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F.A.Q.
Important Changes for 2026:
Non-Alcoholic Entries: There will be two new categories for non-alcoholic wines that must be made either wholly or partially from grapes and can include hybrids such as products made from grapes blended with other fruits. There will be no restrictions on how they are made (unfermented verjus, various methods of removing or lowering alcohol, partial ferments, etc.). If we receive enough submissions, we can categorize them by sparkling, white, pink, or red; otherwise, they will all be tasted together. We will, however, recognize two separate categories:
• Non-alcoholic wines with < 0.5% ABV
• Low alcohol wines with < 7.5% ABV
Reduced Minimum Annual Production: Due to weather damage in B.C. and NS vineyards in 2023 and 2024, we have set the minimum annual production required to enter at 420 bottles (750ml) or equivalent volume for sale commercially. This is down from the 900 bottles minimum from previous years. This will be last year before we return to the 900-bottle minimum.
Expanded Cider Categories: WineAlign announced a new partnership with Cider Canada last year to include expanded cider categories in the National Wine Awards of Canada. You can enter if you are a Canadian-based cidery that utilizes Canadian-grown apples and fruit. With increased submissions, we are bringing back the Best Cider of the Year award to be awarded for the highest-scoring cider. Read more here.
Library Wines: Last year, due to vineyard damage in B.C. and Nova Scotia, we added a new category for older vintages outside the years mandated for the current year’s awards. As longtime observers of Canadian wine, we know how well our best wines can age and we want to demonstrate that concept to consumers through a new Library Wines category. This category will not be used in the annual calculation for the Winery of the Year Award, but medals will be given and a Library Wine of the Year will be awarded. Read more here.
Replacement Wines: This will be the last year we ask judges to evaluate replacement wines, which can be any vintage-dated wines made in 2023 or 2024 that contain any percentage of imported grapes, must, or finished wine, bottled in Canada under local regulations permitting their use to replace winter-damage crop losses. The tasting results for these replacement wines will NOT be included in the competition among the 100 percent Canadian-grown and made wines at the 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada. The results for the replacement wines will be released separately later in August. Read more here.
Rules for Entry
The WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (NWAC) is open to all wines and ciders 100% grown, vinified and bottled in Canada. Wines do not require VQA certification. There is NO limit to the number of wines that any single winery may submit to the competition, but you may only enter the same wine once within the competition. The wine can be re-entered in subsequent competitions if it meets the criteria for that year’s entries.
Judging for the WineAlign 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada will take place June 14 to 18 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Who Can Enter
Canadian wineries, cideries, agents/distributors, or authorized winery representatives are eligible to enter.
Qualifications for Entry
All entries must:
(1) Be 100% grown, vinified, and bottled in Canada. Wines do not need VQA certification, but if there is any question about their origin, i.e. not being Canadian, the winery must produce evidence of the bottle’s provenance.
(2) Have a minimum production level is set at 420 bottles (750ml) or equivalent volume for sale commercially. Due to weather damage in B.C. and NS vineyards in 2023 and 2024, we have reduced the minimum annual production required to enter down from the 900 bottles previously required. We hope this change will encourage wineries whose production numbers have been impacted to still enter their wines in 2026. This is not a permanent change; production limits will be reassessed before the 2027 NWACs.
(3) All wines must be available for retail sale online, in stores, through restaurants or wine clubs in Canada during the 2026 calendar year or be scheduled for release by July 1, 2026.
(4) Have commercial labels; unlabelled ‘finished’ tank or barrel samples will be disqualified.
2026 Category Requirements
All the following categories must also meet the four qualifications for entry listed above.
Sparkling: All vintage-dated and non-vintage sparkling wines are admissible.
White Wine: All entries must bear a vintage date of 2025, 2024, or 2023 .
Red Wine: Must bear a vintage date of 2025, 2024, 2023, or 2022 .
Rosé Wine: Must bear a vintage date of 2025 or 2024 .
Orange Wine: Must bear a vintage date of 2025, 2024 or 2023 .
Late Harvest/Icewine: Must bear a vintage date of 2025, 2024, or 2023 .
Fruit Wines: Must be grown and bottled in 2026, 2025 or 2024 .
Ciders: must be produced in 2026 or 2025 .
NOTE: Inaugural Releases are still eligible for Winery of the Year Calculations
Any wine making its inaugural release after long-term pre-release aging is eligible, regardless of vintage, provided the inaugural release occurred on or after July 1, 2025, and it has not been entered in the National Wine Awards of Canada in any previous year. Note that any offer—whether directly from the winery, online to consumers or wine club members, retail, restaurants, consignment, direct delivery, or others—will be considered the wine’s official inaugural release into the marketplace. The re-release of any vintage is not regarded as an inaugural release.
Once a wine has its inaugural release, it is only eligible for entry in subsequent years if it meets the current vintage requirements specified for each category above.
