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The 2016 BC Best of Varietal awards have been handed out and this year saw a record 567 wines entered into the competition.
To launch the 22nd Spring Okanagan Wine Festival the event took place in Penticton and featured 24 different varietal categories. The judges narrowed the selection down to 122 finalists and then one overall winner was declared as best of the best in each category. Originally founded in 1994 as the “Winemaker’s Awards” with three red and three white wine categories, the competition has evolved significantly since that time with this year’s awards witnessing over a 200 per cent increase in entries over the past decade.
All licensed B.C. wines are eligible for the competition as long as they use 100 per cent fruit grown in the province. The Best of Varietal Wine Awards is managed under the professional eye of Marjorie King who has over 20 years of wine competition experience with the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society and other recognized wine competitions in Canada.
This year’s judging panel included:
James Addington – Food & Beverage Manager, Delta Grand Resort, Kelowna
Shelley Boettcher – freelance writer & editor, Calgary
Dennis Dwernychuk – Senior Product Consultant, BC Liquor Stores, Kelowna
Mark Filatow - Executive Chef and Owner, Waterfront Wines, Kelowna
Simon Gillett - Sommelier, Watermark Beach Resort, Osoyoos
Geoff Last – General Manager, Bin 905, Calgary
Martin Lewis – Co-owner, Bad Tattoo Brewing, Penticton
Jim Martin – Senior Product Consultant, Metro Liquor Group, Kelowna
Samantha Rahn – Sommelier, Araxi, Whistler
Audrey Surrao – Co-owner, RauDZ Regional Table, Kelowna
Mark Taylor – owner & Sommelier, Siena Restaurant, Vancouver
Troy Townsin – author & CBC Radio wine columnist, Victoria
Matt Wentzell – Sommelier, Kelowna
Alistair Veen - Sommelier, Chef, and Co-Owner, Tap Restaurant
Gloria Wheeler – Food & Beverage Manager, Hotel Eldorado, Kelowna
The 2016 winners of the British Columbia Best of Varietal Wine Awards are as follows:
Wine of the Year St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery – St. Hubertus Vineyard Riesling 2013
Best Cabernet Franc Tinhorn Creek Vineyards – Cabernet Franc 2013
Best Cabernet Sauvignon Black Sage Vineyard – Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Best Chardonnay CedarCreek Estate Winery – Estate Chardonnay 2014
Best Dessert Style Wine Golden Age Meadery – Hearth and Fire Mead
Best Gewürztraminer Wild Goose Vineyards – Mystic River Gewürztraminer 2015
Best Icewine Inniskillin Okanagan – Dark Horse Vineyard Riesling Icewine 2012
Best Merlot Tinhorn Creek Vineyards – Oldfield Series Merlot 2012
Best North American Hybrid Monte Creek Ranch Winery – Frontenac Gris 2015
Best Pinot Blanc Evolve Cellars – Pinot Blanc 2014
Best Pinot Gris Arrowleaf Cellars – Pinot Gris 2015
Best Pinot Noir Ciao Bella Winery – Pinot Nero 2014
Best Red Meritage Blend Cabernet Dominated Cassini Cellars – MAXIUMUX Collector’s Series 2012
Best Red Meritage Blend Merlot Dominated Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery – Obra Prima 2010
Best Red Blend Bordertown Vineyard & Estate Winery – Living Desert Red 2013
Best Single Red Variety “Other” Sandhill Vineyards Esate Wines – Small Lots Barbera Sandhill Estate Vineyard 2013
Best Single White Variety “Other” Township 7 Vineyards & Winery – Muscat 2015
Best Riesling St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery – St. Hubertus Vineyard Riesling 2013
Best Rosé Perseus Winery – Pinot Noir Rosé 2015
Best Sauvignon Blanc Therapy Vineyards – Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Best Sparkling Gray Monk Estate Winery – Odyssey Rosé Brut 2012
Best Syrah / Shiraz Bench 1775 – Syrah 2013
Best Syrah Based Blend CedarCreek Estate Winery – Senator’s Red 2013
Best Viognier Black Hills Estate Winery – Viognier 2014
Best White Blend Arrowleaf Cellars – Snow Tropics 2015
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