Exciting wines. Rare Spirits. Unique Beer. This is what you will find at the new EXPÉRIENCE by/par ANBL boutique located in the heart of downtown Moncton at FiveFive Queen.

Customers can expect to be greeted by a specially curated portfolio including limited batches, vintages and highly sought-after products from specialized producers. With two new wine portfolios and one spirits portfolio being released every six to eight weeks, there is always something new to be found. Looking for something extra special? Visit the “Crème de la crème” collection room for something even more unique.

“We have something for everyone,” says Leah Anderson, the store’s manager. “It’s not your everyday portfolio that’s available in other ANBL locations. At the same time, we cover every price range and for every occasion.” The boutique offers a personal touch—there are three product advisors who are well trained and can make recommendations on pairings and share tasting notes and fun facts about each of the products on site. “Our team really knows the products, and they really know their business,” Anderson says. “They organize and guide the whole experience for the consumer.”

EXPÉRIENCE is also the only ANBL location with an in-house Coravin system. This allows for customers to try before they buy. The Coravin allows for samples to be drawn from the bottle without removing the cork, ensuring the wine stays fresh. There is always a wide selection of wines to try with between 50-100 bottles available for sampling at any given time. The boutique hosts “Experience Saturdays” each week for new product sampling as well.

“Whether it’s a unique find, special gift, or something nice and different that’s also affordable, customers are getting the message that EXPÉRIENCE by/par ANBL is the place to come.” Anderson explains. “We source from all over the world, usually according to a seasonal theme. So, for example, we will have rosé for summer. It’s true that we keep seasonal complements here for a limited period of time, but we get allocations of really premium products, and exclusive to this store, on a weekly basis.”

Although the EXPÉRIENCE by/par ANBL approach isn’t new (other jurisdictions in Canada and elsewhere in the world manage similar programs), Moncton was the logical location for such a uniquely appointed store in the province. Says Anderson: “Remember, each November this city hosts one of the biggest and oldest wine festivals in the country. So, there’s definitely a demand for this way of offering such speciality products here.”

Can’t make it to Moncton to buy these specialty items? The EXPÉRIENCE program is also available in 19 of ANBL’s corporate locations around the province with a small section dedicated to EXPÉRIENCE products (visit anbl.com/experience for a list of locations). A word to the wise, if you find it once and love it, get it while you can. Once it’s gone, it may be gone for good!

Word about EXPÉRIENCE does seem to be getting around. “We started in May 2019, but the grand opening was at the end of August,” Anderson reports. “It was a huge success. We had food pairings and music. We got a lot of new people in and the traffic has been building steadily ever since. We just had a fantastic Christmas season.”