Okanagan Wine Festivals Society has announced this year's winners for the British Columbia Best of Varietal Wine Awards.
The competition featured 26 different varietal categories, with over 550 wines entered. Fourteen respected judges narrowed the selection down to 141 finalists with one overall clear winner being declared the best in each category.
New this year, wines were separated into price categories; with an Under $19 and Over $19 category for white varietals and an Under $25 and Over $25 category for red varietals where there were a minimum of 10 entries per price category within each varietal.
“The Best of Varietal Wine Awards is the first major Provincial Wine Competition of the year and really signals the start of the wine touring season in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys,” said Luke Whittall, Board Member and Judging Chair, The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society.
“It was an honour to have such a talented, knowledgeable, and diverse group of judges participate in this year’s competition. We are very fortunate to have this high level of talent selecting the stand-out wines for this year’s Best of Varietal, especially with the spectacular run of vintages, the competition to be the best could not have been any tougher.”
The British Columbia Best of Varietal Wine Awards are open to all licensed British Columbia wineries that use 100% fruit grown in the province.
The winner of British Columbia Best of Varietal Wine Awards coveted Wine of the Year went to:
Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery – Mystic River Gewürztraminer, 2016
Bench 1775 Winery – Cabernet Franc 2013
Nk’Mip Cellars Winery – Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
50th Parallel Estate – Chardonnay 2015
Nk’Mip Cellars Winery – Chardonnay 2015
Northern Lights Estate Winery – Seduction 2016
Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery – Mystic River Gewürztraminer 2016
Volcanic Hills Estate Winery – Riesling Icewine 2014
Cassini Cellars – Nobilus 2013
Kraze Legz Vineyard & Winery – Skaha Vineyard Pinot Blanc 2016
Hillside Winery – Unoaked Pinot Gris 2016
Arrowleaf Cellars – Pinot Gris 2016
Privato Vineyard and Winery – Grandé Reserve Pinot Noir 2012
Arrowleaf Cellars – Pinot Noir 2015
Cassini Cellars – Quattro Collector’s Series 2012
Monte Creek Ranch Winery – Hands Up Red 2015
Sandhill Vineyards Estate Wines – Small Lots Two 2014
Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery – Red Horizon 2014
Kitsch Wines – Riesling 2015
Arrowleaf Cellars – Riesling 2016
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards – Oldfield Reserve Rosé 2016
Arrowleaf Cellars – Rosé 2016
Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery – Dry Rock Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2016
Blasted Church Vineyards – Holy Moly 2014
Thornhaven Estates Winery – Pinot Meunier 2014
Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery – Morio & Friends Muscat 2016
Inniskillin Okanagan – Chenin Blanc 2016
Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery – The One 2012
Black Hills Estate Winery – Syrah 2014
CedarCreek Estate Winery – Senator’s Red 2013
Red Rooster Winery – Rare Bird Series Viognier 2016
Inniskillin Okanagan – Viognier/Gewürztraminer Discovery Series 2016
Thornhaven Estates Winery – Brooklyn’s Blend 2016
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