Events

2024 All Canadian Wine Championships

/ A Layman's Wine Musings / 2 Comments

The All Canadian Wine Championships (ACWC) were held earlier this month. It is open to all Canadian licensed wineries, cideries and meaderies and content must be grown and made in Canada. This year there were 995 entries submitted by 173 wineries.

The panel of judges consisted of wine writers, sommeliers, and professional wine judges from the Wine Judges of Ontario. There were 10 judges from Ontario, 2 from Alberta and 1 from each of Quebec and New Brunswick.

The 2024 trophy winners were as follows:

The Best Sparkling Wine of the Year was presented to British Columbia’s (BC) Bench 1775 Winery, for their 2020 Blanc de Blanc ($39.75 CDN).

The Best Red Wine of the Year was BC’s Sunrock Vineyard’s 2021 Shiraz ($40.24 CDN).

The Best White Wine of the Year was awarded to BC’s Van Westen Vineyards, for their 2022 Viscous ($27.40 CDN).

The Best Dessert Wine of the Year was Quebec’s Vignoble du Marathonien, for their 2021 Vin de glace ($50.00 CDN).

The Best Rosé Wine of the Year was awarded to yet another BC winery, Hester Creek Estate Winery, for their 2023 Rosé Noir ($32.19 CDN).

The Best Fruit Wine of the Year was presented to another BC winery, Maan Farms Winery, for their N/V Raspberry Dessert ($29.99 CDN).

The Best Cider of the Year was Nova Scotia’s Domaine de Grand Pré, for their N/V Vintage Sparkling Cider ($29.00 CDN).

The Best Mead of the Year was presented to Manitoba’s Shrugging Doctor Beverage Co, for their N/V Apple Cinnamon Mead ($18.47 CDN).

Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals may be awarded in each category. Double Gold and Gold medals were presented to the following participants:

Sparkling Wine-Traditional Method

Gold

  • Two Sisters Vineyards, ON – 2021 Lush Sparkling Rosé – $57.80
  • Two Sisters Vineyards, ON – 2020 Blanc de Franc – $63.80
  • Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, ON – N/V Brut – $44.80

Sparkling Wine–Charmat Method

Double Gold

  • Bella Terra Vineyards, ON – N/V Sparkling Rose – $24.95

Gold

  • Three Dog Winery, ON – 2023 Debut Sparkling – $27.80
  • Harbour Estates, ON – 2023 Sparkling Riesling – $25.00

Sparkling Wine–Frizzante Method

Double Gold

  • Planters Ridge Winery, NS – 2022 SEK – $22.43

Gold

  • Jost Vineyards, NS – N/V Luvo Sparkling White – $5.89

Chardonnay, Unoaked

Double Gold

  • Calamus Estate Winery, ON – 2023 Unoaked Chardonnay – $18.95

Gold

  • Kacaba Vineyards and Winery, ON – 2023 Select Series Unoaked Chardonnay – $15.95

Chardonnay Under $35.00

Double Gold

  • Wending Home, ON – 2021 Chardonnay Estate Vineyards – $34.95

Gold

  • Chaberton Estate Winery, BC – 2022 Barrel Aged Chardonnay – $27.05
  • Solvero Wines, BC – 2022 Chardonnay – $34.60
  • Magnotta Winery, ON – 2020 G. Marquis Chardonnay VQA – The Silver Line – $19.75

Chardonnay Over $35.00

Double Gold

  • Nk’Mip Cellars BC – 2022 Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay – $41.39

Gold

  • Kacaba Vineyards and Winery, ON – 2022 Premium Series Barrel Fermented Chardonnay – $49.95
  • SpearHead Winery, BC – 2022 Chardonnay Clone 95 – $41.40

Riesling Dry

Double Gold 

  • Four Shadows Vineyard & Winery, BC – 2023 Riesling Dry – $28.74

Gold

  • Broken Stone Winery, ON – 2023 Riesling – $21.75

Riesling Off Dry

Gold

  • Gaspereau Vineyards, NS – 2023 Riesling – $23.79
  • Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery, ON – 2020 Riesling Loved By Lu – $18.75

Sauvignon Blanc

Double Gold

  • Dirty Laundry Vineyard, BC – 2023 Sauvignon Blanc – $25.29

Gold

  • River Stone Estate Winery, BC – 2023 Sauvignon Blanc – $27.49
  • Alderlea Vineyards, BC – 2023 Sauvignon Blanc – $27.60

Gewürztraminer

Double Gold

  • Wild Goose Vineyards, BC – 2023 Gewürztraminer – $19.99

Gold

  • Colchester Ridge Estate Winery, ON – 2022 Gewürztraminer – $20.75
  • Chaberton Estate Winery, BC – 2023 Gewürztraminer – $21.80

Pinot Gris Style

Double Gold

  • Alderlea Vineyards, BC – 2023 Pinot Gris – $26.45

Gold

  • Hillside Winery & Bistro, BC – 2023 Unoaked Pinot Gris – $25.00
  • River Stone Estate Winery, BC – 2023 Pinot Gris – $27.49
  • Villa Romana Estate Winery, ON – 2023 Pinotino – $24.95

Pinot Grigio Style

Double Gold

  • Kismet Estate Winery, BC – 2023 Pinot Grigio – $26.44

Gold

  • Three Dog Winery, ON – 2023 Pinot Grigio – $19.75
  • Inniskillin Okanagan Estate, BC – 2023 Okanagan Estate Pinot Grigio – $20.69

Viognier

Double Gold

  • Hester Creek Estate Winery, BC – 2023 Viognier – $27.59

Gold

  • Bordertown Vineyard & Estate Winery, BC – 2023 Viognier – $21.90

Other Single Vitis Vinifera Whites

Double Gold

  • Scorched Earth Winery, BC – 2023 Pinot Noir Blanc – $22.95

Gold

  • Wild Goose Vineyards, BC – 2023 Pinot Blanc – $21.99
  • Bonamici Cellars Ltd., BC – 2022 Observatory Gruner Veltliner – $28.74

White Vitis Vinifera Blends

Double Gold

Nk’Mip Cellars, BC – 2022 White Mer’r’iym – $41.39

Gold

  • Hillside Winery & Bistro, BC – 2023 Chef’s Whites – $35.00
  • Alderlea Vineyards, BC – 2023 Valerie – $26.45
  • River Stone Estate Winery, BC – 2023 Splash – $26.34

Single White Hybrids

Double Gold

  • Monte Creek Winery, BC – 2023 Living Land Frontenac Gris – $25.29

Gold

  • Planters Ridge Winery, NS – 2022 L’Acadie – $18.52
  • Valley of the Springs, BC – 2023 Epicure – $25.30

White Hybrid Blends

Double Gold

  • Monte Creek Winery, BC – 2023 Hands Up White – $22.99

Gold

  • Forbidden Fruit Winery, BC – 2023 Dead End Skrewd – $25.00

Pet Nat

Double Gold

  • Bench 1775, BC – 2022 Blanc de Blanc Ancestral – $39.99

Gold

  • Trail Estate Winery, ON – 2022 White Pét Nat – $36.00

Orange Wines

Double Gold

  • Byland Estate Winery, ON – 2021 Skin Fermented White Chardonnay – $28.00

Gold

  • Last House Vineyard, ON – 2021 Electrum – $29.00

Rosés Dry

Gold

  • Creekside Estate Winery Ltd., ON – 2023 Rosé – $15.95
  • Chaberton Estate WInery, BC – 2023 La Fleur de Chaberton – $27.55
  • Lakeview Wine Co., ON – N/V 20 Bees Rosé – $13.95

Rosés Off Dry

Double Gold

  • Gaspereau Vineyards, NS – 2022 Rosé – $23.79

Gold

  • Richibucto River Wine Estate, NB – 2020 Camrose – $16.63
  • Chaberton Estate Winery, BC – 2023 Chaberton Pink – $21.80
  • Three Sisters Winery, BC – 2023 Rosé – $25.00

Cabernet Sauvignon Under $35

Double Gold

  • Chaberton Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon – $31.00

Gold

  • Paglione Estate Winery, ON – 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon – $21.95

Cabernet Sauvignon Over $35.00

Double Gold

  • Colio Estate Wines, ON – 2020 Small Lot Series Cabernet Sauvignon – $40.00

Gold

  • Kismet Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – $68.99

Merlot Under $35

Double Gold

  • Four Shadows Vineyard & Winery, BC – 2020 Merlot – $33.34

Gold

  • Nk’Mip Cellars, BC – 2021 Winemaker’s Merlot – $34.49
  • Alderlea Vineyards, BC – 2020 Merlot – $32.20

Merlot Over $35.00

Double Gold

  • Wesbert Winery, BC – 2021 Merlot – $45.94

Gold

  • Priest Creek Family Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Merlot – $52.90
  • De Simone Vineyards, ON – 2021 Merlot – $59.80

Pinot Noir Under $35

Double Gold

  • The Grange of Prince Edward, ON – 2022 County Pinot Noir – $34.00

Gold

  • Cherry Point Estate Wines, BC – 2022 Pinot Noir – $32.90
  • Inniskillin Okanagan Estate, BC – 2022 Okanagan Estate Pinot Noir – $25.29

Pinot Noir Over $35.00

Double Gold

  • Wending Home, ON – 2020 “Up Above” Pinot Noir – $42.95

Gold

  • Solvero Wines, BC – 2020 Pinot Noir – $40.35
  • SpearHead Winery, BC – 2022 Pinot Noir Okanagan Valley – $41.40

Cabernet Franc Under $35

Double Gold

  • Inniskillin Okanagan Estate, BC – 2022 Okanagan Estate Cabernet Franc – $29.89

Gold

  • Monte Creek Winery, BC – 2022 Living Land Cabernet Franc – $31.04
  • Three Sisters Winery, BC – 2022 Cabernet Franc – $30.00

Cabernet Franc Over $35.00

Double Gold

  • Watchful Eye Winery, ON – 2021 Cabernet Franc Reserve – $41.95

Gold

  • Privato Vineyard and Winery, BC – 2022 Cabernet Franc – $40.24
  • Bordertown Vineyard & Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Cabernet Franc Reserve – $49.90

