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. Wines do not need to have VQA classification. There is NO limit to the number of wines that any single winery may submit to the competition, but you may only enter any individual wine once within the same year’s competition. The same wine can be entered in subsequent competitions if it meets the criteria for that year.
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.
Qualifications for Entry
All entries must:
- Be 100% grown, vinified, and bottled in Canada. Wines do not need VQA approval, but in the case of any challenge to its origin being Canadian, the winery must be able to produce evidence of the bottle’s provenance.
- Have a minimum production of 75 cases (12 bottles/case) of 750 ml bottles, or equivalent volume, for commercial availability.
- Be available for public retail sale in Canada during the 2019 calendar year, or scheduled for release by March 1, 2020.
- Be considered a current vintage (see acceptable dates below).
NOTE: Inaugural Releases
Any wine making its inaugural release due to long-term ageing at the winery is eligible no matter its vintage date, IF the inaugural release was after July 1, 2018 and if it has not been entered into the National Wine Awards of Canada in any previous year. Note, any offering to wine club members, online, retail, winery direct, restaurants, consignment, direct-delivery etc., will be interpreted as the wine’s official release date into the marketplace. A re-release of any vintage is not considered an inaugural release.
Once a wine makes its inaugural release, it is only eligible for entry IF it meets the current vintage requirements as specified for each category below.
Example: If you entered your 2014 or 2013 vintage, or an even older year, at last year’s competition, it is no longer eligible to be re-entered because in 2019 the oldest vintage you can re-enter is 2015. In essence, you only get one chance to enter your wine, if it falls outside of the on-going yearly vintage requirements.
2019 Category Requirements
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 2018, 2017, or 2016 (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).
Red: Must bear a vintage date of 2018, 2017, 2016, or 2015 (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).
Rosé: Must bear a vintage date of 2018 or 2017 (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).
Orange: Must bear a vintage date of 2018, 2017 or 2016 (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).
Late Harvest/Icewine: Must bear a vintage date of 2018, 2017, or 2016 (provided they meet the guidelines listed above).
Fruit Wines: Must be grown and bottled in 2017 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.
Head Judges reserve the right to transfer entries from one category to another category.
Cost of Entry
It costs $100 CDN plus 13% tax (HST) per wine entry with secure online payment by credit card or Stripe. Payment by cheque is also possible. To make arrangements to pay by cheque and have your registered wines marked paid, contact [email protected].
Number of Bottles Required
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.
Major Awards
The Winery of the Year award will be given out to the top scoring winery in the competition. A minimum of five wines must be entered in order to be eligible for this award. The five top-scoring entries (not including Icewine) will be used to determine the Winery of the Year and the top wineries lists.
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. A minimum of five wines must be entered in order to be eligible for this award. The five top-scoring entries (not including Icewine) will be used to determine the Best Performing Small Winery. 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.
The Best Cider of the Year award will be given out to the top scoring cider (not including Iced Cider) in the awards.
New this year is an award for the Best Icewine of the Year. This award will be given to the highest scoring Icewine in the competition.
Judging for the WineAlign 2019 National Wine Awards of Canada will take place from Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 14 at the Wellington Community Centre in Wellington, Ontario (Prince Edward County).
Questions or comments? Contact us: [email protected]