Rules for Entry

The WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (NWAC) is open to all wines that are 100% grown, vinified and bottled in Canada. To be eligible for the ‘Winery of the Year’  and ‘Best Performing Small Winery’ awards, a winery must enter a minimum of five wines. The five top-scoring entries will be used to determine the ‘Winery of the Year’ and ‘Best Performing Small Winery’. There is NO limit on the number of entries that any single winery may enter but you may only enter any single wine once.

The ‘Best Performing Small Winery’ award will be given out to the top scoring winery producing 10,000 cases of wine a year or less. If you’d like to be eligible for this award, please ensure you have updated your winery’s annual production amount when you register your wines.

Who Can Enter

All wineries, agents and/or authorized representatives whose wine qualifies for entry based on the guidelines listed below are eligible to enter.

Cost of Entry

It costs $100 CDN plus 15% tax (HST in Nova Scotia) per wine entry with secure online payment by credit card or Paypal. Payment by cheque is also possible. To make arrangements to pay by cheque and have your registered wines marked paid, contact  [email protected].

Registrants are required to ship three 750mL, six 375mL bottles of wine, or six (330ml – 500ml) cans/bottles of cider (or equivalent volume) per entry to allow for multiple rounds of tasting. Wineries submitting cork finished bottles should consider submitting four samples to avoid any risk of TCA leaving them with not enough bottles to compete. All wines submitted are for the exclusive use of judging at the National Wine Awards of Canada and will not be returned.

Qualifications for Entry

All entries must:

1. Be 100% grown, vinified, and bottled in Canada. Wines do not need to have VQA classification.

2. Have a minimum production of 75 cases (12 bottles/case) of 750 ml bottles, or equivalent volume, for commercial availability.

3. Be available for public retail sale in Canada during the 2017 calendar year, or scheduled for release by March 1, 2018.

4. Be considered a current vintage (see acceptable dates below).

Any wine making its inaugural release since the last edition of The Nationals in June 2016 is eligible for submission no matter its vintage date.

For all other eligible vintages check the specific categories below:

Sparkling: All vintage-dated and non-vintage sparkling wines are admissible (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).

White: Must bear a vintage date of 2016, 2015, or 2014 (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).

Red: Must bear a vintage date of 2016, 2015, 2014, or 2013 (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).

Rosé: Must bear a vintage date of 2016 or 2015 (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).

Late Harvest/Icewine: Must bear a vintage date of 2016, 2015, or 2014  (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).

Fruit Wines: Must be grown and bottled in 2015 or later, whether or not they bear a vintage date.

Ciders: must be bottled or canned.

Please note: Organizers may request to see bottling records if they feel the content is more mature than its display date. Entries failing to display any vintage date may be disqualified.

Only entries bearing commercial labels will be accepted; unlabelled ‘finished’ tank or barrel samples are not permitted.

Chief Judges reserve the right to transfer entries from one category to another category.

Questions or comments?  Contact us:  [email protected]