Bee & Thistle Winery Inc.

Locals Supporting Locals - Check out our blog for local businesses in the area. Saskatchewan is a great vacation destination and if you're looking to rent a lakefront cottage, please contact Erica to learn more about her AirBnB in Morin Lake Regional Park. https://www.beeandthistlewinery.wine//locals-supporting-lo

We often get questions about how to see the back of our labels without picking up the bottle. Here you go. The rest of the information, including tasting notes, is found in our Online Store https://www.beeandthistlewinery.wine/store. You can purchase our wines at many locations in SK, listed under the Online Store as well. Or send an email to [email protected] with your selection and we'll invoice you.

One of the highlights of our month was getting a stellar review from the professional sommeliers at Co-op in Saskatoon. They've listed our wines in 3 of their locations. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMNRfF_Fpyn/ "New products listed at Saskatoon Co-op go through our sommelier tasting panel to ensure quality, value, genuineness to the varietal and category merits. ... @haskapwine certainly made the cut! These products are well-crafted, unique local fruit wines. " Find our wines at all three Saskatoon Co-op outlets. https://www.beeandthistlewinery.wine/sales-locations

On the road to Regina. Setting up SLGA retail outlets in Regina, so we'll have wine available in stores there by the end of the week.

March Delivery Schedule, 2021: Debden, Big River, Shellbrook: Mon-Sat. P.A.: once a week, usually Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Saskatoon: every 2 weeks by appointment only... Message the Winery or email [email protected]. We can meet up at any location on my routes. Peter

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RX7XjWQ75xQ

Haskap harvest 2020 has started! This day 1 video was taken inside the freezer with 2000 pounds. Day 1 finished at 2770 pounds (5 workers), day two at 2200 pounds (3 workers on-site and 2 workers in Saskatoon to deliver day 1s berries to a commercial freezer).

https://www.facebook.com/708370206/posts/10163984793960207/?sfnsn=mo Its time to get this years harvest underway

Rhubarb 2020. This will make approximately 1300 L of Rhubarb Wine. Look for Loch Aline 2020 Rhubarb Wine on retail shelves in late Fall, 2020. Also ordered online at www.beeandthistlewinery.wine at that time.

Our first Rhubarb wine is on! Peter and Collin helped our winemaker, Margie, get it all set up. Let the fermentation begin.

Oxygen in wine is bad news. Once wine nears the end of fermentation, which is around Brix 8 or Sp Gr of 1.030, it is no longer protected by the blanket of CO2 that was created during the fermentation process. Heres how the Bee & Thistle Winery ensures oxygen stays out of the tank. (Some oxygenation is desirable but only on a micro-oxygenation level, which is far exceeded when wine is exposed to room air.) https://youtu.be/dtyfp731Fp4

Transferring wine from the starter tubs to the big tank https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f-EXAl9ulM&t=9

Today we moved the Haskap juice from the three small tanks to the large 1000 L tank

It is a very exciting time at the Bee & Thistle Winery. Our inaugural Haskap wine, Chiad Fhion, vintage 2018, was started yesterday with the thawing of the berries. Today, Margie and Peter crushed a full 1000 pounds of Haskap, followed by pressing. Theyre not done for the day yet, still several more key activities to be done.

Active Batch Test fermentation in progress. The aromas are enticing and the progress is according to plan. Yeast MT48 was chosen for this Batch. Its a bit challenging to work with since the temperature parameters are in a narrower range, but the flavour profile is superior to the other selections.

Testing out the winemaking process on 6 test batches of Haskap

The aroma, sound, and sight of active Haskap Fermentation in Test Batch 11

Testing the Winemaking Process

Heres a small portion of Haskap placed in the crusher. You can see the paddles doing the crushing and forcing the berries into the catch bin below.

Moving the 2000 L tanks into the winery. We powerwashed and sanitized them over the weekend.

Beyond Excited to Announce - Manufacturers Permit Received!

The Bee & Thistle Winery is expecting to receive our manufacturers license any day. These are additional tanks to the ones already set up at the winery. Let the good times begin!

Peter got a delivery comprising of two tanks, 2000 litres each in size yesterday! This will more than double the winery out put once we get the go ahead to start product!

Alcohol by Volume Using Distillation/Hydrometry Technique

Collin MacInnis and his wife, Geraldine Green, participated in the WSET Level 1 course in Calgary, Alberta. Click here to see a snapshot of what the course entails. https://www.beeandthistlewinery.wine/wset-level-1

Where does a Haskap berry get its color from? Anthocyanins, which are colored water-soluble pigments belonging to the phenolic group, responsible for the colors red, purple and blue.

Interesting facts of the Haskap include: - The berries grow on bushes that form a globe shape and can grow five to seven feet tall over five to seven years; - The fruit is an oblong, dusty indigo coloured berry about one centimetre diameter and between one and four centimetres long; - They are one of the first fruit crops to set and ripen in the Canadian growing season; harvesting occurs in late June and into early July; and - All varieties of Haskap need a pollenizer, which ...is just another variety not closely genetically related; - The flowers (also produced in pairs) come out just before the leaves do, and the plants fruit on second-year wood. After flowering, and while the Haskap are developing, new shoots of wood will grow from the existing ones producing fruit the following year. See more

Ever wonder what steps are required to make wine? Wonder no more. And did you know that polyphenols are what give Haskap their beautiful colour? Makes for an awesome coloured wine.

Did you know: Haskap berries have three times the amount of antioxidants as a blueberry (and actually the highest level of anthocyanins of all fruit), giving it the designation of a nutrient-packed superfood.

Winter has arrived on the prairies. The Haskaps are dormant until the spring. Deke loves to go through the orchards in the winter when the weather warms up enough to do so.

Please take a moment today to reflect on our freedom and the sacrifices made for us to have this freedom. A special thank you from Anne to Collin, Peter and our father for your services to Canadians.

Our tanks and glycol chiller are installed.

The furnace duct work is going in. Almost done!

More of our equipment has arrived! Look at these beautiful new tanks.