Results of the 2023 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)

The most awarded category because everything happens for a Riesling

Category Overview by Judge Michael Godel

(Jump straight to the medal winners.)

The National Wine Awards of Canada’s mega-frame computer is responsible for taking judges’ data and pumping out results. It does not lie and no matter how anyone feels about the idea of picking one grape variety as Canada’s signature, well the facts are the facts. Riesling is Canada’s finest.

Consider the numbers. Five Platinum medals represent 26 percent of the total, 24 Golds amounts to 9 percent and 91 medals accounts for 7.5 percent of all medals awarded. Of the 119 riesling entries, 76 percent are medallists, a quarter of them at Platinum or Gold. The numbers for chardonnay and cabernet franc pale in comparison and only syrah fares as well. That said, due to recent extreme climate events the Okanagan Valley’s syrah vines suffered greatly and future competitions will surely see a decline in entries. Empathy aside, riesling numbers speak for themselves and are not merely impressive. They are commanding.

The breakdown is 51 medals for Ontario and 41 from British Columbia. Five Platinum wines, four from Ontario and all five crafted by well-established, recognizable riesling experts. Even the Gold medals are awarded to a who’s who of known riesling producers. Look into the Silver and Bronze levels and this is where the up and comers show their mettle, which can only speak to a varietal future where more and more Canadian wineries will see that keeping riesling on their minds will ensure the grape remains at the top where it belongs. The challenge is to translate this success into sales, to educate consumers on the merits of a grape so well suited to Canadian climates and soils.

Everything happens for a riesling here in Canada because the grape survives, thrives and wins. Riesling can be light, bright and refreshing but it can also be complex, fascinating and long-lived. Considering how hard it can be to sell there is little doubt that winemakers are unwavering in their commitment towards making great wines. The proof is in the results laid plain to see at this year’s NWACs.

CedarCreek 2021 Aspect Collection Block 3 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2020 Carly’s Block Riesling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tawse 2020 Tawse Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Thirty Bench 2020 Small Lot Riesling Wood Post Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Two Sisters Vineyards 2020 Riesling, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

13th Street Winery 2022 Expression Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Bella Terra Vineyards 2020 Wild Ferment Riesling , Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
CedarCreek 2022 Estate Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Dirty Laundry 2022 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Hidden Bench 2020 Riesling, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Huff Estates 2022 Day Tripping Riesling, Ontario
Inniskillin Niagara 2022 Reserve Riesling , Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Lighthall 2022 Riesling, Prince Edward County, Ontario
Megalomaniac 2021 Narcissist Riesling, Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Mission Hill 2022 Reserve Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Niagara College Teaching Winery 2022 Dean’s List Riesling, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Orofino 2022 Old Vines Riesling Home Vineyard, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Peak Cellars 2021 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Peller Estates Niagara 2021 Andrew Peller Signature Series Riesling, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Redstone Winery 2021 Dry Riesling Limestone Vineyard- South, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Rosehall Run 2022 Riesling Righteous Dude Nedelko Vineyard, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tantalus Vineyards 2022 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2020 Quarry Road Riesling, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tawse 2021 Sketches Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
The Foreign Affair 2022 Sussreserve Riesling, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Thirty Bench 2020 Small Lot Riesling Wild Cask, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Township 7 Benchmark Series 2020 Riesling Fool’s Gold Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Van Westen 2021 Viscous, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Vineland Estates 2021 Elevation St Urban Riesling  , Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

50th Parallel 2022 Riesling , Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Avondale Sky 2021 Select Small Lot Riesling Warner Vineyard, Nova Scotia
Charles Baker 2020 Riesling Picone Vineyard, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Cooper’s Hawk 2021 Riesling, Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario
CREW 2020 Riesling, Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario
De Simone 2020 Riesling, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Flat Rock Cellars 2020 Riesling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fogolar Wines 2021 Grimsby Hillside Riesling, Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fogolar Wines 2021 Hanck Vineyard Riesling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fort Berens 2021 Riesling Reserve, Lillooet, British Columbia
Fort Berens 2022 Small Lot Dry Riesling, British Columbia
Four Shadows Winery 2022 Riesling Dry, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Inniskillin 2022 Susse Reserve Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Magnotta 2020 Riesling Venture Series , Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Mayhem 2022 Riesling Garagan Vineyard, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Monte Creek 2021 Living Land Riesling , British Columbia
Moraine 2022 Reserve Riesling Anastasia Vineyard, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nk’Mip Cellars 2022 Qwam Qwmt Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Orofino 2022 Hendsbee Vineyard Clone 239 Riesling, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Quails’ Gate 2022 Clone 49 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Ravine Vineyard 2021 Patricia’s Block Riesling , St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Sandbanks Winery 2021 Riesling Reserve, Ontario
Tawse 2021 Limestone Ridge Riesling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
The Foreign Affair 2022 Riesling Appassimento, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
The Gallery Winery 2022 Between Friends Riesling, British Columbia
Thirty Bench 2020 Small Lot Riesling Triangle Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Thirty Bench 2021 Small Lot Riesling  Steel Post Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Three Dog Winery 2022 Foxcroft Riesling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Upper Bench 2022 Riesling, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Vieni Estates 2019 Riesling, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Wayne Gretzky 2022 Founders Series Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Wild Goose Winery 2022 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Wild Goose Winery 2022 Stoney Slope Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Arrowleaf 2022 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Blasted Church 2022 Small Blessings Riesling, Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Canter Cellars 2021 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
CedarCreek 2022 Platinum South Kelowna Slopes Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Dark Horse 2019 Stirling Gait Riesling, Ontario
Domaine de Grand Pré 2022 Vintner’s Reserve Riesling, Nova Scotia
Fielding 2020 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fielding 2022 Riesling Estate Bottled, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fielding 2022 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fogolar Wines 2021 Hughes Vineyard Riesling, Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fort Berens 2021 Small Lot Dry Riesling, Lillooet, British Columbia
Fort Berens 2022 Riesling, British Columbia
Four Shadows Winery 2022 Riesling Classic, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Hello Someday Wine 2021 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Intrigue Wines 2022 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Kitsch Wines 2020 Esther’s Block Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Lunessence 2022 ESV Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mission Hill 2022 Terroir Collection Fritzi’s Vineyard Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Moraine 2021 Reserve Riesling, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Orofino 2022 Hendsbee Vineyard Clone 21B Riesling, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Peak Cellars 2021 Terraces Dry Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Quails’ Gate 2021 Clone 49 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Quails’ Gate 2022 Dry Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Ravine Vineyard 2022 Small Batch Riesling, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Riverview Cellars 2020 Riesling, Niagara River, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
SpearHead 2022 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tightrope 2022 Riesling Fleet Road Vineyard, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Trius 2021 Showcase Riesling  Ghost Creek Vineyard, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Vieni Estates 2021 Riesling, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

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