Bordeaux Blends Under $35

Double Gold

  • Bench 1775, BC – 2021 Groove –  $22.75

Gold

  • Clos du Soleil Winery, BC – 2021 Celestiale – $34.39
  • Sunrock, BC – 2020 Red Meritage – $34.49
  • Magnotta Winery, ON – 2019 Meritage Gran Riserva -$ 31.95

Bordeaux Blends Over $35.00

Double Gold

  • Moraine Winery, BC – 2021 Meritage – $42.00

Gold

  • Vanessa Vineyard Estate Winery Inc., BC – 2019 Right Bank – $57.49
  • Colio Estate Wines, ON – 2020 Small Lot Series Meritage – $40.00
  • Hainle Vyds Estate Winery Ltd., BC – 2022 Hainle’s Red Cuvee – $40.24

Syrah/Shiraz Under $35

Double Gold

  • Oxley Estate Winery, ON – 2020 Syrah Reserve – $32.95

Gold

  • Terralux Estate Winery, BC – 2018 Syrah – $34.99

Syrah/Shiraz Over $35.00

Gold

  • Nk’Mip Cellars, BC – 2020 Qwam Qwmt Syrah – $49.44
  • Moon Curser Vineyards, BC – 2022 Syrah – $37.94

Single Red Hybrids

Double Gold

  • Potter Settlement Artisan Winery, ON – 2020 Frontenac Rouge – $35.00

Gold

  • Front Road Cellars, ON – 2022 Marquette Canadian Oak – $23.95
  • Magnetic Hill Winery, NB – 2023 Terroir Generator TP 1-1-12 – $30.00

Red Hybrid Blends

Double Gold

  • Jost Vineyards, NS – N/V Luvo Simply Red – $5.89   

Gold

  • Monte Creek Winery, BC – 2022 Hands Up Red – $25.29
  • De Simone Vineyards, ON – 2023 De Simone Red – $24.80

Other Single Red Vitis Vinifera

Double Gold

  • Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery, BC – 2022 King’s Ransom Touriga Nacional – $74.75

Gold

  • Bonamici Cellars Ltd., BC – 2022 Sangiovese – $36.80

Other Red Vitis Vinifera Blends

Double Gold

  • Hester Creek Estate Winery, BC – 2022 GSM – $39.19

Gold

  • Kacaba Vineyards and Winery, ON – 2023 Select Series Cabernet – $15.95
  • Nk’Mip Cellars, BC – 2021 Winemaker’s Talon – $37.99

Marechal Foch

Double Gold

  • Alderlea Vineyards,BC – 2022 Clarinet – $27.60

Gold

  • Skimmerhorn Winery, BC – 2022 Estate Reserve Foch – $31.00

Malbec

Double Gold

  • Nostalgia Wines Inc., BC – 2020 Malbec – $42.00

Gold

  • Moon Curser Vineyards, BC – 2022 Malbec – $43.69

Gamay

Double Gold

Deep Roots Winery, BC – 2022 Reserve Gamay – $34.90

Gold

  • Deep Roots Winery, BC – 2022 Gamay – $25.90
  • Monte Creek Winery, BC – 2022 Living Land Gamay – $33.34

Appassimento Style

Double Gold

  • De Simone Vineyards, ON – 2019 Stallion – $154.80              

Gold

  • Magnotta Winery, ON – 2020 Enotrium Gran Riserva – $59.75

FRUIT WINES

Soft Fruit Dry

Double Gold

  • Black Bear Farms of Ontario Estate Winery, ON – 2015 Black Currant – $30.00

Gold

  • Black Bear Farms of Ontario Estate Winery, ON – N/V Red Raspberry & Red Currant – $20.00

Soft Fruit Off-Dry

Double Gold

  • Maan Farms Winery, BC – 2022 Raspberry Table – $23.08

Gold

  • Maan Farms Winery, BC – 2023 Strawberry Rhubarb – $22.51
  • Applewood Farm Winery, ON – 2021 Trio – $18.00

Soft Fruit Dessert

Gold

  • Maan Farms Winery, BC – N/V Blackberry Dessert – $29.99

Tree Fruit Dry

Double Gold

  • Muskoka Lakes Winery, ON – 2022 Georgian Bay Rose – $18.75

Gold

  • Forbidden Fruit Winery, BC – 2023 Speachless White Peach – $22.00

Tree Fruit Off Dry

Double Gold

  • Forbidden Fruit Winery, BC – 2023 Cherysh Cherry Rose – $22.00

Gold

  • Shrugging Doctor Beverage Co., MB – 2022 Carmine Jewel Cherry Wine – $21.99

Tree Fruit Dessert

Double Gold

  • Black Bear Farms of Ontario Estate Winery, ON – 2019 Apple – $20.00

Gold

  • Forbidden Fruit Winery, BC – 2023 Pomme Desiree Iced Apple – $28.00

Fruit Sparkling

Double Gold

  • Krause Berry Farms and Estate Winery, BC – N/V Strawberry Sparkling – $27.00

Gold

  • Coopérative Forestière du Nord Ouest Ltée., NB – N/V Noaska Jazzy Sparkling Red –  $18.90

Fruit Fortifieds

Double Gold

  • La Vallée de la Framboise Inc., QC – N/V Douce Anna – $20.00

Gold

  • La Vallée de la Framboise Inc., QC – N/V Le Fabuleux – $20.00

DESSERT WINES

Late Harvests

Double Gold

  • Vignoble du Marathonien, QC – 2021 Vendange tardive sélective – $28.00

Gold

  • Bench 1775, BC – 2022 Paradise Ranch Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Semillon – $29.75

White Icewines (Riesling, Vidal, Other)

Gold

  • Magnotta Winery, ON – 2019 Riesling Icewine Niagara Peninsula Limited Edition  – $39.95
  • Magnotta Winery, ON – 2021 Vidal Icewine Niagara Peninsula Limited Edition –       $34.75

Red Icewines

Double Gold

  • Magnotta Winery, ON – 2019 Cabernet Franc Icewine Niagara Peninsula Limited Edition – $44.95

Gold

  • Lakeview Wine Co., ON – 2022 Lakeview Wine Co. Cabernet Franc Icewine – $60.00

Grape Fortified

Double Gold

  • Moraine Winery, BC – 2021 O’Port – $45.00

Gold    

  • Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery, BC – 2017 The Crown – $45.99

The complete listing of this year’s results is available from the All Canadian Wine Championships website at https://allcanadianwinechampionships.com/acwc-2024-results

Sláinte mhaith

Info Seminar or Infomercial?

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An American wine club operator from Napa Valley, California had arranged for a group of his members to take part on our recent river cruise aboard the Scenic Sapphire, through the Burgundy and Rhône wine regions. The group excursion included the CEO of Cuvaison Estate Wines of Napa, California, Dan Zepponi.

While sailing down the Rhône River between ports, Zepponi treated the passengers to two seminars; the first was an exploration of Chardonnay wine. The presentation included tastings of two different Chardonnays from Cuvaison which were compared to two French Chardonnays that are regularly served as part of dinner service on the ship.

The tastings were conducted as a head-to-head comparison. First, his unoaked Methibiton Chardonnay, was compared to an unnamed, unoaked French wine. The second comparison was between two oaked Chardonnays, Coeurtina from his winery against a second unidentified French.

In each comparison I found the flavours of the Napa wines to be extremely close to the French, though to me the French was slightly more mellow and smoother. The Cuvaison wines are priced at $70 US each and are only available directly from the winery.  In comparison, the ships wines would have an equivalent price of approximately $15 – $20 US per bottle.

During the second seminar Zepponi discussed micro-lots as they pertain to the wine industry. When a winery wants to produce a type of wine but does not have enough of the varietal in their own vineyard they may purchase the varietal from another grape grower.   The purchased grapes are then used to make a specific wine exclusively from that purchased micro-lot. This allows the winemaker to better control the grapes being used and the wine produced, in a similar manner that would be done if the vintner was using their own estate grown grapes.

Two taste comparisons were conducted, the first was with Cuvaison’s 2022 En Cigar Chardonnay Blanc and the ship’s undisclosed Sauvignon Blanc house wine. The second comparison was conducted using their 2022 Fiddlestix Pinot Noir and an undescribed French Pinot Noir. I favoured the French Sauvignon Blanc over the Cuvaison but did find Cuvaison’s Pinot to be smoother and less fresh that the French Pinot. Once again though, the price between the American and French wines was significantly different – $70 US for both Cuvaison’s versus under $20 US for the French wines.

Unfortunately, the two seminars lacked substance and honesty as they were actually marketing presentations for Cuvaison wines. Zepponi would have had more credibility in my eyes if he had presented his talks as being an introduction to Cuvaison wines. There was no value in conducting taste comparisons with wines that are not even identified by name, let alone any information about where or how the wines were produced. He should have simply talked about how his wines are produced.

Based on information presented about the various Cuvaison wines, they are producing decent wines at a reasonable price point. However, the feeble attempt at conducting product comparisons was an insult to the intelligence of the ship’s passengers.

Sláinte mhaith

A Whiskey Tasting Party

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This is a good time of year to have a whiskey tasting party. A whiskey tasting can be done in a couple of different ways. The simplest method is to just get a few bottles together and let everyone help themselves while they sit around and chat about the ways of the world. However, it can be more interesting if everyone is tasting together and there’s a progression of styles to sip from. This technique is similar to that of a wine tasting party.

Photo credit: southerndrinkingclub.com

If following the second approach, first determine how many people will attend and then how many whiskies you want to sample.  If everyone is tasting the same whiskey at the same time it is probably best to keep the number of attendees to under a dozen. This will make it easier to keep organized and maintain a well-structured group conversation about each sample.

When deciding on which whiskies to try, you could follow a specific theme or make your selections based on ones you personally enjoy. The experts suggest that the number of whiskies should range from five to eight with each pour being about ½ an ounce. Following this guideline, you will only require one bottle of each whiskey. Depending on your approach, you can either provide the whiskies yourself or ask each guest to bring a bottle.

