Niagara College Teaching Winery has stellar year for medal winning

Niagara College’s Teaching Winery has proven yet again this school year their students can hold their own up against professional winemakers from across the country.

The Teaching Winery copped nine separate medals at a provincial and a national competition in the month of June alone.

At the Ontario Wine Awards, the students won two silver and a bronze and followed that with two gold, three silver and a bronze at the National Wine Awards of Canada, June 19 to 23, in Niagara Falls.

“Being recognized with these kinds of awards demonstrates the high quality of applied learning students get at Niagara College,” said Steve Gill, Niagara College’s general manager of Learning Enterprises.

“Our on-campus Teaching Winery and on-campus vineyards are second to none, and they provide an exceptional way for students to gain the skills they need to succeed in the industry.”

At the Ontario Wine Awards alone, 74 wineries from Niagara, Prince Edward County and southwest Ontario entered 600 wines in the competition – the most ever in a single year.

“I’m happy to see that we took awards across a wide variety of categories in the Ontario Wine Awards and WineAlign National Wine Awards,” said College winemaker and instructor Gavin Robertson. “Winning medals for sparkling, aromatic whites, barrel-fermented whites, light and heavier bodied reds, dessert wines and both single varietal wines and blends demonstrate an excellence in winemaking in diverse styles.

The College Teaching Winery’s awards include:

• Silver for Balance Dry Riesling 2020 (Quench Magazine Riesling Dry Award);
• Silver for Dean’s List Viognier 2020 (Dry White Varietals Award); and
• Bronze for Balance Gamay Noir 2018 (George Brown Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts Gamay Award).

The Teaching Winery’s success at the provincial level was quickly followed up by more accolades from the judges of the 21st annual WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada.

Of the 1,890 wines and ciders entered, Niagara College’s 2020 Dean’s List Cabernet Sauvignon and 2020 Les Marmitons Chardonnay were each awarded gold medals, while the 2020 Dean’s List Merlot, 2020 Dean’s List Meritage and 2020 Balance Dry Riesling were each awarded a silver medal. The NV Balance Brut earned a bronze.

“The 2020 Marmitons Chardonnay and all three Dean’s List reds that won are new releases, just bottled this spring after careful barrel-aging and blending in the cellar,” said Robertson.

“They’re young but showing well now and will only improve with time in bottle. The Balance Brut and 2020 Dry Riesling have really shown themselves to shine in competition this season, winning at multiple competitions.”