Located in Barrhead, 1 hour northwest of Edmonton is Shady Lane Estate Winery. Like the previous Alberta wineries we’ve focused on, Shady Lane is also a family-owned and operated winery, using fruits grown, without herbicides and pesticides, at the property.
One of Alberta’s true cottage wineries, Shady Lane distills in small batches to keep the integrity of the wines. Selected vine-ripened strawberries, Saskatoons, prairie cherries, choke cherries, haskaps, currants, raspberries and rhubarb are fermented into wines without the use of sulphates.
These are Shady Lane’s fine German-monikered wines, translations in brackets:
Erdbeeren (Strawberry), 15% alc., sweetness 3
Great in sangrias or on its own. It is fruity and a perfect summer wine, though would be refreshing anytime when paired with vegetable salads and smoked cheeses.
Junibeeren (June Berry or Saskatoon), 15% alc., sweetness 2
Tastes like light Port so it would pair well with blue cheeses or good on its own.
Aronia (Chokecherry), 11% alc., sweetness 3
Starts with a sweet cherry flavour with a woody finish. This would pairnicely with barbecued pork and chicken.
There are plenty of recipes at Trail Appliances’ Blogs for you to enjoy with one of the above, which you can get a hold of in these establishments. This year’s winter weather has been fairly nice and mild so don’t put away your barbecue yet. As a matter of fact, leave it out and ready year-round and keep on grilling! In case you’re thinking of replacing your grilling machine or accessories, Trail Appliances offers a variety of choices.