Fenton's Gourmet Foods & Wine Merchants: 25 Years at The Forks

Mo Razik remembers the days he would drive down a gravel road at The Forks, all the way up to Fenton’s Gourmet Cheese Shop – one of the first shops to open at The Forks Market in 1989. He would park his car in what is now Centre Court.

This is Fenton. He hasn't missed a day since '89.

In 25 years, Fenton’s has grown – both physically and in popularity – at The Forks.

In 1994, Mo was granted the first-ever license to own a private wine store in Manitoba, and Fenton’s Wine Merchants opened.

In 2004, after some major renovations to both their license and their space, Fenton’s built a spiral staircase up to the second floor of the store where they sell an endless variety of spirits, liqueurs and also cigars.

And most recently, they expanded the main-floor to include more space to shelve a wider selection of wine.

Fenton’s specializes in grape-based spirits and liqueurs, including brandies, cognacs, armagnacs, and grappas – the latter two of which they carry the largest selection in all of Canada.

You’ll find a different and more in-depth selection of liqueurs at Fenton’s than any other store in Manitoba because Mo works directly with producers – some of which make their products only for Fenton’s.

And you’d be surprised at how diverse grapes can be when it comes to being turned into alcoholic beverages – Fenton’s carries a huge selection of colours and flavours of liqueurs, including bright turquoise pistachio, cantaloupe-coloured melon, and a crowd favourite, white chocolate.

And since summer is just around the corner, Mo suggests picking up a bottle of Limoncello, which has the uncanny ability to turn any drink into a patio drink – but he does point out that it’s best served with ice and soda or as an aperitif.

With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, you might want to take advantage of Fenton’s excellent gift basket service – they can combine any of their products from the cheese shop and the wine store, as well as your own items or anything you can find here at The Forks.  

And if you’re not sure how to pronounce the name of the wine you’ve chosen to serve to your dinner guests, or you don’t know what temperature to serve it at or what shape of glass to serve it in, the kind folks at Fenton’s will have all of the advice for you. And if you’re looking for more than advice, Fenton’s also offers wine education courses on regular basis, including several one-evening seminars from 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. in May, highlighting learning and tasting in a relaxed setting. For more information visit Fenton's shop at The Forks Market, or online.  

By The Forks communications intern, Larissa Peck