The 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada (NWAC) took place in Niagara Falls, Ontario in mid June. However, the results were not fully tallied and presented until July 31^st.

This week I will focus on the wineries that attained the highest honours and next week I will direct attention to the individual wines that were declared the top in their class.

Winery of the Year

The Niagara region’s Tawse Winery was bestowed the honour of being Winery of the Year, for the fifth time in the Awards 26-year history. At this year’s Awards Tawse earned 1 Platinum, 4 Gold, 13 Silver and 8 Bronze medals.

Top 10 Wineries

1. Tawse Winery – Ontario – 1 Platinum, 4 Gold, 13 Silver, 8 Bronze
2. Fielding Estate Winery – Ontario – 1 Platinum, 6 Gold, 9 Silver, 5 Bronze
3. Black Blank Hill – Ontario – 1 Platinum, 4 Gold, 4 Silver
4. La Frenz Estate Winery – British Columbia – 6 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze
5. Bachelder – Ontario – 6 Gold, 5 Silver, 5 Bronze
6. The Organized Crime Winery – Ontario – 4 Gold, 7 Silver, 5 Bronze
7. Maverick Estate Winery – British Columbia – 4 Gold, 2 Silver
8. Phantom Creek Estates – British Columbia – 4 Gold, 8 Silver, 2 Bronze
9. Painted Rock Estate Winery – British Columbia – 4 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze
10. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery – British Columbia – 4 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze

Best Performing Small Winery

Black Bank Hill, located in the Lincoln Lakeshore appellation of the Niagara Peninsula, is the Best Performing Small Winery. This award goes to the top-scoring winery that produces a maximum of 10,000 cases of wine. Blank Bank Hill only opened in 2021, making it one of the most rapid rising wineries ever witnessed by the NWAC.

The winery earned 1 Platinum, 4 Gold and 4 Silver medals at this year’s event.

Top 10 Small Wineries

1. Black Bank Hill – Ontario – 1 Platinum, 4 Gold, 4 Silver
2. La Frenz Estate Winery – British Columbia – 6 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze
3. Bachelder – Ontario – 6 Gold, 5 Silver, 5 Bronze
4. The Organized Crime Winery – Ontario – 4 Gold, 7 Silver, 5 Bronze
5. Maverick Estate Winery – British Columbia – 4 Gold, 2 Silver
6. Painted Rock Estate Winery – British Columbia – 4 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze
7. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery – British Columbia – 4 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze
8. Synchromesh Wines – British Columbia – 4 Gold, 3 Bronze
9. Laughing Stock Vineyards – British Columbia – 2 Platinum, 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
10. Queenston Mile Vineyard – Ontario – 1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 4 Bronze

Top 10 British Columbia Wineries

1. La Frenz Estate Winery – 6 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze
2. Maverick Estate Winery – 4 Gold, 2 Silver
3. Phantom Creek Estates – 4 Gold, 8 Silver, 2 Bronze
4. Painted Rock Estate Winery – 4 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze
5. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery – 4 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze
6. Synchromesh Wines – 4 Gold, 3 Bronze
7. Laughing Stock Vineyards – 2 Platinum, 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
8. Roche Wines – 1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
9. Tantalus Vineyards – 3 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze
10. Tinhorn Creek Vineyards – 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze

Top 10 Ontario Wineries

1. Tawse Winery – 1 Platinum, 4 Gold, 13 Silver, 8 Bronze
2. Fielding Estate Winery – 1 Platinum, 6 Gold, 9 Silver, 5 Bronze
3. Black Blank Hill – 1 Platinum, 4 Gold, 4 Silver
4. Bachelder – 6 Gold, 5 Silver, 5 Bronze
5. The Organized Crime Winery – 4 Gold, 7 Silver, 5 Bronze
6. Malivoire Wine Company – 2 Platinum, 1 Gold, 9 Silver, 7 Bronze
7. Hidden Bench Estate Winery – 1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 8 Silver, 4 Bronze
8. Queenston Mile Vineyard – 1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 4 Bronze
9. Palatine Hills Estate Winery – 1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 5 Bronze
10. Peller Estates – 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze

The complete list of award winning wineries is available at winealign.com/awards.

Sláinte mhaith