rosé the Night Away, a showcase of a range of styles of pink wines, on the rooftop patio of the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre (281 Donald St.) on Monday from 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $42 for CAPS members or $55 for non-members, and are available online here. On Tuesday, brewery/winery Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St. N.) and private wine store Ellement Wine + Spirits team up for the seventh Natural Wine Party, featuring wines made with minimal intervention (native yeasts and little to no added sulfites, fining or filtering). The party kicks off at 5 p.m. and goes until close, and will feature a range of natural wines by the glass. Special guests include Matt Sherlock (of Lock & Worth and Nichol Vineyards in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley) with Adam Donnelly (Petit Socco) and Mitchell Man (Passero) serving up some small bites. There's no cost to attend, with wine/food available for purchase. If you're looking to combine a little learning with your drinks experience, Winnipeg wine and mead producer Shrugging Doctor Beverage Company (483 Berry St.) wants to show you where the grapes for its wines are grown. The company is once again leading a vineyard tour and tasting on Sunday, Sept. 7, which will see guests visit the Pembina Valley vineyard, sample some wines, tuck into some barbecued fare and more. Tickets including a bus ride to the area are $120 plus fees; without the bus ride it's $100 plus fees. More information and tickets are available online here. Poderi dal Nespoli 2022 Prugneto Sangiovese Superiore (Romagna, Italy — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Poderi dal Nespoli 2022 Prugneto Sangiovese Superiore Poderi dal Nespoli 2022 Prugneto Sangiovese Superiore This Sangiovese from the Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy brings ripe raspberry and cherry flavours along with hints of mocha, red licorice, blackberry and earth. It's medium-plus-bodied and dry, with loads of red berry flavours allowed to shine through unencumbered by too much oak (30 per cent of the wine spends a few months in barrel), lean but grippy tannins that come with a peppery note, a splash of acidity and, at 13.5 per cent, a medium-length finish. Would do well with charcuterie, osso bucco or pasta in red sauce. 3.5/5 Montes 2022 Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon (Colchagua Valley, Chile — 24.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon There's about 10 per cent Merlot blended into this Colchagua Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which is inky purple in colour and aromatically offers bright cassis, eucalyptus, menthol, blackberry and plum notes. It's full-bodied and dry, with ripe but slightly tart dark berry notes front and centre accompanied by the herbal/eucalyptus notes, a hint of mocha, and lingering vanilla and spice from 12 months in French oak barrels, half of which were new. The tannins offer a decent bit of grip, while the 14.5 per cent alcohol offers a long, lingering finish. It's drinking well now on its own, or would show nicely with steak, fajitas, hard cheeses or grilled meats, but could be set aside for 3-5 years. A dense, chewy red that's a very good value. 4/5 Søren 2022 Boundary Springs red blend (Similkameen Valley, B.C. — $46.99, Jones & Co.) Søren Boundary Springs red blend Søren Boundary Springs red blend A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Syrah, this single-vineyard B.C. red from the Similkameen Valley offers lovely blackberry, cocoa, violet, cassis, plum and white pepper notes on the nose. It's full-bodied and dry, but brings loads of ripe dark berry and cassis notes, secondary cocoa and white pepper notes from oak aging (some of which was in new barrels), medium tannins and a long, slightly warm finish (it's 14 per cent alcohol). Drink this exceptionally well-balanced and concentrated red now, or hold for 4-6 years. A small allocation has made its way to Manitoba from the winery, and is available at Jones & Co. 4.5/5 uncorked@ @bensigurdson Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. 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