Results of the 2021 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada (The Nationals)
Red Blends
Category Overview by Judge Jamie Goode
Red Blends are a somewhat underappreciated category in Canada’s wine scene. While all the attention seems to go to single varietal wines, given the success of red blends in the NWACs, maybe we should be taking them more seriously.
(Jump straight to the medal winners.)
This seems to be a BC category: of the top 10, there’s just one entry from Ontario. This makes sense: in the Okanagan, the leading red varieties all excel as blend components in the other global locations they are joined in. We have both Bordeaux-style blends represented here, but also blends where the versatile Syrah plays a role – a variety that pairs well with both Cabernet Sauvignon (in classic Australian blends) and its southern Rhône partners in crime, Grenache and Mourvèdre. This is a category where the skill of both viticulturist (bringing good grapes to the winery) and the winemaker (partnering these varieties to best effect in the blend) are equally important, and by these results, plenty are doing it very well.
Blasted Church 2019 Big Bang Theory, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Malivoire 2020 Analog Demo Series, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Road 13 2019 GSM, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
16 Mile Cellar 2018 Rebel Pinot Noir Gamay, Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Bartier Bros. 2019 Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Black Hills 2018 Ipso Facto, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Blasted Church 2017 Nectar of the Gods, British Columbia
Blasted Church 2018 Cabernet Merlot, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Burrowing Owl 2017 Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Corcelettes 2019 Talus, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Fielding 2019 Cabernet-Syrah, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Good Natured 2020 Petit Verdot Merlot, British Columbia
Hillside 2019 Merlot Malbec, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
La Frenz 2018 Cabernets Rockyfeller Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Laughing Stock 2018 Portfolio, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Maverick 2019 Rubeus, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mission Hill 2017 Legacy Collection Compendium, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mission Hill 2017 Legacy Collection Quatrain, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nk’Mip Cellars 2019 Mer’r’iym Red Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Organized Crime 2017 The Download, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars 2020 Goldie Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Rainmaker Wines 2018 The Architect Malbec Syrah, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Ravine Vineyard 2018 Reserve Red, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Red Rooster 2018 Golden Egg, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Redstone 2017 Meritage Redstone Vineyard, Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Road 13 2019 Syrah Malbec, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Road 13 2020 Cabernet Merlot, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2018 Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Black Hills 2018 Per Se, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Blasted Church 2017 Nothing Sacred, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Bordertown 2017 Living Desert Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Burrowing Owl 2017 Athene, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Church & State 2018 Lost Inhibitions Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Clos du Soleil 2019 Celestiale, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Corcelettes 2017 Estate Vineyard Menhir Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah Corelettes, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Creekside 2018 Laura’s Red, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Culmina 2016 Hypothesis, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Dark Horse 2016 Red Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Dark Horse 2017 Red Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Fitzpatrick 2019 Sudden Inversion Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Flat Rock Cellars 2019 Red Twisted, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Good Natured 2020 Balanced Red, British Columbia
Icellars 2016 Wiyana Wanda Icel Vineyard, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Indigenous World 2016 Simo, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Intrigue Wines N/V Damitz Good, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Kew 2018 Soldier’s Grant, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Kismet 2018 Moksha, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Kismet 2019 Karma, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Kismet 2019 Mantra, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
LaStella 2019 Fortissimo, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Liquidity 2018 Dividend, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
McWatters Collection 2018 Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mission Hill 2019 Reserve Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Moraine 2018 Meritage, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Narrative 2019 Non-Fiction, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Noble Ridge 2017 King’s Ransom Meritage, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Noble Ridge 2018 Reserve Meritage, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nostalgia Wines 2019 Rockabilly Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Nostalgia Wines 2020 The Girls Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Orofino 2019 Red Bridge Red, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Painted Rock 2019 Red Icon, Skaha Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Peller Estates Okanagan 2020 Family Reserve Winemaker’s Red, British Columbia
Pentâge 2015 Pentâge, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Phantom Creek 2018 Kobau Vineyard Cuvée #14, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Phantom Creek 2018 Phantom Creek Vineyard Cuvée #23, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Phantom Creek 2018 Phantom Creek Vineyard Small Lot Malbec Merlot Co-Fermented, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Quails’ Gate 2018 The Connemara, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Quails’ Gate 2019 Queue, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Red Rooster 2020 Carbonic Merlot Malbec, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Redstone 2018 Meritage, Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Rosehall Run 2019 UV Nedelko Vineyard, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Sandhill 2019 Cabernet Merlot Terroir Driven Wine, British Columbia