Regarding the number and type of glasses to use, some enthusiasts only use snifter or Glencairn style glass but white wine glasses with small to medium bowls work equally as well. Your guests only need a glass or two at a time, so you can either dispose or finish the remains after each tasting, rinse out the glass and proceed to the next. This saves on glassware plus the clean-up time afterwards.

Allow people to taste each sample first without adding any water. Then give them the option to add a couple of drops of water to see if that affects the taste. It is a good idea to provide a pitcher of filtered or bottled water served at room temperature and liquid droppers, which can be obtained from most pharmacies. When adding water, it is important not to dilute the whiskey, thus no more than a teaspoon should be added. Whiskey flavours are easier to identify as you lower the relative alcohol content, thus diluting your whiskey a few drops at a time helps open up new flavours to experience.

On the topic of water, each participant should be provided with drinking water to cleanse the palate between tastings, as well as to keep themselves hydrated. Crackers or plain bread, such as a baguette are also good ways to cleanse the palate between tastings.

It is a good idea to have a container available for your guests to pour out whiskies they don’t care for. The goal here is to experience a range of whiskies, not encourage anyone to drink something they don’t like.

The best way to progress through a tasting is to sip the lightest whiskey first and end with the richest and/or most heavily flavoured/smokiest one. As host, it’s a good idea to taste everything yourself prior to the event in order to know which order the whiskies should be served in. Keep in mind that lighter coloured whiskey doesn’t necessarily mean it is lighter in flavour.

If you decide to select your whiskies using a theme, options include selecting by country, such as all American, all Irish, all Scottish, all Japanese, etc. Another option is selecting all single malts, whether from Scotland or a selection from different parts of the world.  Comparing whiskies of the same age or from a single region are a couple of other options.

When it comes time to sample each whiskey, begin by “nosing” or smelling the whiskey. When it comes to tasting, hold the first sip in your mouth for several seconds before swallowing. On subsequent sips, concentrate on discovering the flavours and aromas. Then after adding a few drops of water explore the flavours again.

With all the discussions, nosings, water additions and subsequent re-tastings, you can expect to spend at least a couple of hours exploring your selections. Most importantly, the experience should be enjoyable for everyone. It’s a bonus if either you or your guests discover a new favourite whiskey along the way.

Sláinte mhaith

2023 National Wine Awards

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This year was the 22nd addition of the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (NWAC), which took place in Penticton, British Columbia.  There were 1,930 entries from 255 wineries. All entries to the competition are 100 percent grown and produced in Canada.

Photo credit: winealign.com

The National Wine Awards presents four major awards: The Canadian Winery of the Year, The Best Performing Small Winery, Icewine of the Year and Cider of the Year. Within each of the 37 categories, wines are eligible to compete for Gold, Silver or Bronze medals, all topped by Platinum medals, which are presented to the highest one percent of wines across all competition categories.

The major award winners and the Platinum and Gold medal winners from the top 25 wineries are presented below:

The Winery of the Year is Hidden Bench Estate Winery in Beamsville, Ontario.  Being one of the most respected Niagara wineries since its inception 20 years ago, Hidden Bench has finally won Winery of the Year honours by earning 12 medals – two Platinum, five Gold and five Silver.  Congratulations to proprietor Harald Thiel and his team, including winemaker Alex Baines and viticulturalist Joel Williams.

The Platinum and Gold winning wines were:

Platinum

  • Hidden Bench Pinot Noir Felseck Vineyard 2020
  • Hidden Bench Chardonnay Tete De Cuvée Rosomel Vineyard 2020

Gold:

  • Hidden Bench Estate Riesling 2020
  • Hidden Bench Natur Zero Dosage 2017
  • Hidden Bench Chardonnay Felseck Vineyard Unfiltered 2020
  • Hidden Bench Nuit Blanche Rosomel Vineyard 2021
  • Hidden Bench Chardonnay Beton 2021

The remainder of the top 25 wineries are as follows:

2. Tawse Winery, Ontario

Awards:  2 Platinum, 4 Gold, 8 Silver, 5 Bronze

Platinum

  • Tawse 2020 Carly’s Block Riesling
  • Tawse 2020 Tawse Riesling

Gold

  • Tawse 2020 Quarry Road Riesling
  • Tawse 2020 Cabernet Merlot
  • Tawse 2020 Limestone Riesling Spark!
  • Tawse 2021 Sketches Riesling

3. Megalomaniac, Ontario

Awards:  1 Platinum, 5 Gold, 1 Bronze

Platinum

  • Megalomaniac N/V Bubblehead Limited Edition Brut

Gold

  • Megalomaniac 2020 To Be Frank Cabernet Franc
  • Megalomaniac 2020 Reserve Cabernet Franc
  • Megalomaniac 2021 Narcissist Riesling
  • Megalomaniac 2020 Sonofabitch Pinot Noir
  • Megalomaniac NV Bubblehead Rosé

4. Deep Roots Winery, British Columbia (2023 Best Performing Small Winery)

The details regarding Deep Roots are presented  under the heading regarding the Best Performing Small Winery below.

5. Corcelettes Estate Winery, British Columbia

Awards:  1 Platinum, 7 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Bronze

Platinum

  • Corcelettes 2020 Syrah Corcelettes Estate Vineyard

Gold

  • Corcelettes 2021 Reserve Pinot Noir Micro Lot Series
  • Corcelettes 2022 Oracle Rosé
  • Corcelettes 2020 Cabernet Franc
  • Corcelettes 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Corcelettes Estate Vineyard
  • Corcelettes 2020 Merlot
  • Corcelettes 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Corcelettes 2019 Merlot

6. Road 13 Vineyards, British Columbia

Awards:  1 Platinum, 5 Gold, 7 Silver, 2 Bronze

Platinum

  • Road 13 2020 Select Harvest GSM

Gold

  • Road 13 2013 Jackpot Sparkling Chenin Blanc
  • Road 13 2020 John Oliver Cabernet Franc
  • Road 13 2021 Viognier
  • Road 13 2020 John Oliver Petit Verdot
  • Road 13 2022 Honest John’s Bright Rosé

7. SpearHead Winery, British Columbia

Awards:  1 Platinum, 5 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze

Platinum

  • SpearHead 2020 Club Consensus Pinot Noir

Gold

  • SpearHead 2021 Saddle Block Pinot Noir
  • SpearHead 2021 Cuvée Pinot Noir
  • SpearHead 2021 Golden Retreat Pinot Noir
  • SpearHead 2021 Clone 828 Pinot Noir
  • SpearHead 2022 Pinot Gris

8. CedarCreek Estate Winery, British Columbia

Awards:  1 Platinum, 6 Gold, 3 Silver, 6 Bronze

Platinum

  • CedarCreek 2021 Aspect Collection Block 3 Riesling

Gold

  • CedarCreek 2020 Platinum Haynes Creek Malbec
  • CedarCreek 2021 Estate Cabernet Franc
  • CedarCreek 2021 Aspect Collection Block 5 Chardonnay
  • CedarCreek 2021 Estate Chardonnay
  • CedarCreek 2022 Estate Pinot Noir Rosé
  • CedarCreek 2022 Estate Riesling

9. Thirty Bench Wine Makers, Ontario

Awards:  1 Platinum, 4 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze

Platinum

  • Thirty Bench 2020 Small Lot Riesling Wood Post Vineyard

Gold

  • Thirty Bench 2020 Small Lot Riesling Wild Cask
  • Thirty Bench 2020 Small Lot Cabernet Franc
  • Thirty Bench 2020 Benchmark Red
  • Thirty Bench 2020 Small Lot Cabernet Sauvignon

10. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery, British Columbia

Awards:  7 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze

Gold

  • Township 7 Seven Stars 2019 Aurora Stoneridge Vineyard
  • Township 7 Seven Stars 2019 Polaris
  • Township 7 2019 Riesling
  • Township 7 Benchmark Series 2019 Syrah Fool’s Gold Vineyard
  • Township 7 Infinite Series 2015 Sirius
  • Township 7 Benchmark Series 2019 NBO Blue Terrace Vineyard
  • Township 7 2019 Syrah

11. Quails’ Gate Estate Winery, British Columbia

Awards:  10 Gold, 4 Silver, 5 Bronze

Gold

  • Quails’ Gate 2020 Pinot Noir
  • Quails’ Gate 2020 Richard’s Block Pinot Noir
  • Quails’ Gate 2020 Queue
  • Quails’ Gate 2020 The Boswell Syrah
  • Quails’ Gate 2021 Chardonnay
  • Quails’ Gate 2021 Rosemary’s Block Chardonnay
  • Quails’ Gate 2021 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay
  • Quails’ Gate 2021 Chenin Blanc
  • Quails’ Gate 2021 Clone 220 Chenin Blanc
  • Quails’ Gate 2021 Three Wolves Vineyard Pinot Gris

12. Trius Winery, Ontario

Awards:  7 Gold, 4 Silver, 4 Bronze

Gold

  • Trius 2020 Grand Red
  • Trius 2020 Showcase Cabernet Franc Red Shale
  • Trius 2020 Showcase Chardonna
  • Trius 2021 Showcase Pinot Noir Clark Farm
  • Trius 2021 Distinction Sauvignon Blanc
  • Trius N/V Showcase Blanc de Blancs Watching Tree Vineyard
  • Trius N/V Brut

13. Blasted Church Vineyards, British Columbia

Awards:  6 Gold, 7 Silver, 4 Bronze

Gold

  • Blasted Church 2019 Merlot
  • Blasted Church 2019 Cabernet Merlot
  • Blasted Church 2019 Nothing Sacred
  • Blasted Church 2020 Nectar of the Gods
  • Blasted Church 2020 Holy Moly Petit Verdot
  • Blasted Church 2022 Small Blessings Blanc de Noir

14. Painted Rock Estate Winery, British Columbia

Awards:  5 Gold

Gold

  • Painted Rock 2019 Red Icon
  • Painted Rock 2019 Syrah
  • Painted Rock 2019 Malbec
  • Painted Rock 2019 Estate Grown Merlot
  • Painted Rock 2019 Cabernet Franc

15. Mission Hill Family Estate, British Columbia

Awards:  9 Gold, 9 Silver, 2 Bronze

Gold

  • Mission Hill 2019 Legacy Collection Quatrain
  • Mission Hill 2021 Legacy Collection Perpetua
  • Mission Hill 2021 Reserve Merlot
  • Mission Hill 2021 Terroir Collection Pine Hill Chardonnay
  • Mission Hill 2022 Reserve Pinot Blanc
  • Mission Hill 2022 Reserve Pinot Gris
  • Mission Hill 2022 Reserve Riesling
  • Mission Hill 2022 Reserve Rosé
  • Mission Hill 2022 Terroir Collection Border Vista Rosé

16. 13th Street Winery, Ontario

Awards:  6 Gold, 8 Silver, 4 Bronze

Gold

  • 13th Street Winery 2017 Premier Cuvée
  • 13th Street Winery 2022 Expression Cabernet Rose
  • 13th Street Winery 2022 Expression Riesling
  • 13th Street Winery 2021 Syrah
  • 13th Street Winery 2021 Whitty Vineyard Gamay
  • 13th Street Winery 2022 Expression Riesling

17. Nk’Mip Cellars, British Columbia

Awards:  6 Gold, 10 Silver, 1 Bronze

Gold

  • Nk’Mip Cellars 2019 Qwam Qwmt Syrah
  • Nk’Mip Cellars 2021 Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay
  • Nk’Mip Cellars 2020 Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Nk’Mip Cellars 2020 Qwam Qwmt Merlot
  • Nk’Mip Cellars 2021 Merriym White Meritage
  • Nk’Mip Cellars 2020 Merriym Red Meritage

18. Van Western Vineyards, British Columbia

Awards:  5 Gold, 2 Silver

Gold

  • Van Westen 2021 Viscous
  • Van Westen 2020 V
  • Van Westen 2022 Vino Grigio
  • Van Westen 2022 Viognier
  • Van Westen 2020 Violeta

19. Two Sisters Vineyards, Ontario

Awards:  1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Bronze

Platinum

  • Two Sisters Vineyards 2020 Riesling

Gold

  • Two Sisters Vineyards 2020 Chardonnay
  • Two Sisters Vineyards 2020 Lush Sparkling Rosé

20. Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, Ontario

Awards:  1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 7 Silver, 2 Bronze

Platinum

  • Ravine Vineyard 2020 Cabernet Franc

Gold

  • Ravine Vineyard 2020 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Ravine Vineyard 2011 Vintage Brut

21. Orofino Estate Vineyards, British Columbia

Awards:  4 Gold, 5 Silver, 2 Bronze

Gold

  • Orofino 2022 Old Vines Riesling Home Vineyard
  • Orofino 2022 Gamay
  • Orofino 2020 Syrah
  • Orofino 2021 Zinfandel

22. TIME Family of Wines, British Columbia

Awards:  4 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze

Gold

  • McWatters Collection 2020 Meritage
  • Chronos 2020 Merlot
  • Chronos 2020 Cabernet Franc
  • Evolve 2022 Brut Rosé

23. River Stone Estate Winery, British Columbia

Awards:  4 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze

Gold

  • River Stone Estate Winery 2019 Corner Stone
  • River Stone Estate Winery 2019 Stones Throw
  • River Stone Estate Winery 2022 Splash
  • River Stone Estate Winery 2022 Sauvignon Blanc

24.  Moon Curser Vineyards, British Columbia

Awards:  5 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze

Gold

  • Moon Curser 2022 Arneis
  • Moon Curser 2022 Roussanne Marsanne
  • Moon Curser 2022 Viognier
  • Moon Curser 2022 Dolcett

25. Peller Estates Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Awards:  4 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze

Gold

  • Peller Estates Niagara 2020 Andrew Peller Signature Series Cabernet Franc
  • Peller Estates Niagara 2021 Private Reserve Late Harvest Vidal
  • Peller Estates Niagara 2022 Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
  • Peller Estates Niagara 2021 Andrew Peller Signature Series Rieslin

The 2023 Best Performing Small Winery of the Year was presented to Deep Roots Winery of Naramata, British Columbia.  Deep Roots had the best-scoring top five wines in the competition among wineries producing fewer than 10,000 cases. Their 2020 Reserve Chardonnay earned a platinum medal, one of only three Chardonnays to do so, as well as four gold medals for:

  • Deep Roots Parentage Red 2020
  • Deep Roots Gamay 2022
  • Deep Roots Syrah 2020
  • Deep Roots Sauvignon Blanc 2022

British Columbia wineries dominated the Small Winery category, claiming nine of the top ten rankings.  The remaining top 10 small wineries are as follows:

2. Corcelettes Estate Winery, British Columbia

3. SpearHead Winery, British Columbia

4. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery, British Columbia

5. Painted Rock Estate Winery, British Columbia

6. Van Westen Vineyards, British Columbia

7. Orofino Vineyards, British Columbia

8. River Stone Estate Winery, British Columbia

9. Moon Curser Vineyards, British Columbia

10. The Organized Crime Winery, Ontario

Note: A minimum of five wines must have been entered to be eligible for Winery of the Year and the Top Wineries lists. Ranking was determined by the total score of their top five wines, not total number of medals.

The complete listing of all the winning wines from this year’s event is available on the Canadian Wine Awards website, www.winealign.com/awards.

Sláinte mhaith

2023 Ontario Wine Awards

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Photo credit: ontariowineawards.com

The 2023 Canadian wine award season began in early June with the Ontario Wine Awards.  There were 558 entries from 77 Ontario wineries.

Receiving the honour of the Winemaker of the Year was Peller Estates Winery’s Katie Dickieson.  She earned more gold medals than any other winemaker in Ontario.

The Niagara region’s Domaine Queylus attained the Red Wine of the Year award for its 2020 Cabernet Franc Tradition.  This wine is only available directly from the winery but at a very affordable price of $33.50 CDN.

The White Wine of the Year award was presented to Prince Edward County’s Norman Hardie for their 2017 Semi-Dry Riesling.  This wine comes at a price of $21.00 CDN and is available from either the winery or select LCBO stores.

This year Gold medals were awarded in the following categories:

Sparkling Wine Award (Traditional Method)

Gold medals were presented to:

  • Malivoire Wine Bisous Rose NV
  • Megalomaniac Bubblehead Limited Edition Brut NV
  • Niagara College Teaching Winery, Balance Brut NV
  • Thirty Bench Wine Makers, Sparkling Riesling NV
  • Trius Winery, Showcase Blanc de Blancs NV

Sparkling Wine Award (Cuve Close)

The gold medal was awarded to Greenlane Estate Winery for their Saffron Sparkling Rose 2021

Riesling Award (Semi-Dry)

The gold medal was awarded to Megalomaniac Winery for their Narcissist Riesling 2021

Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon Award

Gold medals were awarded to:

  • Peller Estates Winery, Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2021
  • Palatine Hills Estate Winery, Wild & Free Semillon 2021
  • Trius Winery, Showcase Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Unoaked Chardonnay Award

The Gold medal was awarded to Big Head Wines Inc. for their 2022 Chardonnay Stone

Oaked Chardonnay Award

Gold medals were awarded to:

  • Exultet Estates, cru X Chardonnay 2018
  • Konzelmann Estate Winery, Chardonnay Barrel Aged 2022

Gewürztraminer Award

The Gold medal was presented to Magnotta Winery for their Gewürztraminer VQA Venture Series 2022

Blanc De Noir Award

The Gold medal was awarded to 180 Estate Winery for their Gamay Rose 2021

Gamay Award

The Gold award was presented to 13th Street Winery for their Gamay 2021

Pinot Noir Award

Gold medals were awarded to:

  • King and Victoria, Pinot Noir 2018
  • Domaine Queylus, 2018 Pinot Noir La Grande Réserve

Cabernet Franc Award

Gold Awards were presented to:

  • Big Head Wines Inc., 2020 Cabernet Franc Select
  • Domaine Queylus, 2020 Cabernet Franc Tradition
  • Peller Estates Winery, Signature Series Cabernet Franc 2020
  • Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, Ravine Cabernet Franc 2020
  • Thirty Bench Wine Makers, Wild Cask Cabernet Franc 2020

Merlot Award

Gold medals were presented to:

  • Kacaba Vineyards and Winery, Signature Series, Reserve Merlot 2020
  • Niagara College Teaching Winery, Dean’s List Merlot 2020
  • Sprucewood Shores Winery, Merlot Hawk’s Flight Reserve 2020
  • Thirty Bench Wine Makers, Small Lot Merlot 2020

Meritage & Cabernet Blends Award

Gold medals were awarded to:

  • Konzelmann Estate Winery, Legacy Meritage 2020
  • Magnotta Winery, Magnotta Legacy Limited Edition VQA 2018
  • Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, Reserve Red 2020
  • Three Dog Winery, Big Red 2020

Syrah / Shiraz Award

The Gold medal was awarded to Kacaba Vineyards and Winery for their Premium Series, Terraced Vineyard Syrah 2020

Late Harvest Reds & Whites

Gold medals were presented to:

  • Peller Estates Winery, Private Reserve Late Harvest Vidal 2021
  • Trius Winery, Showcase Late Harvest Vidal 2021

Other Red Wines

A Gold medal was awarded to Strewn Winery for their Select Late Harvest Cabernet 2017

Vinifera Icewine Award

Gold medals were presented to:

  • Inniskillin, Cabernet Franc Icewine 2019
  • Peller Estates Winery, Andrew Peller Riesling Icewine 2019
  • Riverview Cellars Estate Winery, Riesling Icewine 2019

Unassigned Wine

A Gold medal was presented to the London Born Wine Co for their Chardonnay Musque 2020

I did not include the Silver and Bronze medal recipients.  However, the complete list is available at https://winesinniagara.com/2023/06/domaine-queylus-captures-red-wine-of-the-year-award/.

Sláinte mhaith

The All Canadian Wine Championships

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Photo credit: allcanadianwinechampionships.com

The 41st edition of the All Canadian Wine Championships was held in mid June.  There were participants from nine of the ten provinces and even one territory. In total 184 wineries entered 1,154 wines.

