Wine takes flight at Winnipeg's newest wine lounge SENSI

Flights of wine and Italian flavors have taken over the top floor of Winnipeg’s Italian Restaurant, Tre Visi. The new wine bar, Sensi Wine Lounge, opened on October 1, 2010 and has entered the competition to satisfy the palates of wine and diners in the Exchange District of Winnipeg.

Located at 173 McDermont Avenue, Sensi has an atmosphere where retro meets chic. The warm colors of the walls and floor contrast against the white tables and bucket seated chairs. European soft-jazz plays throughout the room that can hold a capacity of 50 people. Each table has a lit votive candle to initiate lounge-like ambiance and, of course, are equipped with all-important menus.

Sensi formulates a signature with one menu in particular. Tritico di vini, or wine flights, are wine sampling options that offer three different wines in three ounce pours.  The grapes range widely from a sweet and citrus pinot gris trio, to spumanti (bubbles), to bold and full bodied reds such as the Conquistadors flight which feature a Don David malbec, a Montastrell tempranillo and a Casa Silva carmenere, which was soft on the palate with chocolaty undertones. The flights range in price from a modest $11.00 to $20.00. The traditional wine menu offers domestic and imported both by the glass and bottle. Six ounce glasses range from $6.75 to $17.50, a quartino (nine ounces) is $9.00 to $23.50 and bottles range in price from a Boolaroo shiraz at $32.00 to the ultimate indulgence of Dom Perignon at $325.00.

With such unique and well formulated wine drinking opportunities, it was a tad disappointing to see their striking glassed-encased mirrored wine cooler only one-fifth full.

The cuisine options are featured in an eclectic fashion of appetizers and antipasto. The piatinni (appetizer) menu offers items such as mozzarella caprese (fresh mozzarella, tomato, extra virgin olive oil and basil) and ‘barbabietole’ (roasted beets drizzled with gorgonzola cream and pistachios) at $5.00 each. Sharable assortments of Mediterranean olives ($4.00) or focaccia bread ($2.50) are also affordable items to consider. Larger items, such as the seafood platter (individual for $22.00 or $42.00 to share) can provide sustenance and complement the aromatic sensation of any selected wine.

The sweet endings that come in solid form, tie the Italian influenced dining experience together. Sensi’s dolce (dessert) menu features traditional items like gelati, cheesecakes, tiramisu, and a zuccotto (chocolate ganache dome filled with a hazelnut-Frangelico mousse) Desserts range from $5.00 to $7.00 and are all made in-house.

The service was attentive and what you would expect of a fine-dining experience. The three menus were explained in full detail, servers were professional, polished and attentive. Moreover, they were knowledgeable about the menu contents enabling them to make informed suggestions.

The Italian inspiration in Sensi will set it apart from other new lounges that have recently opened in the area such as the new 6 Degrees Martini Bar & Wine Lounge located at 100 Market as well as Deseo Bistro, at 48 Albert Street.

Sensi’s hours of operation are Tuesday thru Thursday, 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm, and Friday and Saturday until midnight.

If you enjoy Italian food and wine lounges, then Sensi atmosphere is an example of what Winnipeg has to offer when quality meets quantity and experience.