WineAlign - Awards - 2018 NWAC White Blends

Results of the 2018 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)

White Blends & Tidal Bay

Category overview by judge Michael Godel

Quietly, stealthily and without great fanfare the strength of the white blend category has taken the National Wine Awards of Canada by storm. The quality of the wines entered has never been higher, visibly and notably spread across the country. The time has come to establish party lines, to create truly parochial white appellative blends under appropriately chosen names. Nova Scotia has long been there with their apt-scripted Tidal Bay. Ontario and British Columbia should heed the economic and marketing success enjoyed by their maritime cousins and join the appellative party.

The French regions of Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley are clearly the benchmarks and the inspiration for Canadian-made emulative examples, first from a sauvignon blanc-sémillon connection and then with blends that make use of marsanne, roussanne and viognier. A testament to expatriate excellence is noted in the seven overall Gold Medals in this year’s judging and several others finishing at high Silver status on the cusp of Gold. I for one awarded five 90-plus scores to wines I clearly deemed worthy of such accolade and esteem.

It is interesting to note that White Blends centred by sauvignon blanc in the Okanagan Valley rely on much higher percentages of sémillon than their counterparts in Ontario. The simplest explanation tells us that the grape variety has trouble surviving harsh Ontario winters, especially when we look back at 2015 and 2016 when much of the province’s vines were killed by sub-25 degree temperatures. But it’s more than that. In B.C. sauvignon blanc can get pretty ripe, tropical and zaftig so it is sémillon that helps to mitigate, temper, inject a flinty-smoky-mineral streak and ultimately bring balance to the relationship.

There was a time not too long ago when after the best juice was chosen for varietal wines producers then needed to find a way to use up the dregs of their white ferments. White blends came about out of economic necessity, but like Rosé production in this country so many are now produced with a purpose. As a farmer, if you know specific blocks of sauvignon blanc are destined to join with other plots of sémillon you’re going to prune, pluck, green harvest and ultimately pick in very specific ways. Appellative blends have become a year round occupation. That much is clear.

The top scorers at this year’s National have been awarded to seriously and thoughtfully crafted wines. The winners are not entry-level, introductory products at the lower or lowest common denominational levels. They are not simple aromatic blends of vague fruit and sweet impression, in fact many are graced by beneficial and forward thinking structure. The future certainly looks white blend bright.

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Hidden Bench 2016 Nuit Blanche Rosomel Vineyard, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
La Frenz 2016 Reserve Vivant, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mission Hill 2017 Terroir Collection Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Moon Curser 2017 Afraid of the Dark, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nk’Mip Cellars 2017 Merriym White Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Planters Ridge 2017 Tidal Bay, Nova Scotia
Terravista 2017 Fandango, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

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