Oak & Vine

It’s a great location, especially being across from SAIT.

Great selection of wine and beers. Friendly and helpful staff. I would definitely recommend this store to beer enthusiasts.

While some of the grocery owned liquor stores like Co-​op and Sobeys have jumped on the craft beer wagon in a big way, Oak & Vine is doing it the right way. If I’m looking to try something new these guys will give me a vast choice of new brews to try, not just seasonal brews that the big liquor stores will dabble with knowing that they’ll sell enough Budweiser to cover any losses. They carry the staples that you’ve come to love, all of the local brews, and lots of things that you haven’t tried.
The best part of why I come in here is for the knowledge under this roof. I can walk in and say «Hey, I’ve tried ‘XYZ’ beers what else do you have that I might like?» and I’ll get a solid answer. Now, I haven’t always liked every suggestion, but that’s part of the fun of discovering new beers. Also, I can ask why they suggest those particular beers and they know enough about them or the brewery that I can wade my way through the decision before making the purchase.
While their location isn’t the most accessible for me and I wouldn’t make the trek just to pick up a six pack of Tool Shed, I’d gladly make a detour when I’m in the area to restock my fridge.

This is quickly becoming one of Calgary’s only liquor stores that still surprises me with craft beer that I haven’t tried. (+8 to Hipster Beer Snobbery!)
Not only have they got a fantastic craft beer selection for the medium-​small size of the store, they also do a good job keeping it stocked. Sure, it seems straightforward, but it’s something a lot of stores struggle with. It has got to be a challenge to bring in the little breweries and know how much you’re going to sell. If they DO stockout of something, it always seems like there’s something new in it’s place that I haven’t had yet, and I’ve instantly forgotten about my forgone brew.
They’ve got a mix and match craft beer wall, so you can custom create yourself your own 6-​pack. Cool idea! I’ve found it a little on the pricey side to be all that tempting, but an awesome idea none the less!
Wines? Yup. They’ve got them, and they seem knowledgeable about them too.(More so than I, as you may be able to tell.) I was buying a bottle for a gift, and while they didn’t have the type I was looking for, they made a recommendation of the same variety in the same price range and the person loved it. Success!
They’re also the only place I’ve been able to find the incredibly delicious «Dale’s Pale Ale» from ColoRADo. But who knows, I might just be the tiniest bit biased on that one.

One of the few liquor stores in Calgary where you can make your own custom 6-​pack of beer. And select anything you want off their shelves. Its a great way to sample new beer, without committing to a whole 6-​pack. The price is fair too.
Its a small store, and I was hoping for a larger variety. But what they did have was a good mix of the standard fare, and some new (to me) craft brands.

There’s a new wine store in town. As of today, it’s been open for a total of 9 days. Is there a brand you can’t find in Calgary that you’d love to have someone carry? Tell these guys. They’re still stocking their shelves and left an open invite for suggestions of any wines I’d like to see brought in on the next shipment.
It’s always hard to tell how a new business will fare, but IMO, Oak and Vine is off to a good start. The store isn’t huge, but it’s a decent size. Half of it is dedicated to wines and spirits, the other half is a cooler for, well, coolers and beer. What’s different about this store is the way the wines are organized. When you walk through the door, look up above the cooler. You’ll see a large banner with different colour codes on it, from fresh and fruity to cool and crisp. Wines are organized by colour code, so depending on what kind of flavour you’re looking for, just head on over to the corresponding shelf and pick out your bottle.
I’ll leave the commenting on brands currently in stock to those who know far more about wine than I do. I will say, most of the lines I have never heard of and the Lotus Pinot Noir they helped me pick out is a delightful treat. On the spirits side of things, they carry a brand of tequila that I once got from a Mexican coworker. It was pretty smooth and worthy of sipping, not shooting. I figure if they carry El Jimador, the rest has got to be pretty decent as well.
At any rate, it’s nice to see some signs of life and good taste starting to pop up on 16^th Ave. Give ‘em a shot, and give your suggestions!
PS… the website isn’t quite live yet, although the addy on the listing is the right one, you may come up with a page not found for now.