Sunday, May 17, 2015

Big haul of gold for BC at the All Canadians



Photo: Wild Goose wins best white wine of the year 

Wild Goose Vineyards is marking its 25th anniversary in style: at the recent All Canadian Wine Championships, the winery’s 2013 Stoney Slope Riesling was acclaimed as the white wine of the year.

Wild Goose also won several other awards, one of several wineries setting a hot pace for an impressive showing by British Columbia wineries.

The BC wineries entered 711 wines and won 263 medals, of which just over 100 were gold medals.

Ontario wineries entered 475 wines and won 148 awards.

In total, 1,356 wines were entered from producers in every province except Manitoba. This is the 35st year for the All Canadians. Competition organizers initially were based in Windsor. Last year, the organizers moved to Prince Edward County in Eastern Ontario.

As a member of the judging panel, I was surprised that Ontario, which has more wineries than BC, entered significantly fewer wines – especially to a competition run in Ontario.

I would not be so arrogant as to suggest Ontario producers are afraid of the competition from BC. Trophies for the best red, the best sparkling wine and the best dessert wine all went to Ontario.

Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery had the top red, the 2012 Delaine Vineyard Syrah. Inniskillin Wines, also of Niagara, had the best dessert wine with a 2012 Riesling Icewine. Featherstone Estate Winery’s 2011 Joy was named best sparkling wine.

The trophy for the best fruit wine went to a winery in Auclair, Québec, Domain Acer, for a quite remarkable product called Val Ambré. The flavours recall first rate Marsala. It is a 16% aperitif based on maple syrup. Acer is Latin for maple and Vallier Robert, the owner of this winery, has described himself as the “ambassador of maple.”

It still puzzles me why so many fine Ontario wineries did not compete. Having said that, some leading BC wineries also did not compete. Why not? Well, when you have earned a big reputation, it is embarrassing to get bronze medals.

Having judged in many wine competitions since 1982 (including this one), I don’t think bronze medals should be regarded as embarrassing, if only because judges are less than infallible. I think the judges under-rated or over-rated a few wines at the All Canadians this year. It is not easy to be spot on with every wine when tasting 100 wines a day.

Still, any wine that wins an award has merit.

The complete results for the completion are posted on http://canadianwinetrail.com/cwt/.

Let me just focus on just the gold and double gold medals won by BC wineries. (Double gold means best of class.) I limit this to BC because most of the readers of this blog are BC wine consumers.

Gold for sparkling wine:

  • Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estates 2010 Grand Reserve Entourage
  • Intrigue Wines “I Do” Non Vintage

Chardonnay Unoaked:

  • Double Gold to Monster Vineyards Skinny Dip Chardonnay 2014
  • Gold to Dirty Laundry Vineyard Not So Naughty Chardonnay 2013

Chardonnay under $20:

  • Double Gold to Terrabella Wineries Screaming Frenzy Chardonnay 2013
  • Gold to Intrigue Wines Chardonnay 2014
  • Gold to Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2012

Chardonnay over $20:

  • Double Gold to Daydreamer Wines Marcus Ansems Chardonnay 2013

Gold to:

  • 8th Generation Chardonnay 2014
  • Dirty Laundry Naughty Chardonnay 2013
  • SpierHead Chardonnay 2013
  • Volcanic Hills Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay 2012

Riesling Dry:

  • Double Gold to Wild Goose Stoney Slope Riesling 2013

Gold to:

  • 8th Generation Riesling Classic 2014
  • CedarCreek Estate Riesling 2014
  • Red Rooster Winery Riesling 2013

Riesling Off Dry:

  • Double Gold to 8th Generation Riesling 2014
  • Gold to Arrowleaf Cellars Riesling 2014

Sauvignon Blanc:

  • Double Gold to Bench 1775 Sauvignon Blanc 2014
  • Gold to Gehringer Brothers Sauvignon Blanc 2014
  • Gold to Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Gewürztraminer:

  • Double Gold to Wild Goose Mystic River Gewürztraminer 2014

Gold to:
  • Arrowleaf Gewürztraminer 2014
  • CedarCreek Estate  Gewürztraminer 2014
  • Dirty Laundry Woo Woo Vines Gewürztraminer 2014

Pinot Gris:

  • Double Gold to 50th Parallel Pinot Gris 2014

Gold to:

  • Arrowleaf Pinot Gris 2014
  • Chaberton Reserve Pinot Gris 2013
  • Gray Monk Pinot Gris 2014
  • Intrigue Pinot Gris 2014
  • Wild Goose Pinot Gris 2014

Viognier:

  • Double Gold to Ruby Blues Viognier 2014
  • Gold to Lang Vineyards Viognier 2014
  • Gold to Red Rooster Reserve Viognier 2014

White hybrid blends:

  • Double Gold to Beaufort Vineyard Beaudacious 2014
  • Gold to Beaufort Epic 2014
  • Gold to Ovino Winery Pinot Tramino 2014

Other single white vinifera:

  • Double Gold to Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Chenin Blanc 2014