For example, if you entered your 2020 or 2019 vintage, or an older year, in the 2025 competition, it no longer qualifies for Winery of the Year calculations because, in 2026, the oldest vintage you can re-enter for a red wine is 2022. Essentially, you only have one chance to enter your wine for Winery of the Year calculations if it falls outside of the ongoing yearly vintage requirements.
Cider Categories
(1) Heritage Cider (Traditional & Tannin-forward Ciders)
Description: This category honours ciders made using traditional cider apples, heirloom varieties, and old-world production techniques. These ciders often showcase structured tannins, depth, and complexity, staying true to historical cider-making traditions.
Examples: Keeved cider, English-style dry cider, tannic still cider
(2) Modern Cider (Contemporary & Sessionable Ciders)
Description: This category celebrates modern cider-making techniques and the use of culinary apples. These ciders tend to be clean, fruit-forward, and accessible, often designed for wide consumer appeal while maintaining craftsmanship.
Examples: Ontario off-dry cider, semi-sweet filtered cider
(3) Fruit, Botanical & Perry Cider
Description: Recognizing ciders that incorporate additional fruits, hops, herbs, spices, botanicals, or pears (perry). While these ciders introduce new ingredients, the apple or pear base should remain central to the profile.
Examples: Cranberry-spiced cider, rosé cider, hopped cider, perry
(4) Ice & Fortified Cider (Intensified & Dessert Ciders)
Description: Honouring excellence in the production of ice cider and fortified ciders. These ciders typically use freezing or alcohol fortification techniques to intensify sugars, flavours, and structure. Typically 9 – 13% ABV. Fortified >16%
Examples: Quebec-style ice cider, pommeau, barrel-aged ice cider, fire cider
(5) Barrel-Aged or Specialty Cider
Description: This category is for ciders aged in barrels (oak, whiskey, wine, etc.) or incorporating specialty techniques that don’t fit traditional categories.
Examples: Bourbon barrel-aged cider, cider-wine hybrid, dessert ciders with other flavours
Other Wine Categories (Not eligible for Winery of the Year)
Library Wines:
Due to the current wine shortage caused by vineyard damage in B.C. and Nova Scotia, we introduced a new category featuring older vintages last year. Library Wines will be judged according to the NWAC criteria for 100% Canadian-grown-and-made wines (see above). A Library Wine qualifies if it has a vintage date older than the current entry guidelines: whites and rosés must be from 2022 or earlier, and reds from 2021 or earlier. Please submit your Library Wines in either the Library Wine – White or Library Wine – Red category. This category will not be included in the annual calculation for the Winery of the Year Award, but medals will be awarded, along with a Library Wine of the Year.
Replacement Wines (Not eligible for NWAC):
This is open to any vintage-dated wines produced in 2023 or 2024 that contain any percentage of imported grapes, must, or wine, finished and bottled in Canada under local regulations, that were used to replace crop losses due to winter damage. Records must be available upon request. The tasting results of the Replacement Wines will be published separately after the regular NWAC announcements in July. We aim to evaluate replacement wines as a service to consumers encountering them on store shelves. WineAlign and Gismondi on Wine will report on the blind tasting of these wines later this summer. Please submit your replacement wines in a category starting with the word “Replacement.” The results of the replacement wine tasting will not influence the competition among wines that are 100% Canadian grown and made at the 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada.
The competition reserves the right to reclassify entries from one category to another category.
Cost of Entry
April 1 – 30: $160 per entry + HST
May 1 – 31: $165 per entry + HST
June 1 – 15: $170 per entry + HST
Payment can be made securely online by credit card through Stripe. Payment by eTransfer to [email protected] is also available.
At Least Three(3) Bottles Are Required
Registrants must ship three 750mL bottles or equivalent volume to facilitate multiple tasting rounds (e.g., six 375mL, six 330mL–500mL, or eight 250mL containers). Wineries sending cork-finished bottles should consider submitting four samples to minimise the risk of TCA contamination and ensure enough bottles for the final round. All wines sent are solely for judging at the National Wine Awards of Canada and will not be returned.
Important: Please write: NWAC26 + YOUR WINERY NAME on the sides of each package being shipped to us. Entries for other award competitions may arrive at the warehouse simultaneously, so you need identify the competition they are meant for.
Major Awards
Winery of the Year will be awarded to the top scoring winery in the competition. A minimum of five wines must be entered (not including Library or Replacement wines) to be eligible for this award. The final ranking is not based on total medals but rather a ‘performance score’ versus all other competitors five top-scoring entries (not including Icewine, Ice Cider, Replacement or Library wines).
Best Performing Small Winery award will go to the top scoring winery producing 10,000 cases of wine a year or less over the same period as the competition’s current year’s qualifying vintages. Five wines must be entered (not including Library or Replacement wines) to be eligible for this award. The final ranking is not based on total medals but rather a ‘performance score’ versus all other competitors five top-scoring entries (not including Icewine, Ice Cider, Replacement or Library wines).
Best Cider of the Year award will be given out to the top-scoring cider (not including Ice Cider) in the awards.
Best Icewine of the Year award will be given to the top-scoring Icewine in the competition.
Questions or comments? Contact us: [email protected]