Canada's best wines put to the test at national wine competition

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This past June, I was invited to help judge the 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada, presented by WineAlign, a Canadian online wine publication.

It was a full circle moment, as when I started my wine writing career in 2011, I worked in the background during the competition, inputting scores from some of Canada’s top wine experts. Now I was judging beside them. It was a thrill to talk wine with a crack team of tasters, including master sommeliers and masters of wine.

Over five days at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, I tasted 373 wines from across Canada. It was the 25th year for the wine competition, and the organizers have it down to a science. It was a slick process as panels of three or four judges blind-tasted and discussed the 1,700 or so sparkling, still, fruit and honey wines that were entered.

The results, which were revealed online from July 17 to Aug. 1, culminated with the announcement of Canada’s top winery. Mission Hill Estate Winery of West Kelowna claimed the prize for the sixth time. It also took the honour during the first awards, held in 2001.

Despite experiencing devastating weather events, including a 2024 freeze that destroyed almost the entire grape crop, wineries from the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys put in powerful performances, claiming the top four spots in the best winery competition. Besides Mission Hill at No. 1, Naramata’s Laughing Stock Vineyards was second, Meyer Family Vineyards from Okanagan Falls placed third and last year’s top winery, SpearHead, out of East Kelowna, finished fourth.

New this year was a library wines (older vintage) category that clearly showed Canadian wines can age very well. I was particularly impressed by the rieslings made by Synchromesh Winery in Okanagan Falls. Its library rieslings won seven gold medals, including four for the Black Label Storm Haven Vineyard riesling from the 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2017 vintages. I am told that the winery will be putting some library wines up for sale this fall, though wine club members will get first dibs. If you are interested, sign up for the winery’s newsletter as it will release updates there.

Here are a few other wines that impressed me and are usually available in Calgary. To see all the results from the competition, visit winealign.com/awards.

Spirit Hills Flower Winery

2024

Dande

Alberta

This creative honey winery located near Millarville won two medals, including the only gold in the mead/non-fruit category, for this tasty dandelion-flavoured honey wine.

If you think crouching in vineyards picking grapes sounds hard, try collecting the heads of dandelions. Every year, a team picks the flower heads from pastures around the winery. When the picking is done, they must pluck the petals from the heads. The petals, which are frozen so wine can be made all year, add a special touch to the wildflower honey wine that is also flavoured with rosehips and herbs.

Medium-bodied and medium-sweet, with a slightly viscous texture and moderate acidity, this wine delivers rounded flavours of nectarine, marmalade, orange, flint, ginger and spice.

Price: About $27. It is widely available at stores throughout Calgary.

Drink: Now. The winery suggests pairing it with chicken, white-fleshed fish, shrimp or curries. Cork; 13.5 per cent alc./vol.

Fielding Estate Winery

2023

Cabernet Franc

Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Beamsville Bench winery finished No. 3 among Ontario wineries and placed eighth overall in Canada at the National Wine Awards.

Run by Heidi and Curtis Fielding, this family winery has earned much recognition through the years, including in 2012 when Curtis was named Ontario’s wine grower of the year. The couple, who started the winery with Curtis’s parents, Ken and Marg Fielding, work with winemaker Richie Roberts to produce still and sparkling wines, plus ciders.

The 2023 cabermet franc, a platinum award winner, offers ripe flavours of plum, black cherry, strawberry, mocha, blackcurrant and pepper with ripe, plush tannins and a long finish. It’s a balanced and elegant wine.

Price: About $27. It has been sold at Co-op Wines Spirits Beer, Eastport Liquor Store, Highlander Wine and Spirits in Marda Loop, Sierra Springs Liquor Store and The Wine Shop.

Drink: In the next three years. Try it with smoked brisket, beef Bolognese or meatball pizza. Screw cap; 13.9 per cent alc./vol.

Meyer Family Vineyards

2022

McLean Creek Road Vineyard Chardonnay

Okanagan Falls, British Columbia

One of two platinum-winning wines for Meyer Family Vineyards, the McLean Road chardonnay comes from a steep, south-facing vineyard in the Okanagan Falls sub-geographical indication (the Canadian version of a sub-appellation).

Longtime Meyer winemaker Chris Carson employs as little intervention as possible, as he wants the different vineyard sites to speak through the wines. The wine was fermented at first in stainless steel before finishing in French oak barrels, with 22 per cent of them new. The wine stayed in the barrels with the lees (dead yeast cells) for 11 months before bottling.

This is an extremely lively chardonnay, with beautiful stone fruit and citrus flavours complemented by a creamy texture and refined oak notes. It’s dry, with great flavour intensity, uplifting acid and a long finish.

Price: About $42. Look for it at Bin 905, Highlander Wine and Spirits, International Liquor Store and Market Wines.

Drink: In the next five years. Roast chicken, shrimp linguini, crab or lobster would be terrific pairings. Screw cap; 13.5 per cent alc./vol.

Contact Darren Oleksyn at dm.oleksyn@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram or X. Looking for a specific product? Because inventories are always in flux, it’s a good idea to call a store to confirm they have it. A search on Liquorconnect.com can give you an idea of stores that have carried the products.