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Four Important Changes for 2025:
Reduced Minimum Annual Production: Due to weather damage in B.C. and NS vineyards in 2023 and 2024, we have set the minimum annual production required to enter at 420 bottles (750ml) or equivalent volume for sale commercially. This is down from the 900 bottles minimum from previous years.
Expanded Cider Categories: WineAlign is pleased to announce a new partnership with Cider Canada to include expanded cider categories in the 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada. You can enter if you are a Canadian-based cidery that utilizes Canadian-grown apples and fruit. With increased submissions, we are bringing back the Best Cider of the Year award to be awarded for the highest-scoring cider. Read more here.
Library Wines: Given the current shortage of wines due to vineyard damage in B.C. and Nova Scotia, we have added a new category for older vintages not eligible for the 2025 awards. As longtime observers of Canadian wine, we know how well our best wines can age and we want to demonstrate that concept to consumers through a new Library Wines category. This category will not be used in the annual calculation for the Winery of the Year Award, but medals will be given and a Library Wine of the Year will be awarded. Read more here.
Replacement Wines: This is open to any vintage-dated wines made in 2023 or 2024 containing any percentage of imported grapes, must, or finished wine bottled in Canada under the auspices of local regulations that allowed them to replace winter damage crop losses. The replacement wine tasting results will not figure in any way among the 100 percent Canadian grown and made wines competing at the 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada. The tasting results of the replacement wines will be released separately after the regular NWAC announcements in July. Read more here.
Rules for Entry
The WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (NWAC) is open to all wines and ciders 100% grown, vinified and bottled in Canada. Wines do not require VQA certification. There is NO limit to the number of wines that any single winery may submit to the competition, but you may only enter the same wine once within the competition. The wine can be re-entered in subsequent competitions if it meets the criteria for that year’s entries.
Judging for the WineAlign 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada will take place June 21 – 25 in Penticton, BC.
Who Can Enter
Canadian wineries, cideries, agents/distributors, or authorized winery representatives are eligible to enter.
Qualifications for Entry
All entries must:
(1) Be 100% grown, vinified, and bottled in Canada. Wines do not need VQA certification, but if there is any question about their origin, i.e. not being Canadian, the winery must produce evidence of the bottle’s provenance.
(2) Have a minimum production level is set at 420 bottles (750ml) or equivalent volume for sale commercially. Due to weather damage in B.C. and NS vineyards in 2023 and 2024, we have reduced the minimum annual production required to enter down from the 900 bottles previously required. We hope this change will encourage wineries whose production numbers have been impacted to still enter their wines in 2025. This is not a permanent change; production limits will be reassessed before the 2026 NWACs.
(3) All wines must be available for retail sale online, in stores, through restaurants or wine clubs in Canada during the 2025 calendar year or be scheduled for release by July 1, 2026.
(4) Have commercial labels; unlabelled ‘finished’ tank or barrel samples will be disqualified.
2025 Category Requirements (Eligible for Winery of the Year)
All the following categories must also meet the four qualifications for entry listed above.
Sparkling: All vintage-dated and non-vintage sparkling wines are admissible.
White Wine: All entries must bear a vintage date of 2024, 2023, or 2022 .
Red Wine: Must bear a vintage date of 2024, 2023, 2022, or 2021 .
Rosé Wine: Must bear a vintage date of 2024 or 2023 .
Orange Wine: Must bear a vintage date of 2024, 2023 or 2022 .
Late Harvest/Icewine: Must bear a vintage date of 2024, 2023, or 2022 .
Fruit Wines: Must be grown and bottled in 2025, 2024 or 2023 .
Ciders: must be produced in 2025 or 2024 .
NOTE: Inaugural Releases are still eligible for Winery of the Year Calculations
Any wine that is making its inaugural release due to long-term, pre-release ageing is eligible no matter its vintage, IF the inaugural release was on or after July 1, 2024, and IF it has not been entered into the National Wine Awards of Canada in any previous year. Note, any offer be it winery direct, on-line to consumers or wine club members, retail, restaurants, consignment, direct-delivery, etc., will be interpreted as the wine’s official inaugural release into the marketplace. The re-release of any vintage is not considered an inaugural release.
Once a wine makes its inaugural release, it is only eligible for entry in succeeding years IF it meets the current vintage requirements as specified for each category above.
Example: If you entered your 2020 or 2019 vintage, or an even older year, at the 2024 competition, it is no longer eligible for Winery of the Year calculations because, in 2025, the oldest vintage you can re-enter for a red wine is 2021. In essence, you only get one chance to enter your wine for Winery of the Year calculations if it falls outside of the ongoing yearly vintage requirements.
2025 New Cider Categories
(1) Heritage Cider (Traditional & Tannin-forward Ciders)
Description: This category honours ciders made using traditional cider apples, heirloom varieties, and old-world production techniques. These ciders often showcase structured tannins, depth, and complexity, staying true to historical cider-making traditions.