The overall results by province were as follows:

  • BC           5 Trophies/25 Double Gold/75 Gold/73 Silver /66 Bronze (612 entries)
  • ON          22 Double Gold/32 Gold/37 Silver/39 Bronze (379 entries)
  • QC           2 Trophies/3 Double Gold/14 Gold/10 Silver/10 Bronze (73 entries)
  • NS           7 Gold/ 2 Silver/6 Bronze (26 entries)
  • NB           3 Double Gold/ 3 Gold/1 Silver (26 entries)
  • PEI          1 Double Gold/1 Silver (4 entries)
  • AB            1 Double Gold/ 1 Gold/1 Silver/ 4 Bronze (24 entries)
  • MB          2 Bronze (3 entries)
  • SK            1 Silver (8 entries)
  • YT             1 Double Gold (2 entries)

Assessments and awards were based as follows:

Trophies: “All Canadian Best Wines of the Year”

All wines are judged using the 100-point system. Trophies are awarded for each of the following categories:

  • Best Red table wine
  • Best White table wine
  • Best Dessert wine
  • Best Sparkling wine
  • Best Fruit wine

Double Gold medals / Best of Category were awarded to the single highest rated wine (using an average of the aggregate judges’ scores) from each of the categories. These wines were all submitted for the Trophy round.

Medals of Merit: Gold, Silver, Bronze were awarded in the following manner:

  • Gold awards were awarded to those wines scoring in the top 10 percentile.
  • Silver awards of merit were issued to those wines scoring in the second 10 percentile.
  • Bronze awards of merit were given to those wines scoring in the third 10 percentile.

The Trophy Awards were presented as follows:

Best Sparkling Wine of the Year

TIME Family of Wines, BC; N/V Chronos Brut ($40.24 CDN)

Best Red Wine of the Year

Wild Goose Winery, BC; 2021 Pinot Noir ($29.89 CDN)

Best White Wine of the Year

Wild Goose Winery, BC; 2022 Gewürztraminer ($17.89 CDN)

Best Dessert Wine of the Year

Vignoble Rivière du Chêne, QC ; 2021 Monde ($32.00 CDN)

Best Fruit Wine of the Year

Maan Farms Estate Winery, BC; 2020 Raspberry ($23.00 CDN)

Double Gold Awards

Double Gold awards were presented to the following entries:

  • Sparkling Wine – Charmat Method – Fresh, ON; N/V Sparkling Rosé ($18.95 CDN)
  • Sparkling Wine – Frizzante Method – Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery, BC  2021 Daffodils Sparkling To Go 250ml ($7.98 CDN)
  • Chardonnay, Unoaked – Two Sisters Vineyards, ON; 2020 Unoaked Chardonnay ($38.80 CDN)
  • Chardonnay Under $35.00 – Meldville Wines, ON; 2021 Chardonnay Barrel Select ($26.00 CDN)
  • Chardonnay Over $35.00 – Dark Horse Estate Winery, ON; 2018 Stirling Gait Chardonnay ($39.95 CDN)
  • Riesling Dry – Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, BC; 2022 Private Reserve Dry Riesling         ($18.39 CDN)
  • Riesling Off Dry – Moraine Winery, BC; 2022 Riesling ($23.00 CDN)
  • Sauvignon Blanc – Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, BC; 2022 Dry Rock Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc ($20.69 CDN)
  • Pinot Gris Style – Lighthall Vineyards, ON; 2022 Estate Pinot Gris VQA. Prince Edward County ($27.75 CDN)
  • Pinot Grigio Style – Ovino Winery, BC; 2022 Pinot Grigio ($18.40 CDN)
  • Viognier – Wesbert Winery, BC; 2022 Viognier ($26.95 CDN)
  • Other Single Vitis Vinifera Whites – Reif Estate Winery, ON; 2021 Chenin Blanc ($19.95 CDN)
  • White Vitis Vinifera Blends – Priest Creek Family Estate Winery, BC; 2022 Marsanne Roussanne Viognier ($32.74 CDN)
  • Single White Hybrids – The Roost Wine Company, ON; 2021 Frontenac ($24.75 CDN)
  • White Hybrid Blends – Privato Vineyard and Winery, BC; 2022 Sorpresa Bianco ($22.99 CDN)
  • Pet Nat – Black Market Wine Co., BC; 2022 Nothing to Declare ($40.25 CDN)
  • Orange Wines – Creekside Estate Winery Ltd., ON; 2022 Undercurrent Madame Marmalade ($35.00 CDN)
  • Rosé Dry – Forbidden Fruit Winery, BC; 2022 Dead End The Happy Ending Organic Cabernet Franc Rosé ($24.00 CDN)
  • Rosé Off Dry – Jabulani Vineyard & Winery Ltd, ON; 2022 Rosé ($16.00 CDN)
  • Cabernet Sauvignon Under $35 – Bordertown Vineyard & Estate Winery, BC; 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon ($35.00 CDN)
  • Cabernet Sauvignon Over $35.01 – Colchester Ridge Estate Winery, ON; 2018 Grand CREW ($39.95 CDN)
  • Merlot Under $35 – Squeezed Wines, BC; 2015 Merlot ($21.90 CDN)
  • Merlot Over $35.01 – Nk’Mip Cellars, BC; 2020 Qwam Qwmt Merlot ($43.69 CDN)
  • Pinot Noir Over $35.01 – Privato Vineyard and Winery, BC 2019 Woodward Collection – Grande Reserve Pinot Noir ($68.99 CDN)
  • Cabernet Franc Under $35 – Colio Estate Wines, ON; 2020 Reserve Cabernet Franc ($19.95 CDN)
  • Cabernet Franc Over $35.01 – Palatine Hills Estate Winery c/o John Neufeld Farms, ON; 2018 Wild & Free Cabernet Franc ($64.95 CDN)
  • Bordeaux Blends Under $35 – Creekside Estate Winery Ltd., ON; 2020 Red Tractor Cabernet Merlot ($17.95 CDN)
  • Bordeaux Blends Over $35.01 – Two Sisters Vineyards, ON; 2018 Eleventh Post ($47.80 CDN)
  • Syrah/Shiraz Under $35 – Moon Curser Vineyards, BC; 2021 Syrah ($34.49 CDN)
  • Syrah/Shiraz Over $35.01 – Moon Curser Vineyards, BC; 2021 Contraband Syrah ($43.69 CDN)
  • Single Red Hybrids – Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery, BC; 2020 Cabernet Foch ($39.10 CDN)
  • Marechal Foch – Alderlea Vineyards, BC; 2020 Clarinet ($26.45 CDN)
  • Red Hybrid Blends – Vignoble Rivière du Chêne, QC ; 2021 Origine, Cuvée Spéciale  ($32.00 CDN)
  • Other Single Red Vitis Vinifera – Garry Oaks Estate Winery, BC; 2018 Zweigelt ($31.50 CDN)
  • Other Red Vitis Vinifera Blends – Bonamici Cellars, BC; 2020 Belviaggio ($51.75 CDN)
  • Malbec – Moon Curser Vineyards, BC; 2021 Malbec ($40.24 CDN)
  • Gamay – Byland Estate Winery, ON; 2021 Gamay Noir ($38.00 CDN)
  • Appassimento Style – Magnetic Hill Winery, NB; 2021 Terroir Generator Marquette ($45.00 CDN)

FRUIT WINES

  • Soft Fruit Dry – Yukon Wines, YT; 2020 Dry Haskap Wine ($23.30 CDN)
  • Soft Fruit Dessert – Magnetic Hill Winery, NB; N/V Framboise ($20.00 CDN)
  • Tree Fruit Dry – Forbidden Fruit Winery, BC; 2022 Organic Cherysh Cherry Rosé ($21.00 CDN)
  • Tree Fruit Off Dry – Caroline Cellars Winery, ON; N/V Plum ($12.30 CDN)
  • Tree Fruit Dessert – Puddicombe Estate Wines, ON; 2021 Iced Apple ($20.00 CDN)
  • Fruit Sparkling – Cornerstone Estate Winery, ON; 2020 Fizzy Peach ($6.15 CDN)
  • Fruit Fortified – Vinerie DesFruits Winery, NB ; N/V vin de cassis fortifié ($11.99 CDN)

DESSERT WINES

  • Late Harvest – Clos du Soleil Winery Inc, BC; 2022 Saturn ($38.50 CDN)
  • Red Icewine – Harbour Estates Winery, ON; 2017 Syrah Icewine ($100.00 CDN)
  • Grape Fortifieds – D’Angelo Estate Winery BC; N/V Dolce Vita Rosso ($49.39 CDN)

CIDERS

  • Trophy, Best Cider – The View Winery, BC; N/V Wards Winter Spice Picker’s Hut ($9.45 CDN)

MEADS

  • Trophy, Best Mead of the Year – Miel Nature Inc. QC; N/V Poire et miel ($35.00 CDN)

All of the results are available at https://allcanadianwinechampionships.com/acwc-2023-results/

Sláinte mhaith

Mulled Wine

/ A Layman's Wine Musings / 2 Comments

Mulled Wine is a must-have on many holiday cocktail recipe lists but what is it?  A traditional mulled wine recipe is made most often with red wine, though white is sometimes used, heated with a mixture of whole warming spices and other optional ingredients like apple cider, citrus and brandy.

Photo credit: thelondoneconomic.com

Spiced wine tastes like a big, fruity red wine crossed with a spicy batch of apple cider, with a touch of spirit. 

Mulled wine is known by many names such as spiced wine, hot wine, glögg, glühwein, and vin chaud. They all essentially refer to the same drink, although the spices and liquor of choice may vary.

Depending on personal preference, individual recipes will contain varying amounts of spice, sweetness and warmth.  The best wine for mulled wine is dry and full-bodied, such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Zinfandel, or Syrah/Shiraz. These will stand up to the other flavors and ensure the spiced wine won’t be too sweet.  Since other flavours will be added, select a budget-friendly bottle. Don’t go bottom shelf, but don’t use the super good stuff either.  Those wines are best appreciated on their own.

At this time of year you will see several brands selling pre-mixed spiced wine in bottles. Don’t be tempted.  These wines tend to be overly sweet and contain artificial flavours.  They are nowhere close to being of equal quality as the homemade versions.

