Canadian wineries earn honours in Italy

Canadian winery Inniskillin has won the top prize at Vinitaly.

The winery, from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., won the Premio Speciale Gran Vinitaly 2009 at the 17th annual Concorso Enologico Internazionale.

Canadian wineries received a total of seven medals and 14 special mentions at the prestigious awards, which were officially announced in Verona at the world's largest wine fair.

More than 130,000 people will attend the fair, which runs through Monday. Some 3,500 wines from 34 countries were entered in this year's competition, with results judged by 100 wine critics, wine writers and winemakers from around the world.

This is not Inniskillin's first major Vinitaly award; the winery is renowned among international media and festival judges, primarily for its icewines.

A number of other Canadian wineries also did well at this year's event.

In the still white wine category designated by geographical zone, Magnotta Winery from Vaughn, Ont., received a special mention for its Gewurztraminer Dry Niagara VQA Special Reserve 2007 and its 2007 Chardonnay.

Jackson-Triggs also received a special mention for its Gewurztraminer Niagara Peninsula VQA Proprietors Grand Reserve 2007, as well as its Meritage White Grand Reserve Okanagan Valley 2007.

And in the still wine category designated by geographic zone, for white wines aged in oak, the Gold Medal was won by Jackson-Triggs' Niagara Estate, for its Chardonnay Proprietors Grand Reserve 2007. It shares the award with Italy's own Veronese IGT Bianco "Villa Cordevigo" 2006.

Canadian wineries won three of the top four categories in the Vini Dolci Naturali Category for still wines.

Konzelmann Estate Winery in Niagara won the Grand Gold Medal for its 2007 Vidal Icewine, Inniskillin won the Gold Medal for its 2006 Vidal Oak-Aged Icewine from Niagara and Jackson-Triggs won the silver medal for its 2007 Proprietors Reserve Grand Icewine.

Magnotta Winery also won the Grand Gold Medal in the Vini Spumanti Dolci category (sparkling sweet wine) for its Limited Edition 2006 Sparkling Vidal Icewine from the Niagara Region.

Inniskillin won the gold medal in the same category for its 2006 Sparkling Vidal Icewine.

news source :- Canadian wineries earn honours in Italy

Tough times ahead for small Niagara wineries

Ontario winery representatives and at least one Niagara politician continue to rally for the renewal of an LCBO rebate program that some insiders say is crucial to the survival of many small wineries this year.

Without the LCBO incentive program-- which offers wineries 30 per cent return on every Vintners Quality Alliance bottle sold through the provincial liquor stores -- several wineries will have to rely once again on selling their products solely through their own retail stores.

With a recession gripping the globe and tourism expected to slump this summer, things could get rough for many Niagara wineries, particularly small ones, say industry insiders.

Some may be forced out of business unless the LCBO rebate program returns, said Norm Beal, chairman of the Wine Council of Ontario.

"I think that this program is absolutely critical and that it has to

come back," said Beal, president of Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery in Beamsville.

"If it doesn't come back then I paint a very grim picture for the industry, going forward."

Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Tim Hudak agrees, and is calling on the province to renew the three-year VQA Wine Support Program. The $10-million program, introduced by the Liberal government, expired March 31.

There was no mention in Thursday's provincial budget of renewing the program.

The program is helping wineries, Hudak said.

Previously, craft wineries found it was not profitable to sell their wines through the LCBO. Through the LCBO rebate program, wineries take home about half the profits of wines made with 100 per cent Ontario grapes. The program has resulted in more than 50 wineries placing top craft wines at the LCBO, up from 15 when the program launched in 2005.

Hudak said fewer wineries -- faced with steeper fees and taxes -- will likely sell their wines through the LCBO once the program is pulled.

"This budget should have been focused on job creation," said Hudak, a Progressive Conservative finance critic who is expected to run for the Tory leadership.

"This program helps create jobs in the grape and wine sector and supported agriculture. Frankly, it was a very short-sighted move of the government to cancel that program, particularly in these difficult economic times."

St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley told The Standard on Friday the government is aware of how important the LCBO program is to the industry, and is open to requests for it to continue.

