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Craft winemakers enjoy options

Squatter’s Creek Wines & Designs offers choice and convenience at u-brew facility
Squatter’s Creek
Squatter’s Creek Wines & Designs owner Kelly Munday and her part-time helpers: husband Terry [left] and son Michael.

Craft winemaking enthusiasts may have to look a little harder to find Squatter’s Creek Wines & Designs, but once discovered, the u-brew facility offers them an abundance of choices and customization options.

“Craft winemaking is about however you want to make it,” says owner Kelly Munday, who received her Wine and Spirit Education Trust level-one certification last July. “People have the capability to make it right here to suit their own taste.”

The business is tucked away in a convenient, central location with ample parking at 103-4871 Joyce Avenue behind Quality Foods in Crossroads Village Shopping Centre.

“Some customers were surprised to find out we were here,” says Munday, “or thought we were a retail wine store, not a wine-crafting facility.”

RJS Craft Winemaking is a key component of the Squatter’s Creek Wines & Designs, which is celebrating its first anniversary under new ownership. RJS Craft Winemaking is a division of Arterra Wines Canada, Canada’s leading producer and marketer of award-winning Canadian and imported wines, including Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, Sawmill Creek, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Ruffino and Kim Crawford.

“In addition to RJS Craft Winemaking kits, Restricted Quantity (RQ) wine kits are available, too,” says Munday.

Squatter’s Creek hosted a benchmark wine-tasting event in September to taste equivalents from four new RQ wines being released, including Australian Shiraz Viognier in December, Chile Carménère in January, Tempranillo from Spain in February and a German riesling in March.

“All the money was donated to the food bank,” says Munday. “It will be an annual event, but we need a larger venue as it was very popular and a full house.”

Kits were preordered at the event, but some extras were ordered to be sold in the shop.

“The grape juice is sourced from top wineries worldwide,” says Munday. “The level of sulfites in the grape juice in the kits is less compared to commercial wines.”

Seating is available for family or friends while customers make their wine and a new bottle filler fills four bottles at a time; an entire carboy takes less than five minutes, says Munday. Sulfites can be removed and suss reserve (unfermented grape juice) can be added to make sweeter wine, and two types of corks are available: agglomerated (natural) or synthetic.

“Wines kits can be tailored to suit each customer,” says Munday. “If they don't like oak, they can take it out, or they can decide to make it more oaky; it’s about personal preference.”

Several wine clubs have been formed by customers who come together to bottle, cork and label their wines. Six different customers select and make six different wines, and then a bottling date is coordinated for an evening that works for everyone.

“We put out cheese, crackers and desserts and everyone samples their wine; it’s a lot of fun,” says Munday. “Everyone shares their group batch and goes home with five bottles of each of type.”

Customers also have the option to buy wine kits in the store and make it at home.

“They can also purchase wine kits elsewhere and bring them into our bright, clean, temperature-controlled facility for processing and bottling,” says Munday.

The Brew House beer kits are also sold in-store, but the suds are not made on the premises.

“We are at full capacity with the wine most of the time, so we don’t make the beer here,” says Munday. “It’s very easy to make beer at home and we sell all the supplies anyone needs to do it.”

Munday participated in the self-employment program through Powell River Community Futures prior to purchasing the store and continued with the program until late December.

“They were extremely helpful in helping me get my business off to a strong start,” says Munday, who works full time, while her husband Terry and son Michael round out the staff. Hours of operation are 10 am-5 pm, Tuesday to Friday, and 10 am-4 pm on Saturdays. Mondays or evenings are available upon request.

A large assortment wine-gift accessories and some unique artwork is also available.

For more information:
604.485.7775
squatterscreekwines.com
squatterscreekwines@gmail.com