It doesn’t require a great investment of your time to prepare a steaming pot of mulled wine. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare and can be made either on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. It’s totally customizable with your favourite spices and liqueurs. It will make your home smell wonderful and warm everyone up on a cold winter night.

In addition to your bottle of wine, it is suggested to include the following:

  • Brandy or other liqueur such as Cointreau (or another orange liqueur) or tawny port
  • Fresh oranges; one that has been peeled and sliced to mull in the wine; and one to slice and use as a garnish
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Mulling spices, which may include one or more of whole cloves, star anise, a few cardamom pods, nutmeg and ginger
  • Sweetener such as sugar, honey, apple cider, apple juice or maple syrup.

To make it, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and give them a quick stir.  Heat until the wine almost reaches a simmer over medium-high heat but don’t let it bubble, otherwise the alcohol will begin to vaporize and the wine will begin to evaporate.  Reduce heat to low, cover completely, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Using a fine mesh strainer, remove and discard the mulling spices. Give the wine a taste and stir in the desired amount of extra sweetener if needed.

Serve warm in heatproof mugs topped with your favorite garnishes.

As an alternative to a saucepan, a slow cooker can be used.  The slow cooker keeps the stove top free and the spiced wine warm, and it’s easy for guests to access for refills.

Happy holidays!

Sláinte mhaith

The 2022 All Canadian Wine Championships

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At this year’s All Canadian Wine Championships there were a total of 1,233 wines from 194 participating wineries.  Unlike the National Wine Awards where there is a significant amount of emphasis on the wineries producing the wine, the total focus of the All Canadian is on the wines themselves.

The summary of this year’s results by province is as follows:

British Columbia – 751 entries

  • 2 Trophies
  • 31 Double Gold
  • 81 Gold
  • 75 Silver
  • 88 Bronze

Ontario – 372 entries

  • 3 Trophies
  • 20 Double Gold
  • 32 Gold
  • 32 Silver
  • 37 Bronze

Quebec – 34 entries

  • 1 Trophy
  • 3 Double Gold
  • 7 Gold
  • 6 Silver
  • 4 Bronze

Nova Scotia – 37 entries

  • 3 Double Gold
  • 2 Gold
  • 2 Silver
  • 3 Bronze

New Brunswick – 11 entries

  • 2 Gold
  • 1 Silver
  • 2 Bronze

Alberta – 13 entries

  • 2 Silver
  • 1 Bronze

Manitoba – 4 entries

  • 1 Bronze

Saskatchewan – 11 entries

  • 3 Silver

The trophy winning wines for 2022 are as follows:

Best Red Wine of the Year was awarded to Wesbert Winery Ltd., of Penticton, British Columbia for their 2020 Syrah ($37.89).

Best White Wine of the Year went to Thirty Bench Wines, of Beamsville, Ontario for their 2019 Small Lot Riesling Triangle Vineyard ($32.00).

Niagara College Teaching Wineryfrom Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario received the Best Sparkling Wine of the Year award for its N/V Balance Brut ($26.95).

The Oliver, British Columbia winery of Jackson-Triggs received the award for Best Dessert Wine of the Year for their 2018 Okanagan Reserve Riesling Icewine ($60.00).

Best Fruit Wine of the Year was presented to La Vallée de la Framboise Inc., of Val-Brillant , Quebec for their N/V  Douce Anna ($20.00).

Thornbury Craft Co. from Thornbury, Ontario was awarded Best Cider of the Year for their N/V Premium Craft Apple Cider ($3.50).

Award winning wines could receive a Double Gold, Gold, Silver or Bronze award.  The Double Gold and Gold awards are listed here.  A complete listing of award winners is available on the All Canadian Wine Championships website at https://allcanadianwinechampionships.com/acwc-2022-results/

Sparkling Wine-Traditional Method

Gold

  • Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery, BC – 2018 The Pink One ($45.99)  
  • Silhouette Estate Winery, BC – 2018 Boyd Classic Cuvee ($42.99)  
  • Summerhill Pyramid Winery, BC – N/V Cipes Brut Rosé ($40.25)  
  • TIME Family of Wines, BC – N/V Chronos Brut ($34.99)  

Sparkling Wine–Charmat Method

Double Gold

  • TIME Family of Wines, BC – N/V Evolve Cellars Effervescence ($24.99)

Gold

  • Creekside Estate Winery Ltd., ON – 2019 Backyard Block Bubbly ($29.80)
  • Diamond Estate Wines, ON – N/V Fresh Sparkling Rose ($17.75)
  • Three Sisters Winery, BC – 2021 Pretty Women ($21.65)

Sparkling Wine–Frizzante Method

Double Gold

  • Moraine Winery, BC – 2021 Shipuchka Frizzante ($31.05)

Gold

  • Intrigue Wines, BC – N/V I DO ($20.90)
  • Play Winery, BC – 2021 Teatro ($33.34)
  • Intrigue Wines, BC – 2021 SOCIAL Sparkling ($20.90)

Chardonnay, Unoaked

Double Gold

  • TIME Family of Wines, BC – 2020 Chronos Chardonnay ($29.99)

Gold

  • Gray Monk Estate Winery, BC – 2021 Chardonnay Unwooded ($22.99)
  • Pelee Island Winery, ON – 2019 Ring Necked Pheasant Chardonnay Unoaked ($12.25)

Chardonnay Under $20

Double Gold

  • Colio Estate Wines, ON – 2020 Reserve Chardonnay ($19.95)

Gold

  • Trius Estate Winery, ON – 2020 Distinction Chardonnay Barrel Fermented ($19.75)

 Chardonnay $20.01-$30.00

Double Gold

  • Three Sisters Winery, BC – 2020 Chardonnay ($21.65)

Gold

  • Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Reserve Chardonnay ($26.00)
  • Harper’s Trail Estate Winery, BC – 2019 Chardonnay ($24.14)
  • Monte Creek Winery, BC – 2020 Living Land Chardonnay ($21.99)

Chardonnay Over $30.00

Double Gold

  • SpearHead Winery, BC – 2020 Clone 95 Chardonnay ($34.50)

Gold

  • Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery, BC – 2019 King’s Ransom Chardonnay ($57.50)
  • Covert Farms Family Estate, BC – 2020 Grand Reserve Chardonnay ($65.00)
  • SpearHead Winery, BC – 2020 Saddle Block Chardonnay ($34.50)
  • Dark Horse Vineyard, BC – 2020 Chardonnay ($46.00)

Riesling Dry

Double Gold 

  • Niagara College Teaching Winery, ON – 2020 Balance Dry Riesling ($16.95)

Gold

  • Four Shadows Vineyard, BC – 2021 Riesling Dry ($27.59)

Riesling Off Dry

Gold

  • TIME Family of Wines, BC – 2020 Chronos Riesling ($27.99)
  • Andrew Peller Estates Winery, ON – 2019 Signature Series Riesling ($29.75)
  • Thirty Bench Wines, ON – 2019 Small Lot Riesling Wild Cask ($32.00)
  • Thirty Bench Wines, ON – 2020 Winemaker’s Blend Riesling ($22.75)

Sauvignon Blanc

Double Gold

  • Gehringer Bros. Estate Winery, BC – 2021 Dry Rock Sauvignon Blanc ($20.69)

Gold

  • Dirty Laundry Vineyard, BC – 2021 Sauvignon Blanc ($20.99)
  • Three Sisters Winery, BC – 2021 Sauvignon Blanc ($19.05)
  • Featherstone Estate Winery, ON – 2021 Sauvignon Blanc ($17.95)

Gewürztraminer

Double Gold

  • Priest Creek Family Estate Winery, BC – 2021 Gewürztraminer ($27.00)

Gold

  • Moraine Winery, BC – 2021 Gewürztraminer ($26.45)
  • Ruby Blues Winery, BC – 2021 Gewürztraminer ($25.90)
  • Wesbert Winery Ltd., BC – 2021 Gewürztraminer ($26.39)

Pinot Gris Style

Double Gold

  • Joseph’s Estate Wines Inc., ON – 2020 Rosato ($18.95)

Gold

  • Deep Roots Winery, BC – 2021 Pinot Gris ($21.90)
  • Savard Vines, BC – 2021 Forgotten Child Pinot Gris ($19.00)
  • Enrico Winery, BC – 2021 Pinot Gris Shining Armour ($24.50)
  • Legends Estates Winery, ON – 2019 Pinot Gris Barrel Fermented ($19.80)
  • Clos du Soleil Winery Inc., BC – 2021 Pinot Gris ($27.49)

Pinot Grigio Style

Double Gold

  • Featherstone Estate Winery, ON – 2021 Pinot Grigio ($17.95)

Gold

  • Kismet Estate Winery, BC – 2021 Pinot Grigio ($25.29)

Viognier

Double Gold

  • Bench 1775, BC – 2021 Viognier ($25.00)

Gold

  • Dirty Laundry Vineyard, BC – 2021 Viognier ($21.99)
  • Country Vines Winery, BC – 2019 Viognier ($21.99)

Other Single Vitis Vinifera Whites

Double Gold

  • Chaberton Estate Winery, BC – 2021 Estate Grown Bacchus ($20.75)

Gold

  • Moon Curser Vineyards, BC – 2021 Arneis ($31.04)
  • Alderlea Vineyards, BC – 2021 Bacchus ($23.00)
  • Forbidden Fruit Winery, BC – 2021 Dead End Gruner Veltliner ($23.00)
  • Gehringer Bros. Estate Winery, BC – 2021 Old Vines Auxerrois ($18.39)
  • Upper Bench Estate Winery, BC – 2021 Pinot Blanc ($25.40)

White Vitis Vinifera Blends

Double Gold

  • Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery, BC – 2021 Mingle ($21.26)

Gold

  • Moraine Winery, BC – 2021 Cliffhanger White ($24.15)
  • Three Sisters Winery, BC – 2021 Bench White ($16.44)
  • Lakeside Cellars, BC – 2021 Portage White ($24.25)
  • Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyard, BC – 2021 Autumn Tryst ($20.00)
  • Valley of the Springs Winery, BC – 2021 Vista ($24.15)

