Homecraft Brew & Wine

11/01/2024

We're creeping up to the holiday season, and you don't want to be left hanging! Start your holiday wines sooner than later to ensure you're able to get 'em bottled before the big day!

Come visit us to get your next wine started! 🍷⛄❄️🎁

10/08/2024

We will be closing early this Thursday October 10th at 5pm (instead of 7pm).
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

09/03/2024

• CLOSURE ALERT •

Homecraft will be CLOSED on Friday September 6th and Saturday September 7th, reopening on Monday September 9th at 9:30am.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause!

08/23/2024

We'll be closing a bit earlier for next week due to some holidays. August 26-30 we will be open from 9:30-5pm, returning to our regular hours after Labour Day weekend.

07/31/2024

Look what we found!

This is an article from The Heritage Newspaper from July 29, 1987 - 37 years & 3 days ago, with a photo of Joe promoting Homecraft Brew & Wine!

Although the prices of our Starter Kits have changed, the savings are definitely still the same! Make 30 bottles of wine for under $90 and 64 bottles of beer for $50 once you've got the equipment, and it's still just as easy!

Come visit Rob & Emma, Joe's son and grand daughter, and make some beer & wine that's better than anything you can buy!

04/10/2024

ANOTHER WEDNESDAY ANOTHER WINE!

This week we're talking about RIESLING - one of the most fun wines to pair with food!

Riesling originates from Germany, specifically in the Rhine region along the Swiss-German border. It has flavour notes of stone fruit and citrus, with aged Rieslings leaning toward a gasoline/petrol flavour profile - which may sound weird, but it's the closest thing to describe the vibe of the "funk" that some Rieslings can have.

One of the most interesting things about Riesling to me is that, although it can sometimes be a really, really sweet wine, the grape itself is among the most acidic/dry! So dry, that it BEGS for a touch of sweetness to round it out which is why there's such a broad range of Rieslings throughout the world. The amount of sweetness that's added back in to the wine after fermentation is what determines how much of which flavour profile comes through! If you have a super dry Riesling, you may perceive more of the citrus (lemon, lime, pineapple), whereas a slightly sweetened Riesling might give off more of a stone fruit (peach, apricot, nectarine) flavour profile!

Depending on where in the world your juice is coming from will also impact the flavour - the grape is grown in Germany, France, Slovakia, Italy, Australia, China, South Africa, Canada and USA.

We offer two different Rieslings here at Homecraft - our 4-week Riesling comes from Washington and is an off-dry wine (can also be made dry) with notes of green apple and lime. Our 6-week Riesling comes from California and is a dry wine with notes of white-peach and pineapple. Either option will be a mouth-watering, deliciously refreshing wine perfect for sipping ice cold by the pool this summer!

FUN FACT: Riesling is actually one of the most age-able white wines out there! The longer it sits in the bottle, the deeper yellow colour it becomes and the more the fruity flavours condense and the spicier, zippier flavours come out to play! Most Rieslings you'll find at the LCBO will be aged anywhere from 0-5 years, and the younger it is, the fruitier it is!

04/08/2024

Extra FREE eclipse glasses available at Homecraft courtesy of Heather Shortall Real Estate and Jesse Topley Real Estate!

2787 Princess Street in the Woodbine Plaza!

04/08/2024

What's that? Those Twisted Mist wines I told you about the other day come with RECIPES?! Um, yes please!

Take a bottle of your S*x on the Beach and make it ON THE ROCKS. Some orange juice, ice (and if it were me, a little extra vodka 👀), maraschino cherries and a tiki umbrella and you've got yourself a tropical treat.

Take a bottle of your Bahama Mama and freeze it in an ice cube tray with some tropical fruits, and then when they're all frozen, add to a blender and pulse until it's a slushie! I'd use pineapples, orange, mango or even banana and cool down in the sun with your new favourite drink.

Wine doesn't always have to be in a fancy crystal glass from the fancy vineyards with a fancy outfit and fancy dinner - let your wine compliment your lifestyle, not the other way around!

04/08/2024

What's that? Those Twisted Mist wines I told you about the other day come with RECIPES?! Um, yes please!

Take a bottle of your S*x on the Beach and make it ON THE ROCKS. Some orange juice, ice (and if it were me, a little extra vodka 👀), maraschino cherries and a tiki umbrella and you've got yourself a tropical treat.

Take a bottle of your Bahama Mama and freeze it in an ice cube tray with some tropical fruits, and then when they're all frozen, add to a blender and pulse until it's a slushie! I'd use pineapples, orange, mango or even banana and cool down in the sun with your new favourite drink.

Wine doesn't always have to be in a fancy crystal glass from the fancy vineyards with a fancy outfit and fancy dinner - let your wine compliment your lifestyle, not the other way around!

04/05/2024

LIMITED RELEASE ALERT!!

Twisted Mist is Winexpert's fun new drinks for summer. It's wine, with a TWIST! These are inspired by favourite cocktails, and have all new flavours every year just before summer. When the weather gets warmer, you'll be so happy to have these in your cellar!

S*X ON THE BEACH is a cocktail made with peach schnapps, orange juice, cranberry juice and vodka, but ours is wine-based instead with the same flavours as the classic drink. Freshly squeezed orange juice, peach, vodka, and cranberry all mix together to create this incredible by-the-pool beverage. Serve over ice with an extra little somethin' somethin' (if you know what I mean 😜) and soak in the sun this summer!

BAHAMA MAMA is typically a blended tropical cocktail that's so perfect for summer. With orange juice, pineapple juice, coconut rum and grenadine blended with ice, it's so refreshing and absolutely scrumptious. Take a bottle of your Bahama Mama and blend it with some rum & ice and you've got a slushie that will be the talk of the town.

Can it be summer yet?! ☀️🍉🍊🌴

04/03/2024

WELCOME TO ANOTHER WINE WEDNESDAY! 🍷

Today we're talking about CARMENERE, the scrumptious red wine that is rumoured to be the lost Bordeaux grape from France that now grows almost exclusively in Chile. It was originally thought to be Merlot when it was first transplanted into Chile, and this case of mistaken identity is likely what saved Carmenere from extinction when disease devastated the vineyards of Bordeaux in the late 1800s. In 1994, DNA analysis revealed that what was thought to be Chilean Merlot was in fact, the rare Bordeaux grape Carmenere.

It has many similar characteristics to Merlot - in body, flavour profile, tannin and oak, but its super juicy raspberry, sour cherry and minerality set it apart. Across the board, this wine falls in the middle ground of most wine tasting criteria - medium bodied (not too light, not too heavy), medium amounts of tannin (they're there, but not overwhelmingly drying) and moderately oaked. Think of oak like salt and pepper in cooking - more delicate foods only need the teensiest amount to improve the flavour or else they'll be overwhelmed, but bolder foods (such as a steak, for example) can handle and LOVE lots of salt & pepper! It's for this reason that we don't often see a lot of oak in light red wines such as Pinot Noir or Lambrusco and almost never in white wines, but bigger reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon can handle lots of it! Carmenere, falling in the middle ground of intensity, gets a middle ground amount of oak, as well!

Luckily for you, since we make small batches of wine here at Homecraft, we can add as much or as little oak as you'd like! Some people like it super heavily oaked (like me 🤤), but some people find it to be too woodsy and overpowering. Whatever suits your fancy, we can make it happen!

As for food pairings, it works with so many dishes because it does fall into this middle ground of intensity - it can be soft enough to handle light & delicate dishes, but also enough body to be able to stand up to more boldly flavoured foods such as BBQ. Carmenere loves meat & vegetables - Ratatouille, a rack of lamb or even spicy Indian curries all make a lovely pairing with Carmenere. YUM!

03/27/2024

HAPPY WINE WEDNESDAY 🍷

Today's wine feature is PINOT GRIGIO - the loveable white wine coming from Italy!

Pinot Grigio is made from the grape Pinot Gris which is actually a mutation of Pinot Noir! It's famously known for zesty, easy drinking white wines, and is generally a favourite among white wine drinkers.

Typically, Pinot Grigio has a flavour profile highlighting peaches, lemon zest, green apples or other citrus fruits, and sometimes even almond or gravel notes. It's a moderately acidic wine - nothing too sweet - with a medium body and moderate ABV.

What's the difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio? While it does have a French origin, the largest producer of Pinot Gris is Italy, where it's known as Pinot Grigio and almost always follows the same production method, flavour profile, and quality markers. When it's made elsewhere in the world, it's usually called Pinot Gris instead, despite being the same grape either way!

Italian Pinot Grigio tends to be on the lighter side compared to its international counterparts, and is totally dry with stunning acidity. It's light, fresh, clean in flavour and super easy drinking. Pinot Gris from outside of Italy can be bolder and heavier, with floral, spice, and honey - profiles which we don't usually see with the Italian favourite. Specifically in the USA, we're seeing some incredible Pinot Gris coming out of California and Washington; full bodied, bright acidity, mineral and spicy flavour profiles are the main differences due to their vast diversity in climates in small geographical areas and modern winemaking techniques!

Luckily for you, we carry both Pinot Grigio (Italy) and Pinot Gris (Washington) here at Homecraft, and our 4-week Pinot Grigio is actually our best seller across ALL OF OUR WINES! It's absolutely scrumptious, and one that 2/3 of our staff make on a regular basis. There's no question that if you start making Pinot Grigio with us (starting at $149.97/30 bottles) you'll never go back to the LCBO for this lovely white wine again!

AND!!! If you mention this post on your next visit, we'll knock $10 off your next on-premise batch!

03/20/2024

IT'S WINE WEDNESDAY 🙌🏻

Each week for the forseeable future, we're going to highlight one of the varietals that we carry here at Homecraft! This week we're going to be talking about the King of Grapes, CABERNET SAUVIGNON!

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted grape in the world, but it originated in France as a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. The grape produces a full-bodied, full-tannin, full-acidity wine that is the perfect example of a grape meant to be aged. Over time, these flavours will blend together seamlessly, and give you a fantastically delicious bold wine that isn't over the top aggressive. Since Cabernet Sauvignon tends to be on the bolder side, it makes the perfect match for things like grilled meats, peppery sauces, and equally bold dishes.

Depending on where its grown, Cabernet Sauvignon can have some slightly different tasting notes. Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile tends to have some blackberry, black cherry and fig notes, but then the same wine from the Northern Coast of California will have flavour notes of black currant, to***co and even graphite! When it's from Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon tends to have some sweeter and spicier flavours, like white pepper and chocolate. These tasting notes are generally very subtle, and it takes a really refined palate to be able to fully differentiate them, but it is a good thing to be able to use to compare when getting into the world of wine to figure out what you like and don't like!

Luckily for you, we have Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Chile, California AND Australia in stock! Which region makes your favourite? 🍷

01/06/2024

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will be closed today (Saturday January 6th, 2024). We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We will reopen on Monday January 8th at 9:30am.

12/20/2023

Join us for our next Craft Brewing Workshop for Beginners! More information on Eventbrite below.

Learn the ins and outs of Craft Beer Making with our introductory workshop!

12/20/2023

Mmm! What cookies will you be having this holiday season? Have you ever tried wine & cookies 😱

My gift to you: a Christmas cookie and wine pairing list! 🍪🍷

✍️: Ashley Greco