N.B.'s Belliveau Orchard Wins double gold
Published Friday May 22nd, 2009
Results were announced this week from the 29th edition of the All Canadian Wine Championships (ACWC), Canada's longest running national wine competition, held each year in the warm terroir of Windsor, Ont. Judged by a group of three dozen wine professionals, including sommeliers, Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) Product Consultants and restaurateurs, the event had more than 1,000 entries this year from a total of 173 wineries. It was a good cross section of the more than 390 wineries in Canada.
The big trophies were spread almost across the country. Best red was a 2006 Quintessential, a powerful red Meritage (Bordeaux-blend) from British Columbia's Church and State Wines. Best white was Lang Vineyards' 2007 Riesling Farm Reserve, from the Naramata Bench, also in B.C. The top sparkler was Peller Estates Ice Cuvee Rose, from Ontario, and the winning dessert wine was a 2007 Ice Wine from Pentage Winery, in B.C. Quebec got in on the act with the winning fruit wine, Frimas Ice Cider from La Face Cache de la Pomme. I urge you to ask NB Liquor to sell these wines, as well as a good selection of the other top finishers at this competition.
In addition to the trophies, there are many medals awarded in various categories. The highest scoring wine in each category wins double gold, but after that there can be several golds, silvers and bronzes in each category, depending on the number of entries and the quality.
As in previous years, Atlantic Canada fared quite well. This year, for the first time that I know of, a New Brunswick winery won a double gold. Belliveau Orchards had the top scoring wine in the Tree Fruit, Dry category with its 2007 Poire/Pear wine, a dry table wine at around 11 per cent alcohol that smells and tastes distinctly of ripe pears ($12.99 at NB Liquor, and also available at the orchard's winery store). While I enjoy their Poire, I'm a bigger fan of their Pre D'En Haut sparkling apple wine ($12.99 at NB Liquor), a delicate, low alcohol (10 per cent) sparkler that also won a medal, a Silver in the "Fruit, Sparkling" category.
Nova Scotia should be very proud of its wineries this year, having won six double gold, three gold, eight silver and 11 bronze. Jost was the biggest winner, followed by its sister winery, Gaspereau Vineyards. Most notable were Jost's double gold medals. It won for its 2007 Valley Road Marechal Foch, a category in which it also won gold for its 2007 Cote St. George Foch (from a single vineyard near Antigonish) and bronze for its regular 2007 Foch. This last wine is at NB Liquor for $11.29; it may be the previous vintage, but don't worry, the 2006 won a gold last year. Jost also won best of category for its 2005 Baco Noir, beating out long time favourite Henry of Pelham from Ontario, and for its 2008 Habitant Blanc in White Hybrid Blends. Gaspereau won a double gold for its 2007 Barrel Select Lucie Kuhlmann, and its well balanced dry red blend called Vitis. I'd love to see these premium Atlantic reds sold in New Brunswick.
L'Acadie Vineyards, a specialist in traditional method sparkling wines and premium wines made from dried grapes, won double gold for its 2008 L'Acadie Soleil, an intense dessert white made from dried L'Acadie grapes. It also won a silver for its dry, leesy but still quite fruity 2006 Traditional Method Brut, made from L'Acadie grapes. It can be purchased for about $40 at its Gaspereau Valley winery, and at selected other locations in Nova Scotia. Both Jost and Gaspereau won bronze medals for their sparklers.
Jost's other medals included: Silver for 2006 Trilogy red blend, silver for 2007 Cote St. George L'Acadie Blanc, bronze for 2008 Valley Road L'Acadie Blanc, silver for 2007 Eagle Tree Muscat (one of my favourite Atlantic wines, for which I have been lobbying for a listing in New Brunswick for years), silver for 2007 L'Acadie Chardonnay (available here for $9.74, but watch the vintage), bronze for 2008 L'Acadie Pinot Grigio and for its Non Vintage "Chablis Blanc de Blanc." Not a Chablis, or even like a Chablis, this off-dry aromatic wine is available in bulk here for $11.79/litre.
Gaspereau also won silver for its 2007 Castel (a fruity red) and crisp and citrussy 2008 Seyval Blanc, and bronze for its Maple wine.
Blomidon Estates, near Canning, N.S., scored a major coups by winning the first medal for 100 per cent Nova Scotia Chardonnay: a bronze for the 2007 Chardonnay Reserve in the "Chardonnay under $20" category. Winemaker Bruce Ewert, who also makes wine at his own L'Acadie Vineyards, must be proud.
Meanwhile the Annapolis Valley's Domaine de Grand Pre did not come home empty handed. It won gold for its No. 41 Fortified white, in the "Grape Fortifieds and Other Desserts" category, silver for its Non Vintage Cabernet Foch (a new cross that could prove to be an important grape for Atlantic Canada), silver for the 2008 vintage of its always succulent Muscat Icewine, and bronze for its 2007 Vintner's Reserve Foch.
Although most of the medal winners from Ontario, B.C., Nova Scotia and Quebec cannot be purchased at NB Liquor, there are a few winning wines available (look closely at vintages.) Quite often NB Liquor is behind the rest of the country, selling 2005 or 2006 when Ontario and B.C. are drinking 2007 and 2008. We do get the Proprietor's Reserve VQA wines from Jackson Triggs Okanagan Estate in B.C., including the medal winning Sauvignon Blanc. We definitely have the silver medal winning 2007 Pelee Island reserve Pinot Noir, one of my favourite wines at NB Liquor right now. We also get the 2006 vintage of Wayne Gretzky Estate Wines Cabernet Merlot, and the 2007 Chardonnay. They won a gold in "Meritage under $20" and a silver for their Chardonnay. To see all the medal winners, go to canadianwinetrail.com.
This has been a great year for the always improving Canadian wine scene, and Atlantic wine in particular. For more in-depth knowledge on Canadian wine, pick up a copy of the 2009 Canadian Wine Annual published by Wine Access. I write the Atlantic section. It is the most up to date resource for lovers of Canadian wine. It includes wine country travel recommendations, maps, and profiles of every winery, with editor's picks. It is $10, plus HST and you can buy it from wineaccess.ca or at selected news-stands. No, I don't get royalties, but I do think you should learn more about our own wines.
Craig Pinhey is a writer and Sommelier, available for private tastings. Visit him at www.frogspad.ca.
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