Spring has sprung over the last couple of weeks in Bloomfield, Prince Edward County, a sleepy corner of southeastern Ontario, just a couple of hours drive from Toronto.
This one-time fervently Loyalist enclave is home to a growing number of wineries. They enjoy a reputation for making excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir despite the challenging conditions presented by severe winters, where temperatures (this year as low as -35 C) require that the vines be buried to survive.
Hunkered down in the cosy confines of 100-year-old Angeline's hotel, 15 or so judges from across Canada and just below the line have come together to judge this year's All Canadian Wine Championships. These keenly anticipated awards attract wines and a few other elixirs of every kind from coast-to-coast and, yes, possibly even the other coast as well.
Competitions such as this have played a key role in the rapid growth of Canada's wine culture. Not only is it important for wineries to be able to measure their progress in terms of quality beside others but contests of this ilk also inspire the sharing of information and experiences that drives risk and innovation crucial the industry. However, there is also supreme irony at play: even though many of the judges from Ontario and other parts of eastern Canada are familiar with, and have even visited, the key players in the Okanagan, there are only a handful of these wines, if that, available
for purchase in Ontario. The reverse is also true. Part of that can be blamed on distance, although the problem has more to do with stubborn bureaucracy. Happily, thanks to the recent dismantling of some B.C. barriers, many West Coast wineries are only too happy to ship by the case for a relatively inexpensive charge.
With some 1,300 wines entered, this year's field is one of the largest to date. One of the biggest categories is Pinot Gris, with a disproportionate number of wines from B.C. that reflect the faddish and all-consuming shift from Chardonnay. Equally as intriguing this year is the growth in numbers and improvement in quality of fruit wines of every kind, again from almost every province. Sparkling wines also represent a significant contribution, again, with a variety of styles and methods. Rumour has it that there was also a strong field of Riesling, though as of yet I have not been lucky enough to taste a flight. While few would contest Niagara's supremacy in this variety, there is keen interest in the small group of emerging premium producers from British Columbia.
Cabernet Franc is the one variety (aside, obviously, from Chardonnay) that enjoys plenty of attention and wide success in both B.C. and Ontario, a result of its early ripening abilities.
As we go to press a matter of hours before the results are announced, I can't divulge who the key winners are. However, you can research the fruits of our labours in-depth at canadianwinetrail.com/cwt, with more to come at hiredbelly.com.
