Results of the 2017 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)

Riesling

Intro by Treve Ring

Riesling, the ringer. For many of us, our first enjoyable wine in youth was most likely a sweeter white, juicy and bright, friendly, and with low to medium alcohol (my first wine foray was Blue Nun when I was 8 years old). As our palates progress, we often shy away from these simpler, fruity styles for more structured, savoury and minerally wines, which again, brings us full circle (close the ring) back to serious and ageworthy riesling.

Riesling is also a ringer for its piercing acidity. Many blind tastings have been saved by finding this grape in the flight. This natural and piercingly high acid provides the wine with tremendous aging potential and allowing it to nimbly balance out ridiculous levels of residual sugar. The high wire balancing act between razor acidity and ripe sugars is an addictive effort – both for the vintner and the consumer.

This highly aromatic grape is traced back to the 15th century, and Germany’s Rhine Valley. Part of riesling’s allure is its capacity for making a wide range of styles from achingly crisp and bone dry, to unctuously sweet and everlasting, plus bright and lively fizz. Quite a hardy grape (it is German, after all) riesling does best in poor soils that are well draining, ideally slate and sandy clay, and responds best to a long, slow ripening period. In this regard, it has found a ready home in Canada, with excellent examples from both the Okanagan Valley and Niagara Peninsula, and potential in new plantings in Nova Scotia (Gold for Domaine de Grand Pré 2016 Riesling this year). At last year’s Riesling Rendezvous, an international group of wine professionals tasted dozens of rieslings blind over two days, and each time a Canadian wine was revealed, the tasters were unified in amazement. At this year’s NWACs, judges were impressed again with the consistent strong showing across all styles, from fizz to icewine.

Flat Rock Nadja's Vineyard Riesling 2016
Flat Rock Cellars 2016 Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Redstone Riesling Limestone Ridge South Block 2013
Redstone 2013 Riesling Limestone Vineyard – South, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Tantalus Old Vines Riesling
Tantalus 2014 Old Vines Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Thirty Bench Small Lot Riesling Wild Cask
Thirty Bench 2015 Small Lot Riesling Wild Cask Estate Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario


Thirty Bench 2015 Small Lot Riesling Wood Post Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Gold Medal
Creekside 2015 Marianne Hill Riesling  Marianne Hill, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Daydreamer Wines 2016 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Domaine de Grand Pré 2016 Riesling , Nova Scotia
St. Hubertus 2015 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Synchromesh 2016 Riesling Storm Haven Vineyard Black Label, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tantalus 2016 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Thirty Bench 2014 Small Lot Riesling Triangle Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Silver Medal

2027 Cellars 2016  Wismer Vineyard – Fox Croft Block Riesling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Arrowleaf 2016 Riesling Ritchie Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Benjamin Bridge Riesling 2014, Nova Scotia
CedarCreek 2016 Platinum Block 3 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Fielding 2016 Lot No. 17 Riesling, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Hidden Bench 2015 Estate Riesling, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Honsberger 2014 Riesling , Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
La Frenz 2015 Riesling Freedom 75 Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Leaning Post 2014 Riesling The Geek, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Monte Creek Ranch 2016 Riesling, British Columbia
Moraine 2016 Riesling , Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mt. Boucherie 2014 Riesling , Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Peller Estates Niagara-on-the-Lake 2016 Private Reserve Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Redstone 2015 Brickyard Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Synchromesh 2016 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2015 Riesling Limestone Ridge North Block, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tawse 2015 Riesling Quarry Road Vineyard, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
The View 2014 Riesling , Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tightrope 2015 Riesling Tightrope Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Trius 2016 Showcase Riesling  Ghost Creek Vineyard, Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Wayne Gretzky 2015 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Bronze Medal

2027 Cellars 2016  Falls Vineyard Riesling, Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
8th Generation 2016 Riesling  Classic, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Adamo 2016 Riesling, Ontario
Backyard Vineyards 2016 Riesling, British Columbia
Dirty Laundry 2015 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Flat Rock Cellars 2016 Riesling, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Gray Monk 2015 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Harper’s Trail 2016 Riesling Silver Mane Block Thadd Springs Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Hidden Bench 2015 Riesling Felseck Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2016 Grand Reserve Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Kitsch 2016 Dry Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Leaning Post 2015 Riesling Wismer Vineyard Foxcroft Block, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Meyer 2016 Riesling Fleet Road Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mission Hill 2016 Reserve Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nk’Mip Cellars 2016 Qwam Qwmt Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nomad at Hinterbrook 2016 Traveller’s Riesling, Niagara Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Quails’ Gate 2016 Dry Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Red Rooster 2016 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Redstone 2014 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Sagewood 2016 Riesling Trocken Sagewood Vineyard, British Columbia
Soahc Estate Wines 2016 Riesling, British Columbia
St. Hubertus & Oak Bay 2013 Oak Bay Fam Reserve Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
SummerGate 2016 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Synchromesh 2016 Riesling Bob Hancock Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Synchromesh 2016 Riesling Storm Haven Vineyard White Label, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2015 Sketches Riesling, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Thirty Bench 2015 Small Lot Riesling Steel Post Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tightrope 2016 Riesling Tightrope Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
TIME Estate Winery 2016 Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Wayne Gretzky Okanagan 2016 Signature Series Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Wild Goose 2016 God’s Mountain Riesling, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia