Franco's Liquor Store

Franco's Liquor Store Boutique Beer, Wine & Spirits! Open 7 Days A Week!
9AM - 11PM

06/01/2026

After spending time tasting across Mount Etna, I ran into a problem I didn’t expect.

This is an active volcano in Sicily, and the vineyards grow directly in black volcanic soil. That alone creates wines with a level of minerality, freshness, and energy that stands apart from most other regions in Italy.

I visited over a dozen producers, and the overall quality made narrowing down my suitcase almost impossible.

The first bottle I chose was from Tenute Ballasanti. It shows a refined, elegant side of Etna with bright red fruit and a subtle smoky character that feels tied to the volcanic landscape.

The second was from Neri Agricola. This one is the opposite direction. More rustic, more powerful, with darker fruit and a structure that feels deeply rooted in place.

Together, they represent two completely different interpretations of the same mountain.

These bottles are not currently available in Canada, which makes them even more exciting to finally open.

05/31/2026

Sauvignon Blanc is often the default choice for a crisp white wine, but it is only one expression of what freshness can mean.

Many widely available versions lean heavily on a familiar profile of grapefruit, green herbs, and sharp citrus. While enjoyable, it can sometimes feel quite linear in style.

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, that idea of “crisp” becomes much more layered.

This region in northeastern Italy sits between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, where contrasting climates shape wines with more depth and texture. I recently tasted through producers like Attems, and the difference was immediately noticeable.

Rather than focusing only on citrus, the wines show white peach, subtle almond, and a saline, almost coastal minerality that gives them a longer, more interesting finish.

They remain refreshing, but with added complexity that unfolds over time in the glass.

It is a clear example of how region can completely reshape expectations.

05/30/2026

Pinot Grigio is one of the most misunderstood wines, and it usually has nothing to do with the grape itself.

Most versions people encounter are produced in warm, high-volume regions where the goal is consistency and scale. That style often results in a wine that feels light, simple, and unremarkable.

In Friuli Venezia Giulia in northeast Italy, the picture changes completely.

This region’s cooler climate and mineral-driven soils create Pinot Grigio with real definition and energy. I recently tasted through producers like Attems, and the difference was immediate.

Instead of neutrality, you get green apple, pear, and a distinct mineral backbone. Some expressions also show subtle texture from short skin contact, adding depth and complexity.

The result is a wine that feels structured, aromatic, and far more engaging than its reputation suggests.

It is a clear example of how dramatically place can shape perception.

05/29/2026

There is a specific moment in wine that every serious drinker eventually encounters, and it is not a pleasant one.

In Italy, I was with a friend who opened a 2001 Sassicaia, one of the most iconic wines in the country. The bottle had been saved for a special moment, and expectations were extremely high.

At first, everything seemed perfect. Then it became clear something was off.

The wine was corked, meaning it had been affected by TCA, a compound that can form in natural cork closures. It doesn’t make the wine unsafe, but it completely distorts the aroma and flavor profile.

Instead of fruit and structure, you get musty, damp notes often compared to wet cardboard, basement, or wet dog.

What makes this situation difficult is the psychology around it. When a wine is rare or expensive, it is easy to doubt what you are smelling and assume it might improve with time.

But cork taint is a permanent fault.

The experience becomes a lesson in recognition rather than enjoyment, and a reminder that even great wines are not immune to flaws.

05/28/2026

There’s a strange overlap between early internet history and this bottle of wine.

Carpineto Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 1995 was beginning its long aging journey at the same time dial-up internet was still defining what “fast” meant.

What makes this wine more meaningful is the connection to place. Having stayed in Montepulciano, that hilltop town in Tuscany, the wine carries more than flavor. It carries memory of streets, landscape, and atmosphere.

After thirty years in bottle, the wine shifts completely. The fruit softens into dried cherry, leather, spice, and earthy tones that reflect time rather than youth.

It becomes a slower, more contemplative experience, where structure and memory take the lead over intensity.

Some wines don’t just age. They accumulate stories.

05/27/2026

It might all come from the same place… but the results are completely different.

Join us at Franco’s Liquor Store on Saturday, May 30th from 2PM to 5PM for a deep dive into Veneto.

Luigi will guide you through Valpolicella, Ripasso, and Amarone, exploring how each style develops its own identity through technique and tradition.

Tasting them side-by-side reveals just how much range one Italian region can offer.

Tickets are $10 per person.

An easy way to explore some of Italy’s most recognized red wines.

05/26/2026

Mount Etna holds one of the most remarkable secrets in European wine history.

When phylloxera swept through Europe in the late 1800s, it destroyed most vineyards by attacking vine roots. The only widespread solution was grafting onto American rootstock to prevent total collapse.

But Etna’s volcanic soil changed the outcome in select areas. The combination of sharp volcanic ash and lava sand created conditions where phylloxera could not survive.

Because of this, some vineyards were never replanted. Today, you can still find vines over 150 years old growing on their original European root systems.

Walking through these sites feels like stepping into a living archive of pre-phylloxera wine history, with gnarled vines rooted in black volcanic terrain shaped by centuries of eruptions.

The wines reflect that lineage with remarkable purity and a distinct mineral structure.

It is one of the rare living links to how European wine once existed.

05/25/2026

Marsala is one of those wines where the method is just as fascinating as the result.

In Sicily, producers like Pellegrino use a Solera system, a perpetual aging method where barrels are never fully emptied. Instead, wine is drawn from the bottom and replaced with younger wine from the barrels above, creating a continuous blend that evolves over time.

This means every bottle contains layers of different vintages, sometimes stretching back decades or even over a century through the system’s history.

I visited Pellegrino in Marsala, where this process has been running since 1880. Walking through the cellars, you get a real sense of how time itself becomes part of the wine.

We are now bringing their Marsala Semisecco into the store, along with older expressions like their 1998 and 2005 releases.

It is a style of wine that is less about a single vintage and more about continuity across generations.

05/24/2026

Tormaresca sits in an interesting place within Italian wine, because it connects two very different worlds.

It is part of the Antinori family, one of Italy’s most historic winemaking names with roots going back more than 600 years in Tuscany. Their influence helped elevate Italian wine on the global stage, especially through the rise of Super Tuscans.

This bottle of Primitivo was shared during a dinner at Bar Norcino, the private speakeasy space behind The Curious Cafe, alongside Vito from the winery. The wine was paired with bombette, a traditional Puglian dish of pork neck stuffed with smoked caciocavallo and bacon.

The pairing showed how naturally the wine’s dark fruit and structure aligned with the richness of the food.

What stands out is the balance between ripe southern character and a refined framework that reflects Antinori’s approach to winemaking.

It is a clear example of how tradition and expertise can reshape a region’s identity.

05/23/2026

After tasting thousands of wines, certain ideas about wine stop making much sense.

One of the biggest is that higher price automatically means better quality. In reality, many incredible wines exist at very accessible price points, while higher prices are often tied to scarcity, reputation, or marketing rather than pure enjoyment.

Another is rigid food pairing rules. The idea that wine must follow strict combinations overlooks how much personal preference matters. Some of the most enjoyable pairings come from unexpected matches that simply work for your palate.

Even the so-called “legs” of wine are often overinterpreted. They may be visually striking, but they mainly reflect alcohol level and do not provide reliable insight into quality.

Over time, the most important lesson becomes clear. Wine is not about following rules or passing tests. It is about curiosity, context, and the experience it creates.

Once that shift happens, everything becomes more approachable.

Address

#108 975 Academy Way
Kelowna, BC
V1V3C8

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 11pm
Tuesday 9am - 11pm
Wednesday 9am - 11pm
Thursday 9am - 11pm
Friday 9am - 11pm
Saturday 9am - 11pm
Sunday 9am - 11pm

Telephone

+17787536434

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Franco's Liquor Store posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Franco's Liquor Store:

Shortcuts

Share

Category