Examples: Keeved cider, English-style dry cider, tannic still cider
(2) Modern Cider (Contemporary & Sessionable Ciders)
Description: This category celebrates modern cider-making techniques and the use of culinary apples. These ciders tend to be clean, fruit-forward, and accessible, often designed for wide consumer appeal while maintaining craftsmanship.
Examples: Ontario off-dry cider, semi-sweet filtered cider
(3) Fruit, Botanical & Perry Cider
Description: Recognizing ciders that incorporate additional fruits, hops, herbs, spices, botanicals, or pears (perry). While these ciders introduce new ingredients, the apple or pear base should remain central to the profile.
Examples: Cranberry-spiced cider, rosé cider, hopped cider, perry
(4) Ice & Fortified Cider (Intensified & Dessert Ciders)
Description: Honouring excellence in the production of ice cider and fortified ciders. These ciders typically use freezing or alcohol fortification techniques to intensify sugars, flavours, and structure. Typically 9 – 13% ABV. Fortified >16%
Examples: Quebec-style ice cider, pommeau, barrel-aged ice cider, fire cider
(5) Barrel-Aged or Specialty Cider
Description: This category is for ciders aged in barrels (oak, whiskey, wine, etc.) or incorporating specialty techniques that don’t fit traditional categories.
Examples: Bourbon barrel-aged cider, cider-wine hybrid, dessert ciders with other flavours
2025 New Wine Categories (Not eligible for Winery of the Year)
Library Wines:
Given the current shortage of wines due to vineyard damage in B.C. and Nova Scotia, we have added a new category that will feature older vintages. Library Wines will be judged within the NWAC parameters for 100% Canadian grown and made wines (see above). A Library Wine will be eligible if it has a vintage date older than the current entry guidelines stated above (whites and roses must be 2021 or older and the reds must be 2020 or older). Please enter your Library Wines in either the Library Wine – White or Library Wine – Red category. This category will not be used in the annual calculation for the Winery of the Year Award, but medals will be given and a Library Wine of the Year will be awarded.
Replacement Wines (Not eligible for NWAC):
This is open to any vintage-dated wines made in 2023 or 2024 containing any percentage of imported grapes, must, or finished wine bottled in Canada under the auspices of local regulations that allowed them to replace winter damage crop losses. Records must be made available if questioned. The tasting results of the Replacement Wines will be released separately after the regular NWAC announcements in July. We intend to assess replacement wines as a service to consumers facing them on store shelves. WineAlign and Gismondi on Wine will report on the blind tasting assessment of the wines later this summer. Please enter your replacement wines in a category that starts with the word Replacement. The replacement wine tasting results will not figure in any way among the 100 percent Canadian grown and made wines competing at the 2025 National Wine Awards of Canada.
The competition reserves the right to reclassify entries from one category to another category.
Cost of Entry
April 1 – 30: $150 per entry + GST
May 1 – 31: $155 per entry + GST
June 1 – 15: $160 per entry + GST
Payment can be made securely online by credit card through Stripe. Payment by cheque is also possible. To make arrangements to pay by cheque and have your registered wines marked paid, contact Sarah@WineAlign.com.
At Least Three(3) Bottles Are Required
Registrants are required to ship three 750mL or equivalent volume to allow for multiple rounds of tasting (i.e. six 375mL, six 330ml – 500ml, or eight 250ml containers). Wineries submitting cork finished bottles should consider submitting four samples to avoid any risk of TCA leaving them with insufficient bottles to compete in the final round. All wines submitted are for the exclusive use of judging at the National Wine Awards of Canada and will not be returned.
Important, please write:
NWAC25 +
YOUR WINERY NAME
On the sides of each package being shipped to us. Entries for other award competitions may arrive at the warehouse simultaneously, so you need identify the competition they are meant for.
Major Awards
Winery of the Year will be awarded to the top scoring winery in the competition. A minimum of five wines must be entered (not including Library or Replacement wines) to be eligible for this award. The final ranking is not based on total medals but rather a ‘performance score’ versus all other competitors five top-scoring entries (not including Icewine, Ice Cider, Replacement or Library wines).
Best Performing Small Winery award will go to the top scoring winery producing 10,000 cases of wine a year or less, 2024 production levels notwithstanding. Five wines must be entered (not including Library or Replacement wines) to be eligible for this award. The final ranking is not based on total medals but rather a ‘performance score’ versus all other competitors five top-scoring entries (not including Icewine, Ice Cider, Replacement or Library wines).
Best Cider of the Year award will be given out to the top-scoring cider (not including Ice Cider) in the awards.
Best Icewine of the Year award will be given to the top-scoring Icewine in the competition.
Questions or comments? Contact us: Awards@WineAlign.com