Cork & Barrel Spirit Merchants

01/04/2025

We have some fantastic sales coming up starting tomorrow at Cork & Barrel. C'mon in and see what's on sale!

01/02/2025

Happy New Year!

12/28/2024

We have an amazing cellar sale going on starting today and running until April 5. We have a great selection of older vintages in our cellar that we're offering at oustanding prices, many below the price of current vintages. See the poster below. We have amazing Champagnes to give your New Year's Celebration extra POP! We have great Italian, French and American wines that are hard to get. And we're offering them to you--from our cellar to yours. Cheers!

12/24/2024

Merry Christmas one and all! All the best through the holiday season and on into 2025,. We are closed tomorrow but back open Boxing Day and onwards from 9 am to 10 pm every day until next Christmas. Cheers!

12/21/2024

The Masi Winery has been making wine in the Veneto region of Italy for over 250 years, which is amazing on its own. Through the Unification of Italy, the phylloxera epidemic that killed most of the vines, through two world wars, the Boscaini family has continued to refine and perfect their craft. After that much time you learn a bit about making wine. Masi pioneered the "Ripasso" method of wine-making which is a double fermentation method that produces wines of elegance and great length. We have three Masi wines open for tasting this afternoon between 2 and 6 at The Cork, all on sale for your Christmas entertaining. Come on in and see why Masi is one of the world's great wine producers. And while you're at it, pick up a bottle of Masi Costasera Amarone, one of the most famous Amarones in the world. You might just get hooked.

12/20/2024

We will be open all through the holidays except Christmas Day. However in January we will begin closing on Friday and Saturday at 10 pm, rather than 11 pm.

All the best of the season to you and yours from all of us at Cork and Barrel!

12/14/2024

Today between 2 and 6 pm, we are pouring great options for gifting or entertaining this holiday season. Road 13 Vineyards is a great supplier of BC VQA wines and we have great prices on their Honest John's Red ($18.99) and Honest John's White ($17.99). Serve your guests wines from BC at affordable prices. Also open is the classic Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Reserve Chardonnay ($23.49) which will pair with all the Christmas food favourites. Villa Antinori Toscana Rosso is one of our favourite Super Tuscan wines, a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon at $29.99, a great treat for entertaining. And Bearface 7-Year-Old Triple Barrel Canadian Whiskey ($39.99) is sure to please the whiskey lover on your shopping list. All open for tasting today from 2 to 6 pm.
And the best of the festive season to you and your loved ones!

12/07/2024

We have some great options for Christmas gatherings open for tasting today between 2 and 6. C'mon in out of the rain. The weather's fine in here!

12/05/2024

We've got a fantastic line-up of December savings at the store. Whether you're shopping for Christmas gifts, beverages for your Christmas gathering, or for you personal cellar, we have a great selection, and a great staff to help you make the perfect selection. Check out the sale products below, then drop into the store where we have more than 150 products on sale.
We're open every day between now and New Year's, except Christmas Day. Even Santa's elves need a holiday. Best of the festive season to you and yours!

11/05/2024

We have some fabulous options for Christmas entertaining season on sale this month at Cork & Barrel. If you're planning a Christmas celebration, we'd love to help you find some awesome wines to serve your guests. Cheers!

10/29/2024

Get your best Halloween costume on and join us for Halloween in the Courtyard, in conjunction with Oak Bay's Halloween Party, Thursday between 2 and 5 pm. Be there or we'll send the witches after you.

10/26/2024

We have a fabulous smorgasbord of wines for you to try this afternoon. From California we have a crisp Chenin Blanc/Viognier blend from Pine Ridge at a budget-friendly price of $22.99. Also from California, one of the iconic Zinfandels from the Seghesio family, on sale this month at $36.99. And two fun wines from Spain, home of great value wines. The Hecula Monastrell from Castano is $19.49 and a lovely Garnacha from Honoro Vera is a steal at $19.99. Cone on in and choose your entertainment wines for the season. Today between 2 and 6 pm. Cheers!

10/25/2024

We are excited to be celebrating Halloween as part of Oak Bay’s street party. It’s Halloween in the Courtyard. Drop in and ward off the chill with a taste of whiskey.