Bradley said he was waiting for the outcome of ongoing talks between the province's grape growers and wineries designed to chart a course for the wine industry.

Last December, the province ordered the two sides to get together and create a plan after a huge grape surplus last fall that resulted in a $4-million bailout program for grape growers. More than 2,000 tonnes of grapes from 79 growers were dropped to the ground last fall.

But many more grapes may go unsold again this year if the wine industy struggles, Beal said.

The government has to step up and help the industry, and bringing back the LCBO rebate program is a crucial part of that, Beal said.

"I got to tell you we're in the same kind of pressure as ever ybody else is. I don't know why everybody thinks the wine industry is any better. Our banks our breathing down our necks."

news source :- Tough times ahead for small Niagara wineries

Canadian winery Iniskillin wins top prize at world's largest wine fair

Canadian winery Inniskillin, from Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, has won the top prize at Vinitaly this year.

The winery has won the Premio Speciale Gran Vinitaly 2009 at the 17th annual Concorso Enologico Internazionale. Canadian wineries received a total of seven medals and 14 special mentions at the prestigious awards, which were officially announced today in Verona, Italy, at the world's largest wine fair.

More than 130,000 people will attend the fair, which starts today and runs through April 6. Thirty-four countries entered more than 3,500 wines in this year's competition, for some 110 medals. Results were judged by more than 100 wine critics, wine writers and winemakers from around the world gathered last week at Veronafiere in Verona.

This is not Inniskillin's first major Vinitaly award; the winery is renowned amongst international media and festival judges, primarily for its icewines. Other Canadian wineries also did well:

In the still white wine category designated by geographical zone, Magnotta Winery (from Vaughn, Ontario) received a special mention (Gran Menzione) for its Gewurztraminer Dry Niagara VQA Special Reserve 2007 and its 2007 Chardonnay.

Jackson-Triggs also received a special mention (Gran Menzione) for its Gewurztraminer Niagara Peninsula VQA Proprietors Grand Reserve 2007, as well as its Meritage White Gran Reserve Okanagan Valley 2007, from the Oliver Estate in the Okanagan.

And in the still wine category designated by geographic zone, for white wines aged in oak (Vini Bianchi Elaborati in Barrique o Communque Affinati in Legno), the Gold Medal was won by Jackson Triggs, Niagara Estate, for its Chardonnay Proprietors Grand Reserve 2007. It shares the award with Italy's own Veronese IGT Bianco "Villa Cordevigo" 2006.

In that same category, Inniskillin Wines won special mention for its Chardonnay Four Mile Creek "Montague Vineyard" 2007.

And Jackson-Triggs won special mention for its 2007 Sunrock Vineyard Chardonnay.

Jackson-Triggs also won a special mention in the Red Wine Category for wines from the past three vintages (2008, 2007 and 2006), for its 2007 Sunrock Vineyard Meritage Red and its 2006 Shiraz Grand Reserve, both from the Okanagan Valley. The same winery also won for its 2006 Delaine Vineyard Syrah from Niagara.

Canadian wineries won three of the top four categories in the Vini Dolci Naturali Category for still wines. Konzelmann Estate Winery in Niagara won the Grand Gold Medal for its 2007 Vidal Icewine. Inniskillin won the Gold Medal for its 2006 Vidal Oak-Aged Ice wine from Niagara. And Jackson-Triggs won the silver medal for its 2007 Proprietors Reserve Grand Ice wine.

In the same category, Strewn from Niagara won a special mention for its 2006 Cabernet Franc Icewine. Inniskillin won special mention for its 2007 Riesling Ice wine. Jackson Triggs won two special mentions for its 2007 Proprietors Reserve Riesling Ice wines from both Niagara and Oliver.

Inniskillin also won special mention for its 2007 Vidal Icewine from Niagara.

Magnotta Winery in Vaughn, Ontario, has also won the Grand Gold Medal in the Vini Spumanti Dolci category (sparkling sweet wine) for its Limited Edition 2006 Sparkling Vidal Icewine from the Niagara Region.

And Inniskillin won the gold medal in the same category for its 2006 Sparkling Vidal Icewine.

news source :- Canadian winery Iniskillin wins top prize at world's largest wine fair