See Ya Later Ranch 2018 Ping Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
The Foreign Affair 2018 Temptress, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tightrope 2017 Equipoise, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Trius 2019 Red The Icon, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Wayne Gretzky 2017 Shiraz Cabernet, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
13th Street 2019 Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
13th Street 2019 Expression Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
13th Street N/V Burger Blend Gamay Pinot Noir, Ontario
Adamo 2017 Meritage Growers Series, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Adamo 2017 Mr A Red Blend, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Alvento 2019 Astral, Ontario
Arrowleaf 2018 Field Collection Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Bartier Bros. 2019 The Goal Cerqueira Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Bench 1775 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Blasted Church 2018 Nectar of the Gods, British Columbia
Blasted Church 2018 Nothing Sacred, British Columbia
Blasted Church 2020 Big Bang Theory, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Commisso 2017 Rosso Riserva, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Commisso 2019 Winemaker Selection Red, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Corcelettes 2017 Meritage Corcelettes Estate Vineyard, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Corcelettes 2018 Talus, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Creekside 2017 Laura’s Red, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Creekside 2019 Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Crescent Hill 2017 Heritage Red Blend, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Fielding 2019 Red Conception, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Forbidden Fruit 2018 Dead End Game Over, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Fort Berens 2019 Meritage, British Columbia
Frind 2019 The Premier, British Columbia
Heaven’s Gate 2018 Igneous, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Hester Creek 2018 Garland, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Hillside 2015 Mosaic, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Icellars 2017 Arinna Icel Vineyard, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Intrigue Wines 2020 Social Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Jackson-Triggs Estate Winery 2018 Grand Reserve Red Meritage, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
JoieFarm 2019 PTG, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Karlo Estates 2018 Quintus, Ontario
Lakeside 2017 Portage Red, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Lakeside 2017 Provenir, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
LaStella 2018 Espressivo, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Magnotta 2016 Meritage Gran Riserva, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Magnotta 2018 Limited Edition Legacy, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Malivoire 2018 Stouck Farmstead Red, Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Marynissen 2019 Heritage Collection Nanny’s Blend, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Mayhem 2019 Cabernet Merlot, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Megalomaniac 2018 Unconventional Cabernet Merlot, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Monte Creek 2019 Hands Up Red, British Columbia
Moon Curser 2019 Dead of Night, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Mt. Boucherie 2018 Summit, British Columbia
Narrative 2018 Syrah Viognier, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Noble Ridge 2019 Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Pelee Island 2019 J.S. Hamilton Red, Pelee Island, Ontario
Pelee Island 2019 Lola Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake Erie North Shore, Ontario
Peller Estates Okanagan 2020 Family Reserve Cabernet Merlot, British Columbia
Phantom Creek 2018 Becker Vineyard Cuvée, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Phantom Creek 2018 Petite Cuvée, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Queenston Mile 2019 Mile Red, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Ravine Vineyard 2019 Meritage, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
River Stone 2018 Corner Stone, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Rivière du Chêne 2020 William Rouge, Quebec
Robin Ridge 2015 Frigate Meritage, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Roche Wines 2017 Chateau, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Sandhill 2018 Single Vineyard Two Sandhill Estate Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Seven Stones 2016 The Legend, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Stag’s Hollow 2019 Heritage Block, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Synchromesh 2017 Tertre Rouge Turtle Rock Farms, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Synchromesh 2018 Tertre Rouge Turtle Rock Farms, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Tawse 2016 Meritage, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
The Foreign Affair 2018 Conspiracy, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
The Foreign Affair 2018 Dream, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
The Foreign Affair 2019 Whisky Barreled Conspiracy, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Thirty Bench 2019 Winemaker’s Blend Red, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Tightrope 2017 Vertigo, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
TIME 2018 Fourth Dimension, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Two Sisters 2017 Eleventh Post, Niagara River, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Upper Bench 2017 Altitude, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Van Westen 2018 V, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Vanessa Vineyard 2017 Co-Ferment, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia
Wayne Gretzky Okanagan 2019 Cabernet Merlot, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Wayne Gretzky Okanagan 2020 Founders Series The Great Red, British Columbia
Wild Goose 2019 Red Horizon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
