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The final results from the 2012 Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards were released in Ottawa last week and the news for B.C.
wineries was very upbeat. The national wine magazine ranks the country's top wineries each year based on their performance at the competition and there was plenty to cheer about in the province.
Before we get to the local performances, I would congratulate Tawse Winery and winemaker Paul Pender for their remarkable achievement of being named the Canadian Winery of the Year for the third straight year. The Niagara-based producer is committed to the highest level of environmentally friendly grape growing on its estates, employing both organic and biodynamic principals to great effect. In previous years it was all about Riesling and Chardonnay but in 2012 they also struck gold for their Cabernet Franc and red blends, too. In all, Tawse Winery collected a stunning 32 medals from a notoriously stingy panel of judges.
Following Tawse Winery, British Columbia producers captured the next four top spots.
Second overall in the country were the wines of the very quiet and unassuming Randy Picton, winemaker at Nk'Mip Vineyards in Oliver. Picton captured a record four gold medals for Qwam Qwmt: 2010 Pinot Noir, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 Merlot, as well as his enticing red blend, the 2009 Mer'r'iym Meritage. Drawing upon a wealth of aging vineyards, Pic-ton has managed to finesse his wines to reveal a little more about the place and a little less about the grapes.
Third place went to Skaha-based Painted Rock for the second year in a row. The little winery with the picturesque vineyard continues to punch well above its weight, striking gold with its 2009 Syrah, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2009 Red Icon. Owner John Skinner and French consultant Alain Sutre are only just getting to know the property and all its quirks but their tenacity and commitment is paying off in the bottle.
Finishing fourth and no doubt raising a few eyebrows is the hard-charging Church and State Wines. After a disappointing start in the vineyard in Victoria and trying to make south Okanagan wines from afar, Church and State opened its Coyote Bowl premises on the Lower Black Sage Bench in Oliver and immediately struck gold at the competition. Showing plenty of versatility, Church and State grabbed gold for its 2010 Coyote Bowl Series Syrah, the 2008 Quintessential (red blend) and a very promising 2011 Viognier. Owner Kim Pullen has even bigger plans for the property that now boasts the finest pair of indoor and outdoor tasting bars in the valley.
A little further north and west across the valley along the Golden Mile Bench, Road 13 Vineyards settled into fifth place under the guidance of J.M. Bouchard. The former Ontario winemaker from Hidden Bench has settled into his role at Road 13 and set about fine-tuning the vineyards and wines of owners Mick and Pam Luckhurst. Bouchard struck gold for his 2010 Syrah, 2011 Jackpot Viognier-Rous-sanne-Marsanne and his beloved red blend 2010 Rockpile. So much has been accomplished here in such a short period it is easy to envision Road 13 will be moving up the Top 10 list in the coming years.
Another Niagara-based winery, Hidden Bench, as mentioned the former home of Road 13 winemaker Bouchard, finished sixth and grabbed three golds for its outstanding 2010 Rosomel Vineyard Riesling Roman's Block, the 2010 Riesling Felseck Vineyard and the 2010 Nuit Blanche Rosomel Vineyard (Bordeaux Blend). The good news is you can order Ontario wine online and have it shipped to your home.
Rounding out the B.C. producers in the Top 10 with two gold medals each are No. 7 CedarCreek Estate Winery, where winemaker Darryl Brooker is reaching new heights with his 2009 Platinum Meritage and 2010 Pinot Noir. At No. 8, and ecstatic about it, are Van Westen Vineyards owners Rob and Tammy Van Westen, whose Nara-mata Bench winery captured gold for their 2009 Voluptuous and 2011 Viog-nier. No. 9 is hardworking Grant Stanley and the Quails' Gate Estate Winery team, whose gold standards this year were the 2010 Chardonnay Stewart Family Reserve and Totally Botrytis Affected Optima.
No. 10 is former Okanagan winemaker and four-time Canadian Winery of the Year winner Bruce Nicholson, who is slowly transforming one of the country's original icon wineries, Inniskillin Niagara, from a respected icewine producer to an all-around performer.
Finally a big congratulations to Oliver's John and Maria Ferreira for winning perhaps the biggest prize of the year, Canada's Best Red Wine, for their Quinta Ferreira 2009 Syrah.
Full results will be in the December/January issue of Wine Access, on newsstands Dec. 1.
