When it comes to buying wine at The Ferocious Grape, there is only one rule: rules were made to be broken! Since uncorking our unique approach to wine appreciation in 2008, we have been on a mission to remove the ostentation and add some fun to the way this city shops for wine. Whether you are looking for the perfect bottle to live it up on the patio with friends or for unwinding fireside with someone special, our knowledgeable and approachable staff will help you find exactly what you’re after from our carefully curated inventory of remarkable vintages. The way we see it, when there’s this much exceptional wine in store, there’s no room for pretension.
Kim – Owner
Living proof that doing what you love really is the key to success, Kim let her passion for great wine guide her to the sweet life. With over 10 years in Calgary’s oil and gas industry on her résumé, Kim’s fascination with the grape led her to part-time work at a local wine store, just for fun. Her lust for more knowledge (and tasting experiences) led her to take the first two levels of the International Sommelier Guild program at SAIT. Three years later she took the plunge, left the oil and gas field and opened her own store in order to continue to share her knowledge and passion for extraordinary wines. The Ferocious Grape opened its doors Dec. 1, 2008 and Kim has never looked back—an accomplishment worth raising a glass to!
Brian – Wine Lover
Brian is The Ferocious Grape’s walking, talking wine encyclopedia. With the first two levels of the International Sommelier Guild course, level 3 of the WSet certification and a sensory evaluation course from the University of California Davis in his back pocket, he has an uncanny gift for unique and unexpected pairing to suit any menu. Brian’s pairing abilities go beyond the typical sommelier’s knowledge. It must have something to do with his intuitive Libra nature, as Brian goes above and beyond to make sure everyone leaves The Grape with a new favourite wine in tow. His passion for food and wine has taken Brian to Italy, France and California to “work” on his palate. Brian likes nothing more than to share his enthusiasm and knowledge with fellow oenophiles, so hit him up with your toughest questions next time you’re in store.
Angella – Ferocious Floor Sales
With six years in the business under her belt, Angella has experience on both the wholesale and retail side of the wine industry. Her love of the grape has taken her to California, Washington, Oregon, Germany and France over the course of her career and her quest for the next great sip will soon take her to Italy to explore their old world offerings. Were money no object, Angella would likely be found sipping white Burgundy on a daily basis, but for now she will happily settle for a glass of Puligny Montrachet.
Mika – Ferocious Floor Sales
With two chefs as parents, it’s not all that surprising that Mika found her calling in the food and wine industry. With five years under her belt, Mika’s experience as a server, hostess, bartender and barista has taken her to restaurants and cafes all over Calgary and Edmonton. Another unsurprising effect of being raised by a couple of chef de cuisines is Mika’s enthusiasm for new dining experiences and savouring great food and drink. In Mika’s books, nothing beats kicking back at the end of the work day with a fine glass of wine, so feel free to stop in, say hi and get her advice on the latest bottles you should be sipping on.
Joell – Ferocious Floor Sales
The hazard of working at one of Calgary’s finest Italian restaurants is that like it or not you become a bit of an Italian wine aficionado. The hazard of having such a restaurant located next to a wine merchant is that inevitably the owner is going to catch wind of your skills and “encourage” you to put them to use in her store. This was exactly the case with longtime Bonterra server, Joell, who has now become the Ferocious Grape’s Italian expert as well. A people person to the max, Joell’s outgoing nature and vast knowledge of vino make her the ideal person to run into in a wine store. If you’ve got Super Tuscan or Borolo related questions, Joell’s got the answers!
Shella – Ferocious Floor Sales
Shella has been feeding her insatiable hunger for food and wine (eating, drinking and learning) at the Ferocious Grape since 2009. Let’s face it, when it comes to the typical work day, you can’t really beat hanging out with good people and talking about your two favourite hobbies. At FG, Shella is able to taste truly unique artisanal wines, expand her beer knowledge, discuss adventures in food and drink with the well-traveled clientele and work side by side with incredible friends—it’s a tough gig, but somebody’s got to do it! If you need her, Shella can usually be found hanging out amongst the obscure crisp whites and zippy roses.
Stacey – Controller
Known affectionately as Ferocious Grape’s “Bean Counter”, Stacey takes care of anything at the store that involves numbers. From payroll to inventory tracking, if there’s a situation involving the digits 0 through 9 she is our go-to gal. With 20 plus years of experience finding numerical boo boos, Stacey is pretty handy to have on hand. Not to mention the computers usually listen to her…temperamental technology…you know how it is. Like the rest of us, Stacey would rather be drinking the bottles than counting them, however, we try and keep her focused.