According to Article 28 of the Act Respecting Liquor Permits, it’s permitted for restaurants to sell wine (or beer, for that matter) for take-out or delivery with meals. While there are some caveats (spirits can’t be sold), restaurants are still using the opportunity to attract customers.
Restaurants have found some ways to work within those rules too — although wine prices must be the same as in a restaurant’s dining room, with all dining rooms closed, they can simply lower all their prices, meaning that a bottle that previously went for $50 at a restaurant is likely to be quite a bit cheaper if you’re getting it to-go. Some have taken a different route, keeping the wine prices high but offering deep discounts on food, instead.
Of course, buying wines from the SAQ is generally a more economic option compared to restaurants, given that restaurants often charge a mark-up around three times a wine’s retail price of the wine. But local restaurants have something the SAQ doesn’t: wine lists loaded with private imports (meaning bottles that aren’t available at the SAQ), meaning it’s an opportunity to buy exceptional bottles, especially for natural wine lovers.
Without further ado, here are a few places to splash on a dinner with wine.
Read More