If you’re like us, you’re constantly looking for fun new places to check out, and if those fun places serve wine, even better! Roasted Grape Café is a brand new café and tasting bar that opened in Abbotsford on September 1, 2011. Already, it has locals abuzz thanks to its blending of a casual atmosphere with refined sensibilities. In addition to a fantastic wine list, they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and a variety of coffees and teas.

Roasted Grape is owned by Karie and Matt Karpes. Karie has a background in the hospitality industry and Matt formerly worked in the printing industry. Karie says that life experiences—including a period living on Vancouver Island working at a resort—inspired her to open Roasted Grape. One day, while driving past the old Bank of Montreal building in downtown Abbotsford, Karie noticed it was available and after some checking around, learned the building owner wanted a café to occupy the space. After three months of renovations—most of the work was done by Matt and Karie—Roasted Grape opened.

Roasted Grape is designed to be a casual place, where people can find affordable wines. Karies says it’s not meant to be a special occasion destination, rather a place anyone can come to at any time. And even though they put a lot of thought into the wines, that doesn’t mean the food takes a back seat.

Chef Sarah Kruk makes everything from scratch and the focus is on local foods. This includes meats provided by Gelderman Farms and duck raised in the Fraser Valley. Some cheeses are imported, but much of the food preparation—including the pear poaching—is done in-house. And the menu sounds delicious. From all day breakfast, which includes Ham N’ Egg Panini and Roasted Grape Parfait, to salad platters, to sandwiches such as the Thai Wrapsody, there’s plenty to choose from. Or, if you’re so inclined you can test their prosciutto flatbread, smoky chipotle hummus or Okanagan baked Brie.

You can also build your own tasting platter, using food combinations listed on their wall, including a variety of meats, cheeses and condiments.

And don’t worry if wine isn’t your cup of tea. They also have coffee roasted by Caffe Umbria and a tea bar, allowing them to serve tea and tea-infused cocktails. Even their iced tea is brewed in-house. Of course, they have plenty of wine, too. Karie says they focus on good-value wines and change their list every few weeks.

For women looking for a bit of sanity, Roasted Grape offers W.I.N.O.S. (Women In Need Of Sanity) Wednesdays, where glasses of wine are four dollars.

“The thing about wine is, the fancy talk doesn’t really matter,” Karie says. “If you like something, you like it. If you don’t, you don’t. When you come here, we ask what you like to drink at home and find you something similar. It’s a casual, come-as-you-are, part-café, part-bistro. We’re for the everyday hockey mom.”

We are excited to send one of our lucky readers to Roasted Grape to test it out! Please leave a note below to be entered to win a $40 gift certificate. A winner will be chosen at random on October 3, 2011.

For an extra chance to win, please post the following on Twitter: “I entered to win a $40 GC to @RoastedGrape via @FVPulse. You should enter, too! http://ow.ly/6ykS9“

Update: Congratulations to our winner, John. Enjoy! This contest is now closed.

Roasted Grape Café & Tasting Bar 
www.roastedgrapecafe.com 
33757 South Fraser Way (Former Bank of Montreal building)
Ring: 604-746-1555

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