Results from the 2025 Nationals – Malbec

Announcing the Results from the 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada

The 2025 Nationals took place in Penticton from June 21st to 25th. Today, we are pleased to announce the winners in the Other Single Red Varieties, Other Single White Varieties, Gewüztraminer, Viognier, and Malbec categories. Category results will be rolling out throughout the rest of July, concluding with the Winery of the Year announcement on August 1st. We hope that you will stay tuned to follow the results!

Malbec

Category Overview by Judge DJ Kearney

Go straight to the winners.

Though a relatively minor grape in Canada, malbec is a dependable blending partner while also making stunning stand alone wines. This French thoroughbred originates in the southwest region of Cahors in the Valley of the Lot River, where it is known as Cot, and has two obscure parent grapes: Magdeleine Noire des Charentes (also the mother of merlot), and Prunelard. There exist about 111,000 acres of malbec around the globe with most now in Argentina, the rest is scattered over Bordeaux, France’s Southwest, Chile, Australia, Washington State and California. Many countries are planting more malbec in the face of climate warming, even Bordeaux. Thriving in well-drained sandy or gravelly soils and far preferring hot, dry and sunny climes (malbec is notoriously prone to disease in moist weather), it’s not a surprise that 150 acres grow in BC’s southern interior (1.18% of all vines). Wines from these immaculately ripe grapes display violet perfume, ravishing red, black and blue fruit, herbal flair, and richness of body like few BC reds possess.

Sixteen malbecs were entered in the 2025 Awards, and a vast proportion of them (13) of them medalled, which speaks volumes about quality. Blind tasting the flights was an exercise in parsing degrees of flamboyance, especially amongst the five gold (yes, five) winners. Like the best of Argentina, the top BC malbecs were not just showy but mineral-laden too, with graphite notes and a spray of orange oil. Many were generously oaked, a few lithe and lighter, but all had massive personality, remarkable fruit generosity and terroir voice.

And the winners are…