Single White Hybrids

Double Gold

  • Whispering Horse Winery, BC – 2021 La Crescent ($31.00)

Gold

  • Enrico Winery, BC – 2020 Petit Milo Coronet ($24.50)

White Hybrid Blends

Double Gold

  • Planters Ridge Winery, NS – 2021 Tidal Bay ($22.80)

Gold

  • Domaine de Grand Pré, NS – 2021 Tidal Bay ($23.00)
  • Vignoble de l’Orpailleur, QC – 2021 Vignoble de l’Orpailleur Blanc ($16.00)

Pet Nat and Orange Wines

Double Gold

  • Joseph’s Estate Wines Inc., ON – 2019 Arancia Skin Fermented Gewurztraminer ($34.95)

Gold

  • Pilliteri Estates Winery, ON – 2020 Racina Ambra Skin Fermented Gewurztraminer ($25.00)

Rosé Blush and Blanc de Noir

Double Gold Blanc de Noir Style

  • TIME Family of Wines, BC – 2021 Chronos Rosé ($27.99)

Double Gold Blush Style

  • Road 13 Vineyards, BC – 2021 Honest John’s Rosé ($23.00)

Gold

  • Bench 1775, BC – 2021 Glow ($26.00)
  • Thirty Bench Wines, ON – 2021 Winemaker’s Blend Rosé ($22.75)
  • Gehringer Bros. Estate Winery, BC – 2021 Rosé ($18.39)
  • Vanessa Vineyard, BC – 2021 Rosé ($29.99)
  • Sonora Desert Winery, BC – 2021 White Merlot ($25.00)
  • Hillside Cellars Winery, BC – 2021 Rosé ($25.00)
  • Three Sisters Winery, BC – 2021 Rosé ($19.05)
  • Ruby Blues Winery, BC – 2021 I Found My Thrill Rosé ($28.90)

Cabernet Sauvignon Under $30

Double Gold

  • Chaberton Estate Winery, BC – 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ($29.95)

Gold

  • Sprucewood Shores Inc., ON – 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ($17.95)

Cabernet Sauvignon Over $30

Double Gold

  • Sunrock Vineyards, BC – 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ($34.49)

Gold

  • Diamond Estate Wines, ON – Lakeview Cellars 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon ($39.80)
  • Muscedere Vineyards Estate Winery Inc, ON – 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon ($31.75)
  • Nk’Mip Cellars, BC – 2019 Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon ($45.99)

Merlot Under $30

Double Gold

  • Andrew Peller Estates Winery, ON  – 2020 Private Reserve Merlot ($26.75)

Gold

  • Deep Roots Winery, BC – 2020 Merlot ($29.90)
  • Colio Estate Wines, ON – 2020 Reserve Merlot $19.95

Merlot Over $30

Double Gold

  • Upper Bench Estate Winery, BC – 2018 Estate Merlot ($51.75)

Gold

  • Liquidity Wines Ltd., BC – 2020 ALTO Reserve Merlot ($35.00)
  • Nk’Mip Cellars, BC – 2019 Qwam Qwmt Merlot ($40.24)
  • Intersection Estate Winery, BC – 2017 Alluvia Unfiltered Merlot ($32.20)

Pinot Noir Under $30

Double Gold

  • Keint-he Winery and Vineyards Ltd., ON – 2019 Portage Pinot Noir ($28.00)

Gold

  • Gray Monk Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Pinot Noir ($28.75)

Pinot Noir Over $30

Double Gold

  • Queenstonmile Vineyard, ON – 2017 Pinot Noir ($39.80)

Gold

  • Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery, BC – 2019 Pinot Noir Reserve ($48.00)
  • Wild Goose Vineyards, BC – 2020 Pinot Noir ($38.00)
  • Privato Vineyard & Winery, BC – 2019 Woodward Collection – Tesoro Pinot Noir ($47.14)
  • Hainle Vyds Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Pinot Noir ($39.09)

Cabernet Franc Under $30

Double Gold

  • Monte Creek Winery, BC – 2020 Living Land Cabernet Franc ($22.99)

Gold

  • Thirty Bench Wines, ON – 2020 Winemaker’s Blend Cabernet Franc ($24.75)

Cabernet Franc Over $30

Double Gold

  • Two Sisters Vineyards, ON – 2017 Cabernet Franc ($57.80)

Gold

  • Play Winery, BC – 2020 Cabernet Franc ($44.83)
  • Dark Horse Vineyard, BC – 2018 Cabernet Franc ($51.75)
  • Frind Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Premier Cabernet Franc ($40.24)
  • Fort Berens Estate Winery, BC – 2019 Cabernet Franc ($31.99)

Bordeaux Blends Under $30

Double Gold

  • Indigenous World Winery, BC – 2019 Hee-Hee-Tel-Kin Red Blend ($28.74)

Gold

  • Monte Creek Winery, BC – 2019 Living Land Cabernet Merlot ($23.99)
  • Bordertown Estate Winery and Vineyard, BC – 2019 Living Desert Red ($27.00)
  • Persona, ON – N/V Cabernet Merlot ($12.75)
  • Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery, BC – 2020 Noble Meritage ($28.74)
  • Sprucewood Shores Inc., ON – N/V Beach Glass Red ($19.95)
  • See Ya Later Ranch, BC – 2019 Ping Meritage ($28.73)

Bordeaux Blends Over $30

Double Gold

Magnotta Winery, ON – 2017 Enotrium Gran Riserva ($59.95)

Gold

  • Blasted Church Wines, BC – 2017 Nectar of the Gods ($75.00)
  • Phantom Creek Estates, BC – 2019 Phantom Creek Vineyard Cuvée ($150.00)
  • Kismet Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Mantra ($39.18)
  • Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery, BC – 2017 King’s Ransom Meritage ($80.50)
  • Van Westen Vineyards, BC – 2018 V ($39.90)

Syrah/Shiraz Under $30

Double Gold

  • Lakeside Cellars, BC – 2018 Syrah ($28.85)

Gold

  • See Ya Later Ranch, BC – 2019 Rover ($25.29)

Syrah/Shiraz Over $30

Gold

  • Deep Roots Winery, BC – 2020 Syrah ($38.90)
  • Kacaba Vineyards, ON – 2019 Premium Series Terraced Vineyard Syrah ($34.95)
  • Kacaba Vineyards, ON – 2019 Premium Series Proprietors Block Syrah ($34.95)

Single Red Hybrids

Double Gold

  • Mercator Vineyards, NS – N/V Reserve Marquette ($34.80)

Gold

  • Domaine de Grand Pré, NS – 2019 Castel ($21.00)
  • Karlo Estates, ON – 2020 Marquette ($36.00)

Red Hybrid Blends

Double Gold

  • Jost Vineyards, NS – N/V Great Big Friggin’ Red ($17.79)

Gold

  • Volcanic Hills Vineyard & Cellars, BC – 2019 Magma Red ($23.99)
  • Monte Creek Winery, BC – 2020 Hands Up Red ($19.99)

Other Single Red Vitis Vinifera

Double Gold

  • Moon Curser Vineyards, BC – 2020 Touriga Nacional ($50.59)

Gold

  • Kalala Organic Estate Winery, BC – 2019 Zweigelt ($26.00)
  • Moon Curser Vineyards, BC – 2018 Tannat ($50.59)

Other Red Vitis Vinifera Blends

Double Gold

  • Good Natured Okanagan, BC – 2020 Balanced Red ($18.40)

Gold

  • Road 13 Vineyards, BC – 2019 GSM ($37.00)
  • Forbidden Fruit Winery, BC – 2019 Dead End Game Over Tannat Malbec ($40.00)
  • Savard Vines, BC – N/V 5 Turns ($26.00)

Malbec

Double Gold

  • Eau Vivre Winery, BC – 2019 Malbec ($39.90)

Gold

  • Moon Curser Vineyards, BC – 2020 Malbec ($40.24)

Gamay

Double Gold

  • Byland Estate Winery, ON – 2020 Gamay Noir Owner Signature Version ($34.80)

Gold

  • Volcanic Hills Vineyard & Cellars, BC – 2020 Gamay Noir ($20.50)

Soft Fruit Dry

Double Gold

  • Northern Lights Estate Winery Ltd., BC – 2018 Bell Reserve ($24.34)

Gold

  • Winegarden Estates Ltd., NB – 2020 Rubina, dry Blueberry Wine ($12.00)

Soft Fruit Off-Dry

Double Gold

  • Applewood Farm Winery, ON – 2021 Trio ($17.95)

Gold

  • Maan Farms Estate Winery, BC – 2020 Blueberry ($23.00)
  • Applewood Farm Winery, ON – 2021 Eden ($16.95)

Soft Fruit Dessert

Double Gold

  • La Vallée de la Framboise Inc., QC – N/V Le Matapédien ($18.00)

Gold

  • Krause Berry Farms and Estate Winery, BC – N/V Blackberry Portoe ($40.25)

Late Harvests

Double Gold

  • Pilliteri Estates Winery, ON – 2017 Cana Cabin Riesling Late Harvest ($25.00)

Gold

  • Thirty Bench Wines, ON – 2019 Special Select Late Harvest ($40.00)

Riesling Icewine

Gold

  • Inniskillin Okanagan, BC – 2018 Okanagan Estate Riesling Icewine ($60.02)

Vidal Icewine

Double Gold

  • Wayne Gretzky Estates, ON – 2019 No.99 Vidal Icewine ($79.85)

Gold

  • Andrew Peller Estates Winery, ON – 2018 Signature Series Vidal Blanc Icewine ($79.85)
  • Pilliteri Estates Winery, ON – 2017 Cana Cabin Premium Vidal Icewine ($70.00)

Other Icewine

Double Gold

  • Pilliteri Estates Winery, ON – 2017 Canadian Flower Pinot Blanc Icewine ($70.00)

Gold

  • Bench 1775, BC – 2020 Paradise Ranch Chardonnay Ice Wine ($71.00)

Red Icewines

Double Gold

  • Magnotta Winery, ON – 2018 Cabernet Franc Icewine Niagara Peninsula Limited Edition ($44.95)

Gold

  • Andrew Peller Estates Winery, ON – 2018 Cabernet Franc Icewine ($114.90)

Grape Fortifieds

Double Gold

  • Legends Estates Winery, ON – N/V Last Barrel Red ($59.80)

Gold

  • Legends Estates Winery, ON – N/V Last Barrel Red Liquid Gold ($99.80)

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The 2022 National Wine Awards

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The WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (NWAC) is Canada’s largest and most respected competition for wines which are one hundred percent grown and produced in Canada. Niagara Falls, Ontario was the host of this year’s event, which took place from June 19th to 23rd, with results published on July 29th.

