Results from the 2026 Nationals – Other Single White Varieties

Announcing the Results from the 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada

The 2026 Nationals took place in Niagara, Ontario from June 12th to 18th. Today, we are pleased to announce the winners in the Other Single White and Red varieties as well as Gewürztraminer and Viognier categories. Category results will be rolling out throughout the rest of July, concluding with the Winery of the Year announcement on July 31st. We hope that you will stay tuned to follow the results!

Single White Varieties

Category Overview by Janet Dorozynksi, PhD, DipWSET

Go straight to the winners.

“Other” Single White Varieties: Canada’s Hidden Gems

The “Other” Single White Varieties category continues to be one of the most fascinating at the National Wine Awards of Canada, showcasing grapes outside the dedicated judging categories for Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier. This year, the category attracted 60 entries and yielded three Gold, 25 Silver, and 13 Bronze medals, resulting in an impressive 68.3% medal success rate. Representing 3.5% of all competition entries and accounting for 3.3% of all medals awarded, the category demonstrated remarkable consistency across a diverse range of varieties.

While no Platinum medals were awarded, the three Gold medal winners clearly illustrate the quality and potential of less common white varieties in Canada. Top honours went to a Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, and Albariño. The Grüner Veltliner and Albariño, both from British Columbia, are no strangers to success at the Nationals. What began as experimental plantings have now become firmly established in the Okanagan Valley, where the region’s warm growing conditions and ability to preserve aromatic character allow these varieties to flourish.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the category was the Gold medal awarded to a Chenin Blanc from Quebec newcomer Clos sans Frontières. This result highlights just how rapidly Quebec’s wine industry is evolving and its growing ability to produce ambitious, boundary-pushing wines. While Ontario and British Columbia continue to dominate most “Other” White Varieties categories, Quebec producers are increasingly demonstrating that they can craft nationally competitive wines from classic vinifera varieties. Chenin Blanc remains relatively uncommon in Canada, making this achievement even more noteworthy. It also suggests that adventurous growers are finding new opportunities in Quebec’s diverse cool climate wine growing areas.

The category featured entries and medal winners from across British Columbia and Ontario, underscoring the breadth of experimentation taking place in Canadian vineyards. Among the varieties represented were lesser-grown varieties such as Aligoté, Auxerrois, Kerner, Melon de Bourgogne, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, and Siegerrebe. Also noteworthy was the awarding of medals to hybrid PIWI varieties, Pilzwiderstandsfähige Reben, German for fungus-resistant varieties, including Sauvignon Rytos and Soreli from Niagara’s Al Borgo Winery. Still rare in Canada, these varieties reflect a growing interest in resilient and sustainable viticulture. Overall, the wines made from “other” white grapes offer distinctive, high-quality alternatives to more familiar varieties.

The strength of this category serves as a reminder that some of Canada’s most exciting wines are found beyond the familiar classics and from areas that showcase the diversity of expression and ambition of the Canadian wine industry.

Congratulations to all the medal winners.

And the winners are…