Trick or Treat in the Village is less than a week away! Participating businesses between Foul Bay Road and Monterey Avenue will display a pumpkin poster in their window. Don't miss any of our locations:

4Cats Oak Bay Art Studio
A La Mode Consignment Victoria
Abby Sprouts
Adventure Clothing
Ajna Yoga Center
Artsee Eyewear
Avenue Barber
Barclay's Fine Jewellers
Bark, Bath & Beyond Pet Boutique
Burt's Barbershop
Carlton House of Oak Bay
Chef on the Run
Cork & Barrel Spirit Merchants
DONDON
Edward Jones
Engel & Völkers Vancouver Island
Eric D. Flanagan, Ltd.
Fairway Markets
HearingLife Canada
Ivy's Bookshop
Lazy Susan's
Marlin Travel
Nicholas Randall/Finn and Izzy
Oak Bay Dental Clinic
Oak Bay Flower Shop Ltd.
Oak Bay Pharmasave
Oaks Restaurant and Grill
Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen
Pemberton Holmes Oak Bay
Penny Farthing Public House
RBC
RE/MAX Camosun
Rogers' Chocolates
Scotiabank
SeaFirst Insurance
Side Street Studio
Starbucks
Tapas on Oak
The Agency Oak Bay
The Avenue Gallery
Village Butcher
The Whole Beast Artisan Salumeria
Timeless Toys
Turnabout Luxury Resale
Violette Boutique

10/25/2024

JoieFarm Winery is one of the pioneers of the Okanagan Valley's Naramata Bench. Crafting exquisite, original wines from estate-grown grapes as well as grapes from the best custom growers, JoieFarm has developed a reputation for unique wines made in an old world wine style reminiscent of France, and particularly, the Alsace region of France. Their A Noble Blend is one of the best expressions of Alsatian wine style of any winery in British Columbia. We are opening three of their most popular wines this afternoon, including A Noble Blend, Rose and PTG, which is a Pinot Noir/Gamay blend which references France's Passe-Tout-Grains wines made in Burgundy. Come in today between 2 and 6 and taste these well-crafted and well-priced wines. Cheers!

10/19/2024

There was a time, not too long ago, that the word Riesling evoked pictures of terrible, sweet, inexpensive wines from Germany. Well, no longer. Riesling is one of the hot grapes among the sommelier class for its complexity and versatility. From rich, sweet, acidic dessert wines from Germany to deep, complex dry Rieslings from Australia, New Zealand and, yes, the Okanagan Valley, Rieslings are drawing the attention of white wine drinkers who have tired of the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc.
At the leading edge of Riesling production in BC is Synchromesh Wines. They make several different single-vineyard Rieslings that range from bright and sweet to dry and savory. We have three Synchromesh Rieslings open for tasting this afternoon, as well as a lovely single-vineyard Cabernet Franc. Come in between 2 and 6 and taste the hottest thing in white wines. Cheers!

10/18/2024

With Okanagan producers suffering two devastating winter cold blasts that killed buds and vines and left many producers with no wine to sell, the focus is increasingly on Vancouver Island and the wineries of the Cowichan Valley. Central to that area is Unsworth Vineyards whose wines we will be sampling this afternoon. The prestigious Decanter Magazine World Wine Awards recently awarded Unsworth Vineyards' 2021 Pinot Noir with a gold medal and a staggering 95 points. And Unsworth's fame is spreading. Two years ago, the Jackson Family Wine company of California, which owns vineyards all over the world, purchased Unsworth to add to its portfolio of wineries. They were so excited about the purchase, that the next year they bought Blue Grouse Estate Winery in the Cowichan Valley.
So what's all the fuss about? C'mon in this afternoon between 3 and 6 pm and taste the wines from Unsworth and make up your own mind. Cheers!

09/27/2024

The craft cider industry has exploded in BC along with wineries, breweries and craft distillers. And one of the first to explore the many faces of cider was the Saanich Peninsula's Sea Cider. We are exploring some of Sea Cider's innovative products this afternoon, with Cherry Lane, Witch's Broom and Rumrunner. Cmon in this afternoon and find your new favourite! Cheers!

09/24/2024