Gold to:

  • Gray Monk Pinot Blanc 2013
  • Moon Curser Arneis 2014
  • Skimmerhorn Winery Ortega 2014

White vinifera blends:

  • Double Gold to Church & State Lost Inhibitions White 2014

Gold to:

  • Deep Roots Winery Parentage White 2014
  • Kraze Legz Vineyard Skaha Vineyard Mystique 2014
  • Time Winery Sundial 2013

Rosé:

  • Double Gold to Unsworth Vineyards Rosé 2014

Gold to:

  • Arrowleaf First Crush Rosé 2014
  • Gray Monk Rotberger Rosé 2014
  • Hillside Rosé 2014
  • St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Estate Frizzanté Rosé 2014

Cabernet Sauvignon under $25:

  • Double Gold to Backyard Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
  • Gold to Sumac Ridge Black Sage Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Cabernet Sauvignon over $25:

  • Double Gold to Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
  • Gold to Cassini Cellars Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
  • Gold to Cassini Cellars Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Merlot under $25:

Gold to:

  • Blasted Church Merlot 2012
  • Castoro de Oro Merlot 2012
  • Ganton & Larson Prospect Winery Major Allen Merlot 2013
  • Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Merlot 2012

Merlot over $25:

  • Gold to CedarCreek Desert Ridge Vineyard Platinum Merlot 2012

Pinot Noir under $25:

  • Double Gold to Dirty Laundry Pinot Noir 2013

Gold to:

  • Cana Vines Winery Bouquet NV
  • Cassini Cellars Red Carpet Pinot Noir 2013
  • EauVivre Winery Pinot Noir 2013
  • See Ya Later Ranch Pinot Noir 2012

Pinot Noir over $25:

  • Double Gold to Privato Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012
  • Gold to Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2013

Cabernet Franc under $25:

  • Gold to Volcanic Hills Vineyard Cabernet France 2011

Cabernet Franc over $25:

  • Double Gold to Cassini Cellars Collector Series Cabernet Franc 2012
  • Gold to Hillside Cabernet Franc 2011
  • Gold to River Stone Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2013

Bordeaux Blends under $25:

  • Double Gold to River Stone Estate Winery Stone’s Throw 2012
  • Gold to CedarCreek Estate Merlot Cabernet 2012
  • Gold to Lake Breeze Vineyards Meritage 2012
  • Gold to Time Estate Winery McWatters Collection Meritage 2012

Bordeaux Blends over $25:

  • Double Gold to Church & State Quintessential 2011
  • Gold to Cassini Cellars Maximus 2012
  • Gold to Church & State Quintessential 2010
  • Gold to Orofino Winery Beleza 2012

Syrah under $25:

  • Gold to Desert Hills Syrah 2010

Syrah over $25:

  • Gold to Black Hills Syrah 2012
  • Gold to CC Jentsch Cellars Syrah 2013
  • Gold to Dirty Laundry Kay Syrah 2013

Maréchal Foch:

  • Double Gold to Niche Wine Co. Black Sheep Release Maréchal Foch 2012

Other Single Red Hybrids:

  • Gold to Enrico Winery Cabernet Foch 2012

Red Hybrid Blends:

  • Double Gold to Skimmerhorn Winery Devil’s Chair 2013
  • Gold to Beaufort Vineyard Nouveau 2014
  • Gold to Monte Creek Ranch Hands Up Red 2013

Other Single Red Vinifera:

  • Double Gold to Deep Roots Gamay 2014
  • Gold to Blasted Church Holy Moly 012
  • Gold to Church & State Coyote Bowl Malbec 2012

Other Red Vinifera Blends:

  • Double Gold to Moon Curser Dead of Night 2012

Gold to:

  • Cassini Cellars Quattro 2012
  • Nk’Mip Cellars Talon 2013
  • See Ya Later Ranch Major’s Block Red 2012
  • Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cabernets 2012

Soft Fruit Dry:

  • Double Gold to Silverside Farm and Winery Tayberry Wine 2014
  • Gold to Silverside Farm and Winery Wild Raspberry 2014

Soft Fruit Dessert:

  • Gold to Krause Berry Farms Eureka N/V

Tree Fruit Dry:

  • Gold to Blue Moon Estate Winery Phoenix 2014

Fruit Sparkling:

  • Double Gold to Krause Berry Farms Sparkling Raspberry N/V

Late Harvest Wines:

  • Gold to Wild Goose Botrytis-Affected Riesling 2013

Riesling Icewine:

  • Gold to Gehringer Brothers Signature Riesling Icewine 2013
  • Gold to Inniskillin Okanagan Riesling Icewine 2012

Other Icewines:

  • Double Gold to Lulu Island Winery Riesling Chardonnay Icewine 2013

Red Icewine:

  • Double Gold to Inniskillin Okanagan Discovery Series Tempranillo Icewine 2012

Grape Fortifieds and other Dessert:

  • Double Gold to Maverick Estate Winery Sofia 2012
  • Gold to Adega on 45th Estate Winery Portao di Adega N/V











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