Top Canadian Pinot Blancs

(14 entries, 8 medals)

Pinot blanc is a small, but significant category for British Columbia, which had the lion’s share of entries and medals. This grape responds well in the Okanagan’s warm, dry season, which punches up the fruit quotient in what can often be a rather neutral white wine. Certainly the top-scoring wineries frequently win medals, with a special nod to Lake Breeze which has made pinot blanc a signature. In Ontario, pinot blanc is a relative rarity; Strewn and Konzelmann — neighbours in the Niagara Lakeshore appellation — are locally known as consistently reliable producers.

Pinot Blanc CWA Silver Medal Winners

Sandhill 2010 Sandhill Estate Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $17

Lake Breeze 2010 Pinot Blanc, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $18

Pinot Blanc CWA Bronze Medal Winners

Wild Goose 2010 Mystic River Pinot Blanc, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $19

Peller Estates Okanagan 2010 Family Series Pinot Blanc, British Columbia $13

Strewn 2010 Pinot Blanc, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $14

Konzelmann 2009 Pinot Blanc, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario $11

Mission Hill 2010 Five Vineyards Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $14

Kraze Legz 2010 The Bee's Knees Pinot Blanc, Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia $23