Top Canadian Fruit Wines, Iced Apple Wines, Fortifieds and Meads

(57 entries, 39 medals)

The above categories were judged separately, including flights of dry and sweet fruit wines, but are grouped here for reporting purposes. The Wine Access 2011 Canadian Wine Annual lists 94 fruit wine, cider and mead producers across the country, and these awards are a prime opportunity for them to get noticed in a very difficult and competitive marketplace. And the judges were anxious to judge them (we had to turn down volunteers for the mead panels). “Many fruit wines showed clean and original fruit expression; they are diverse styles, but generally well done,” said Calgary’s Tom Firth. "All good wines in this (iced apple) flight — first time I’ve said that today,” said New Brunswick’s Craig Pinhey, echoed by Tony Aspler, who called the iced apple flight “very impressive; really well-made wines.”

Iced Apple

CWA Silver Medal Winners

Domaine Pinnacle 2009 Sparkling Ice Cider, Quebec $29

Domaine Pinnacle NV Selections Pinnacle, Reflet d'Hiver, Quebec $20

Clos St-Denis 2008 Original Pomme de glace, Quebec $25

Domaine Pinnacle 2008 Signature Ice Cider, Quebec $38

CWA Bronze Medal Winners

Forbidden Fruit 2010 Pomme Desiree Iced Apple, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia $30

Domaine Pinnacle 2008 Ice Cider, Quebec $25

Fruit Wines

CWA Silver Medal Winners

Rustic Roots 2009 Santa Rosa, Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia $29

Forbidden Fruit 2010 Caught Apricot Mistelle, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia $27

Southbrook NV Canadian Cassis, Ontario $17

Muskoka Lakes 2010 Cranberry Blueberry, Ontario $17

Rossignol NV Wild Rose Liqueur, Prince Edward Island $42

Magnetic Hill 2010 Chocolate River Spiced Fruit, New Brunswick $15

CWA Bronze Medal Winners

Muskoka Lakes 2010 Georgian Bay Rosé, Ontario $17

Rustic Roots 2008 Mulberry Pear, Cawston, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia $29

Muskoka Lakes 2009 Red Maple, Ontario $19

Hernder NV Rhubarb, Ontario $11

Caroline Cellars NV Winter Harvest Cranberry, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $23

Muskoka Lakes 2009 Cranberry, Ontario $15

Living Sky 2011 Currant, Saskatchewan $18

Forbidden Fruit 2010 Adam's Apple, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia $18

Cypress Hills 2010 Spring, Saskatchewan $19

Belliveau Orchard 2010 Poire, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia $13

Sanduz NV Raspberry Dessert Wine, Fraser Valley, British Columbia $20

Sanduz NV Raspberry, Fraser Valley, British Columbia $15

Cypress Hills 2010 Black Currant & Honey, Saskatchewan $19

Winegarden 2010 Rubina Blueberry Wine, New Brunswick $11

Sanduz NV Black Currant, Fraser Valley, British Columbia $15

Living Sky Winery 2011 Cherry, Saskatchewan $18

Forbidden Fruit 2010 Pearsuasion, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia $18

Southbrook NV Canadian Framboise, Ontario $16

Fortified

CWA Silver Medal Winners

Gaspereau Vineyards NV Reserve Port, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia $20

Hernder Estate Wines NV Caluroso, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $25

CWA Bronze Medal Winners

Sanduz NV Jaguar, British Columbia $35

Mead and Other Non-Fruit Based Wines

CWA Silver Medal Winners

Rossignol NV Blackberry Mead, Prince Edward Island $20

CWA Bronze Medal Winners

Rosewood 2008 Mead Royale, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $18

Meadow Vista 2010 Mabon, Westbank South, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $24

Rosewood 2007 Mon Cherie, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $11

Meadow Vista 2010 Cloud Horse, Westbank South, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $24