Local Legends is a short series about Calgary businesses we use ourselves. Not sponsors. Not a directory. Places one of us has a real history with, where there is a person to name and something specific to order. We run one a month in our newsletter and keep them here so they do not disappear.
Metrovino, 722 11 Avenue SW
There is a magical place in the Beltline, tucked between Noble Pie and The Cook Book Co., that has been serving Calgary some of the best wine imports for thirty years. Opening in 1996, Metrovino feels like stepping into the shop of a European wine merchant.
Josh worked here part-time in 2006 and 2007 while earning his sommelier diploma, and Al, Richard and the crew are still the reason we buy our wine there. The team is exceptionally warm, they hold an enormous amount of knowledge, and they have kept their finger on the pulse of world-class wine for three decades. The French shelves are the heart of the shop, from Burgundy through to smaller regions like the Jura and the Loire.
This is not a conglomerate wine store, and the shelves and the service prove it. They are fantastic at hearing what you are shopping for and finding the bottle that fits the meal, the event, or the mood. They even selected Josh and Alena’s wedding wine.
Go say hi and tell them Josh sent you. We dare you to walk out without a bottle.
Metrovino · 722 11 Avenue SW, Calgary · Our Instagram post about the shop
Why a real estate team writes about a wine shop
When clients ask what daily life feels like in the inner city, we rarely start with market stats. We start with the places. The wine shop that knows your name. The market where dinner sorts itself out on a Tuesday. The coffee bar where half the neighbourhood lines up on Saturday morning. Those are the things that make a street worth paying for, and they never show up on a listing sheet.
If you are weighing up where in Calgary to live, our community guides cover the streets, the prices and the trade-offs. This series covers the rest.
Own here and thinking about a move inside the inner city? A free home evaluation is the place to start. New to the city, or renting? Get in touch and we will talk it through.