This year’s awards were the first to be conducted since 2019 without the influence or restrictions from the pandemic. 

There were 24 judges who tasted 1,890 entries from more than 250 wineries. The entries came from British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The wines were all served blind; producer, origin, and price were not revealed to the judges. The top medalists were tasted in multiple rounds by many different judges.

The top ten wineries are presented below, along with a listing of their Platinum and Gold medal wines.  For a complete listing of all the winning wines please see the Canadian Wine Awards website, at www.winealign.com/awards.

The 2022 winery of the year is CedarCreek Estate Winery, located in East Kelowna, British Columbia.  The winery first opened in 1980, then known as Uniacke Wines. In 1986 it was purchased by the Fitzpatrick family, who changed the name to CedarCreek, and began planting some of the earliest pinot noir vines in the valley.

Over five years ago CedarCreek embarked on a massive refit converting the family-owned Estate vineyards to organic farming that encompasses every aspect of the winery, from regenerative farming and sustainable viticulture to farm-to-bottle craftsmanship in their wine cellar.  As of 2021, all vineyards were Ecocert certified.

CedarCreek has partnered with local environmentalists to collect native plant seeds from the property – the seeds are used for fundraising, for native plant re-establishment on other sites, and at the boundaries of new vineyards to support biodiversity.

The estate is the home of five Scottish Highland Cows, a flock of chickens, beehives, worm farms and cover crops to create a thriving ecosystem.

CedarCreek was awarded two Platinum Medals, four Gold, eight Silver and five Bronze.

Platinum Medal

  • CedarCreek Platinum Jagged Rock Syrah 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • CedarCreek Aspect Collection Block 5 Chardonnay 2019, Okanagan Valley

Gold Medal

  • CedarCreek Platinum Jagged Rock Chardonnay 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • CedarCreek Aspect Collection Block 3 Riesling 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • CedarCreek Pinot Noir Rose 2021, Okanagan Valley
  • CedarCreek Platinum Home Block Riesling 2021, Okanagan Valley

Rounding out the top ten producers for 2022 were the following wineries:

The second-place finisher was Ontario’s 13th Street Winery, who was awarded 2 Platinum, 2 Gold, 7 Silver and 9 Bronze medals.

Platinum Medal

  • 13th Street Reserve Syrah 2020, Niagara Peninsula
  • 13th Street Premier Cuvee 2015, Niagara Peninsula

Gold Medal

  • 13th Street Gamay 2020, Niagara Peninsula
  • 13th Street Blanc De Blanc 2019, Niagara Peninsula

Third was British Columbia’s SpearHead Winery that had 1 Platinum, 7 Gold, 3 Silver and 5 Bronze medals.

Platinum Medal

  • Spearhead Coyote Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019, Okanagan Valley

Gold Medal

  • Spearhead Botrytis Affected Late Harvest Riesling 2019, Okanagan Valley (375ml)
  • Spearhead Pinot Noir Cuvée 2019, Okanagan Valley
  • Spearhead Golden Retreat Pinot Noir 2019, Okanagan Valley
  • Spearhead Pinot Gris Golden Retreat Vineyard 2020, Okanagan Valley

In fourth position was British Columbia’s Mission Hill Family Estate which earned 1 Platinum, 4 Gold and 9 Silver medals.

Platinum Medal

  • Mission Hill Terroir Collection Jagged Rock Syrah 2020, Okanagan Valley

Gold Medal

  • Mission Hill Reserve Riesling 2021, Okanagan Valley
  • Mission Hill Perpetua Chardonnay 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • Mission Hill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • Mission Hill Reserve Merlot 2020, Okanagan Valley

The fifth-place winery was British Columbia’s La Frenz Estate Winery which won 1 Platinum, 9 Gold and 8 Silver medals.

Platinum Medal

  • La Frenz Syrah Rockyfeller Vineyard 2019, Okanagan Valley

Gold Medal

  • La Frenz Malbec Rockyfeller Vineyard 2019, Okanagan Valley
  • La Frenz Grand Total Reserve 2019, Okanagan Valley
  • La Frenz Aster Brut 2018, Okanagan Valley
  • La Frenz Reserve Vivant 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • La Frenz Pinot Noir Desperation Hill Vineyard 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • La Frenz Semillon Knorr Vineyard 2021, Okanagan Valley
  • La Frenz Riesling Cl. 49 Rockyfeller Vineyard 2021, Okanagan Valley
  • La Frenz Cabernets Rockyfeller Vineyard 2019, Okanagan Valley
  • La Frenz Liqueur Muscat, Okanagan Valley (375ml)

The sixth-place finisher was Ontario’s Vieni Estates which had 1 Platinum, 4 Gold, 2 Silver and 9 Bronze medals.

Platinum Medal

  • Vieni Riesling 2020, Vinemount Ridge

Gold Medal

  • Vieni Cabernet Franc 2018, Vinemount Ridge
  • Vieni Cabernet Franc Reserve 2017, Vinemount Ridge
  • Vieni Pinot Grigio 2021, Vinemount Ridge
  • Vieni Unoaked Chardonnay 2019, Vinemount Ridge

In seventh position was British Columbia’s Black Hills Estate Winery, with a record of 1 Platinum, 5 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze medals.

Platinum Medal

  • Black Hills Ipso Facto 2020, Okanagan Valley

Gold Medal

  • Black Hills Per Se 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • Black Hills Chardonnay 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • Black Hills Roussanne 2020, Okanagan Valley
  • Black Hills Addendum 2020, BC VQA Okanagan Valley
  • Black Hills Alibi 2021, Okanagan Valley

The eighth spot went to British Columbia’s Fort Berens Estate Winery which earned 1 Platinum, 3 Gold, 2 Silver and 6 Bronze medals.

Platinum Medal

  • Fort Berens Pinot Noir 2020

Gold Medal

  • Fort Berens Small Lot Grüner Veltliner 2021, Lillooet
  • Fort Berens Merlot Reserve 2019, Lillooet
  • Fort Berens Merlot 2019

The ninth-place position went to British Columbia’s Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery which had 1 Platinum, 3 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze medals.

Platinum Medal

  • Bordertown Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Okanagan Valley

Gold Medal

  • Bordertown Cabernet Franc 2019, BC VQA Okanagan Valley
  • Bordertown Malbec 2019, Okanagan Valley
  • Bordertown Syrah 2019, Okanagan Valley

Earning the tenth spot was Ontario’s Thirty Bench Wine Makers with 6 Gold, 7 Silver and 1 Bronze medal.

Gold Medal

  • Thirty Bench Winemaker’s Blend Cabernet Franc 2020, Niagara Peninsula
  • Thirty Bench Special Select Late Harvest 2019 (375ml)
  • Thirty Bench Small Lot Riesling Wood Post Vineyard 2019, VQA Beamsville Bench
  • Thirty Bench Small Lot Riesling Steel Post Vineyard 2020, VQA Beamsville Bench
  • Thirty Bench Small Lot Pinot Noir 2020, VQA Beamsville Bench
  • Thirty Bench Small Lot Riesling Triangle Vineyard 2019, VQA Beamsville Bench

The best performing small winery award goes to the winery with a production of 10,000 cases or less that chalked up the highest aggregate score for its five top-scoring wines.  This year the award was presented to the Okanagan Valley’s SpearHead Winery.  SpearHead 2019 Coyote Vineyard Pinot Noir took a coveted Platinum Medal.  In addition to this, SpearHead wines received seven Gold, three Silver and five Bronze medals.

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Wine for a Summer Picnic

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With summertime fast approaching it will soon be time to focus on going to the beach and picnics.  The recipe for a great picnic is great weather and food and of course, wonderful wine.   A good picnic wine will be refreshing, balanced, and will pair well with the foods you pack. A picnic should not require a lot of fuss and muss.  The focus should be on sharing good food and wine with family or friends.  If it requires a huge amount of time and effort to prepare, the outcome is probably not worth the effort.

Photo credit: foodbankwma.org

One thing not to do is consider a picnic the same as a barbecue.  The wines that pair well at a barbecue are not necessarily the same ones that work well at a picnic. Barbecues are all about bold and spicy where picnics are more about a broad spectrum of lighter fare. Most of the foods served at a picnic will be cold and on the lighter side.

Common picnic foods include things such as potato salad, cold fried chicken, cheeses and crackers, charcuterie, fresh bread and fresh fruit. Wines best suited include cool, crisp, whites, rosés or very light reds.

White wine options include Sauvignon Blanc and Fumé Blanc which are dry, crisp, herbal whites that are ideal for summer sipping. They won’t overpower picnic food.  Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio or Pinot Blanc are fruitier but still light and perfect for a picnic. They are bright, acidic and loaded with crisp citrus fruit and minerality.

A dry Riesling with crisp acidity and light mineral flavours will pair well with spicier foods such as charcuterie.  Moscato d’Asti is a lightly fizzy white with apricot and almond flavours that will pair well with fruit and salads.

A freezer sleeve that slides over a standard 750 ml. bottle will keep your wine chilled.

Rosé or blush wines are versatile. They should also be served chilled the same as whites. These lightly acidic wines offer fruit flavours such as melon, strawberry and red fruit qualities that pair well with cheese and crackers, seafood, salads or cold chicken.

Light red wines with less alcohol, such as Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Beaujolais would be good choices for a picnic, particularly charcuterie and cold cuts. While these wines don’t need to be served chilled, they should not be overwarmed so transporting them in a cooler would be a good idea.  Set them out about 10 minutes before serving.

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