Results of the 2024 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)
Sparkling Wine
Category Overview by Judge Treve Ring
(Jump straight to the medal winners.)
While global wine consumption has dropped overall in the past two years, fresh, fun, food-friendly sparkling wine, save for pricey Champagne, has bubbled upwards. The sparkling category exploded during the pandemic (bubbles for troubles?), especially with accessible and affordable offerings. Global quality continues to rise, and we see it constantly with Canadian wines, and very clearly with NWAC24.
One Platinum, to Ontario’s classic Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Brut Rosé, was very closely followed by 14 Golds, split between BC and ON, and across various grapes and colours, though all traditional method. The balance between fruit and acidity was smartly handled in all (especially with Blanc de Noirs) and dosages in these wines were thankfully low. One of my favourites tasted throughout the week was from Nova Scotia’s Lightfoot & Wolfville 2018 Brut, standing out for its streaking, strident acidity and energy shaped by the Atlantic coast.
Overall there were nearly 100 medals awarded for sparkling wines this year, and I think that’s a very just result, considering the quality and diversity of style, place, and grape.
And the winners are…
Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Brut Rosé, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Huff Estates 2021 Cuvée Peter F. Huff, Prince Edward County, Ontario
La Frenz Winery 2020 Aster Estate Grown Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Lightning Rock 2021 Elysia Vineyard Blanc de Noirs, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Liquidity Wines N/V Reserve Sparkling Brut, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Marynissen Estates 2020 Blanc de Blancs, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Noble Ridge 2018 Noble Knights McEachnie Vintage Blanc de Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Noble Ridge 2019 The Pink One, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Queenston Mile Vineyard 2018 Blanc De Blanc, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Ravine Vineyard N/V Brut, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Redstone Winery 2022 Sparkling Rosé, Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Road 13 2019 Select Harvest Old Vines Sparkling Chenin Blanc, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Thirty Bench N/V Sparkling Riesling, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Township 7 2020 Seven Stars Polaris, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Two Sisters Vineyards 2021 Lush Sparkling Rosé, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
13th Street Winery 2018 Premier Cuvee, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
13th Street Winery N/V Blanc de Blanc, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
13th Street Winery N/V Cuvée Rosé, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Bench 1775 2020 Blanc de Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Blasted Church 2018 OMG, Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Blomidon N/V Cuvée L’Acadie, Nova Scotia
Corcelettes 2022 Methode Traditionelle , Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Creekside 2019 The Trad Queenston Vineyard Reserve, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Dirty Laundry 2019 Cellar Series Brut Rosé, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Henry of Pelham NV Cuvée Catharine Brut, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Jackson-Triggs Niagara 2017 Entourage Grand Reserve Brut, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Karlo Estates 2021 Bubble, Ontario
Kew Vineyards 2017 Blanc de Blancs, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Kew Vineyards 2018 Rosalie, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Kew Vineyards 2020 Blanc de Noirs , Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Lightfoot & Wolfville 2021 Brut Rosé, Nova Scotia
Lightfoot & Wolfville 2018 Brut, Nova Scotia
Monte Creek 2023 Living Land Sparkling Rosé, Thompson, British Columbia
Queenston Mile 2017 Grand Mile, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Stonebridge 2020 Blanc de Blanc Brut Nature, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tantalus Vineyards 2021 Blanc de Noir, East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tinhorn Creek 2019 Blanc de Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Township 7 2016 Infinite Sirius Langley Estate, Fraser Valley, British Columbia
Township 7 2020 Seven Stars Aurora Sparkling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Trius Winery N/V Showcase Blanc de Noirs, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Two Sisters Vineyards 2020 Oro, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Westcott N/V Brilliant Traditional Method Blanc de Noirs, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Black Hills N/V Brut, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Blomidon N/V Brut Réserve, Nova Scotia
Blomidon N/V Crémant, Nova Scotia
CedarCreek 2020 Aspect Rosé Sparkling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Chateau des Charmes 2017 Rosé Sparkling, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Church & State Wines 2019 Blanc de Gris Brut, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
De Simone Vineyards 2022 Bellissima Sparkling, Ontario
Divergence Wines 2021 Rosé Brut Hughes Vineyard, Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Fort Berens 2021 Blanc de Blanc Traditional Method, British Columbia
Frind 2021 Pinot Noir Brut
Gidda Family 2020 One Block Royale II Blanc de Blancs, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Grange of Prince Edward 2017 Lafontaine du Loup Rosé, Prince Edward County, Ontario
Henry of Pelham 2017 Cuvée Catharine Estate Blanc de Blancs Carte Blanche, Short Hills Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Henry of Pelham NV Sparkling, Ontario
Huff Estates 2021 Cuvee Janine Sparkling Rosé, Prince Edward County, Ontario
Inniskillin Okanagan 2020 Discovery Series Sparkling Tempranillo Rosé, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Lailey Winery 2022 Sparkling, Ontario
Lakeside Cellars 2020 Reserve Blanc de Noirs Testalinden Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Malivoire 2018 Bisous Blanc de Blanc, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Megalomaniac Wines N/V Bubblehead Rosé, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Monte Creek 2022 Living Land Sparkling, Thompson, British Columbia
North 42 Degrees 2023 Sparkling Brut Sauvignon Blanc, Ontario
Redstone Winery 2021 Blanc de Noirs Limestone Vineyard, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Redtail Vineyards 2023 Sparkling Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Rosehall Run 2019 Ceremony Blanc de Blancs Rosehall Run, Prince Edward County, Ontario
Stellers Jay Vineyards 2018 Mountain Jay Brut, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Stellers Jay Vineyards N/V Sparkling Rosé, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Stoneboat Vineyards N/V Bubble Boat , Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Stratus 2016 Blanc de Blancs, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Stratus 2023 Field Blend Ancestral Rosé, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Strewn N/V Sparkler Sparkling Riesling , Ontario
Tantalus Vineyards 2021 Blanc de Blancs, East Kelowna Slopes, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2016 Quarry Road Blanc de Blancs Spark, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Terravista Vineyards 2022 En Terre Sparkling Brut, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
The Foreign Affair 2022 Traditional, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Township 7 2021 Seven Stars Rigel Fools Gold Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Trius N/V Brut, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Vieni Estates 2022 Bollicine Rosé, Ontario
Vieni Estates 2023 Moscato, Ontario
Vieni Estates N/V Rosso, Ontario
Wayne Gretzky N/V Founders Series Brut, Ontario
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