Last summer my husband and I moved—not far, but just enough to change our usual habits. We began exploring different restaurants and frequently found ourselves shopping on nearby Granville Island. But our best discovery was delivery services—particularly the option to have wine delivered right to our new front door.
Buying wine by the case was freeing, especially once we realized our new neighbours enjoy a little bubbly as much as we do. If the carousing in our little hamlet continued past our last bottle, running next door to grab another was suddenly easy.
Now, as the reality of living in a pandemic sets in, and we all try to practise responsible self-isolation to curb the spread of COVID-19, last summer’s discovery takes on new importance. In today’s climate, getting your wine delivered is not only more socially responsible than needlessly going out, but also a convenient way to support a few local businesses.
With that in mind, here are three wine stores that deliver in Vancouver, and a wine suggestion for each.
Marquis Wine Cellars
This Davie Street staple has been in business since 1986, and offers same-day delivery (free with a purchase of $200 or more) within Vancouver, and delivery within two business days outside Vancouver via Canada Post. Marquis also boasts the most user-friendly online wine-buying experience I’ve ever encountered.
From Marquis, a perfect refresher in this tense moment is Périgord’s 2018 l’Oie du Périgord Sauvignon Blanc from southwest France. Aromas of gooseberry and apricots, apple peel and elderflowers lead to a lip-smacking and juicy palate with a silky texture.
Image courtesy of Marquis Wine Cellars.
Liberty Wine Merchants
With six locations in the Lower Mainland, there’s likely a Liberty store near you. Call your community store with your selections—or ask staff to put together a mixed case—and receive 10 per cent off your entire order when you purchase a case. Delivery from the Point Grey and Granville Island stores is also available through Foodora or Uber Eats, and there is an e-commerce site in the works.
We all need a little bubbly in our lives and Liberty’s gently sparkling Sacchetto Fili from Italy offers classic Prosecco notes of peaches and honey, floral talc, and a hint of tangerine. Just as pretty on the palate, it is dry and spritzy, and at a mere 11.5-percent alcohol, entirely quaffable.
Image courtesy of Sacchetto.
Everything Wine
North Vancouver’s Everything Wine (with a newer location in the River District and others around the Lower Mainland) normally delivers vino to your door within five business days via FedEx, and in British Columbia orders are free for purchases of $200 or more.
Available at Everything Wine stores, the 2016 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon, is a fragrant medium-bodied red, which doles out a potpourri of cedar chips and dried flowers, raspberry and exotic spices. Harmonious and expressive, it also has pleasing savoury undertones.
Image courtesy of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars.
For those of you who are introverted, or simply lazy (as I often am), wine delivered to your door could be just what you were looking for on any given day. But at this moment in time, as we all endure the stress of a quickly spreading pandemic, it could be exactly what most of us need.
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