Many visitors find themselves flummoxed at best and, at worst, royally put out by their inability to buy booze in the nearest grocery store. Quick explanation: this province was heavily influenced by pioneer settlers who brought with them some serious Protestantism and tem¬perance views. For decades, beer parlors in BC had no windows — to prevent the impressionable passerby from witnessing the debauchery that went on within.
The legacy lives on in the government’s almost total monopoly on the sale of alcoholic beverages, and a related ability to generate staggering tax revenues. So, while there are a small number of inde¬pendent wine stores around town, which were just recently permitted to sell hard liquor as well, the best places to shop are the BC Liquor Stores (www.bcliquorstores.com). These include two specialty stores downtown: for wine (1120 Alberni Street, 604-660-4572) and for spirits (1191 Robson Street, Downtown, 604-660-1993). The largest and best-stocked store is in South Vancouver (5555 Cambie Street, 604-660-9463). There’s also a good one in West Vancouver (Park Royal North, 604-981-0011). Note: the above are the only government stores open Sundays and some statutory holidays.
If you need wine or spirits after hours, or are looking for a private wine shop that takes its products seriously, I suggest the Marquis Wine Cellar (1034 Davie Street, West End, 604-684-0445, www. marquis-wines.com). It hosts tastings and produces a bulletin with staff picks for “everyday drinking” or “cellar starters” (I’ll take that 1999 Ostertag Fronbolz Riesling, thank you).
An unapologetic booster of BC wines, I’ll spare you my spiel. But if you’re not already into Vintners’ Ouality Alliance (VQA) products, check out those at Village VQA Wines (3536 West 41st Avenue, Westside, 604-269-9433). It stocks only VQA wines, made entirely from grapes grown in BC, and meet increasingly rigorous standards in both the field and production. Its sister shop is Edgemont Village Wines (3050 Edgemont Boulevard, North Vancouver, 604-985-9463).
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