Winners of the ARTEVÏNO 2009 Wine Awards

In it’s short history of winemaking, and even shorter history as an official VQA-approved wine growing region (since June of 2007), Ontario’s Prince Edward County has amply established it’s suitability to making fine wines. It’s certainly heroic viticulture in the sense of the incredible amount of work required in the vineyards and the considerable risks of cold winters and too-cool summers, but when everything lines up – the right sites, grape varieties, winemaking know-how and a little help from mother nature - the region has the potential to produce some of Canada’s most exciting, wine-lover’s wines. PEC will never make big, blockbuster styles of wines, but who cares. The world has more than enough of those. What we do need more of are the finely etched, delicate, naturally low alcohol and crisply acidic, mineral-tinged wines that gets wine aficionados really excited. And that’s just what PEC is capable of. If you haven’t yet tried any “County” wines, now’s your chance. To make it easy, all you need do is source one of the wines listed here.

Below you’ll find the complete list of winners of the fifth annual 2009 ARTEVÏNO Wine Awards, restricted to wines made by wineries in Prince Edward County or Northumberland region, whether from grapes grown in the region or elsewhere in Ontario. This year 45 wines won awards, 32 of them made with 100% regionally grown grapes.

From the press release:

On August 24, 2009 a panel of six judges led by David Lawrason, co-founder of the Canadian Wine Awards and wine columnist for Toronto Life, gathered at Capers Wine Bar and Brasserie in Belleville to blind taste more than 75 entries from 19 Prince Edward and Northumberland County wineries. Others on the panel included Michael Pinkus, Ontario Wine Review, Billy Munnelly of Billy’s Best Bottles, Rod Phillips, Ottawa Citizen, Shari Darling, Peterborough Examiner and Chris Waters, editor, Vines Magazine and national wine columnist for the Sun newspaper. The judging was organized by Sadie Darby of the Wine Writers Circle.

“With 19 wineries entering the competition and such a large proportion of the wines being locally grown, it is clear that Prince Edward County has arrived.” said Mr. Lawrason. “And all the buzz we are hearing about the growth of the local wine industry is being proven out by what’s in the bottle. A distinctive County style is emerging with light, fragrant and fresh wines based on the County’s unique limestone soil”

Wines were entered in eight categories and the results are as follows:

TOP SCORING COUNTY WINE
The Grange of Prince Edward 2007 Cabernet Franc

Jonathan Welsh Award – Winery of the Year
(based on highest medal count as a percentage of number of wines entered)
Rosehall Run Vineyards

Dry Unoaked White
Silver – Sandbanks Estate Waves 2008 Chardonnay
Silver - Huff Estates 2008 Pinot Gris
Bronze - The Grange of Prince Edward Trumpour’s Mill 2007 Chardonnay
Bronze – Karlo Estates 2008 Pinot Gris 2008
TOP COUNTY WINE – HUFF ESTATE 2008 PINOT GRIS

Oaked Whites
Gold – Black Prince 2007 Chardonnay Reserve
Silver – Huff Estates 2007 South Bay Chardonnay
Bronze – Rosehall Run 2007 Chardonnay Rosehall Vineyard
Bronze – Rosehall Run 2008 Chardonnay Sur Lie
Bronze – Fieldstone Vineyards 2007 Chardonnay Barrel Fermented
Bronze – Rosehall Run 2007 Chardonnay Cuvee County
Bronze - Oak Heights Estate 2007 Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2007
TOP COUNTY WINE - Black Prince 2007 Chardonnay Reserve

Aromatic White
Gold – Rosehall Run 2008 Riesling
Bronze –Sandbanks Estate 2008 Riesling
Bronze – Sandbanks Estate 2008Dunes Vidal Riesling
Bronze – Black Prince 2008 Seyval Blanc
Bronze – Hillier Creek 2008 Riesling
Bronze – Sugarbush 2008 Riesling
Bronze - Rosehall Run 2007 Gewurztraminer
TOP COUNTY WINE - Sandbanks Estate 2008 Dunes Vidal Riesling

Rosé
Silver – Huff Estates 2008 Rosé
Bronze – Lauren Horlock & Mike Traynor Cab Franc Rosé
Bronze – Sugarbush 2008 Almost Red
Bronze – Rosehall Run 2008 Sullyzwicker Rosé
TOP COUNTY WINE - Huff Estates 2008 Rosé

Pinot Noir, Gamay, St. Laurent
Gold - Rosehall Run 2007 Pinot Noir Rosehall Vineyard
Silver – Casa Dea 2007 Rosso
Silver – The Grange of Prince Edward Trumpour’s Mill 2007 Pinot Noir
Silver – Keint-He 2007 St. Laurent
Bronze – Keint-He 2007 Pinot Noir
Bronze – Hillier Creek Estates 2007 Gamay
Bronze – Rosehall Run 2007 Pinot Noir Cuvee County
Bronze – Harwood 2007 Pinot Noir
Bronze – The Grange of Prince Edward Trumpour’s Mill 2007 Gamay Noir
Bronze - Rosehall Run 2007 Sullyzwicker Red
Bronze – Black Prince Pinot Noir 2007
TOP COUNTY WINE - Rosehall Run 2007 Pinot Noir Rosehall Vineyard

Cabernet and Merlot
Gold – Sandbanks Estates 2008 Cabernet Franc
Gold – The Grange of Prince Edward 2007 Cabernet Franc
Gold – Rosehall Run 2007 Cabernet Franc Cold Creek
Silver – Rosehall Run 2007 Cabernet Franc Cuvee County
Silver – Oak Heights Estate Cabernet Franc
Bronze – Fieldstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2007
Bronze – Black Prince 2008 Cabernet Franc
TOP COUNTY WINE - The Grange of Prince Edward 2007 Cabernet Franc

Hybrid Reds
Bronze – Sandbanks Estate Winery – 2006 – Marechal Foch
Bronze – Sandbanks Estates Baco Noir 2008
Bronze – Waupoos Estates Baco Noir 2008
TOP COUNTY WINE - Waupoos Estates Baco Noir 2008

Sweet Fruit & Desert Vines
Silver- Harwood Estate Vineyards Just Desserts
Bronze – Karlo Estates Late Harvest Frontenac Gris
Bronze – Hillier Creek Estates Vidal Icewine
TOP COUNTY WINE - Harwood Estate Vineyards Just Desserts

The winner of the Jonathan Welsh Memorial Award for Winery of the Year was Rosehall Run Vineyards, which tallied the highest medal count as a percentage of the number of wines it entered. The top scoring County wine this year was Grange of Prince Edward 2007 Cabernet Franc, a red that has also shone in other competitions.