It’s results time for Wine Access Magazine’s 11th annual Canadian Wine Awards!
Congratulations to Tawse Winery, winner of Winery of the Year for the third year running! In addition to this unprecedented victory, the certified organic producers also collected 32 medals in more than 20 categories.
Located near Vineland on the Niagara Escarpment, Tawse Winery prides itself on its biodynamic farming techniques (the vineyard is essentially an ecosystem of its own). In addition to avoiding pesticides or fungicides, Tawse uses horse-drawn equipment. Farm animals have free range of the grounds to eat weeds and naturally fertilize the vines.
Winery owner Moray Tawse and winemaker Paul Pender possess an intuitive understanding of terroir, and they recognize its role in their success:
“As our vines get older and the roots go deeper, the wines get more interesting,” Tawse said. “The roots are uncovering more levels of minerals in the soil and the wines just keep getting better. Instead of fertilizing the top of the plant, we pay attention to the roots and the health of the soil – that’s what is paying off for us.”
via Niagra News.
Tawse Winery is a known WineCollective favourite. This year, we featured the 2009 Sketches Riesling, “an absolutely dynamite example of an Ontario Riesling” and a forerunner in our love affair with the grape, in our February packages. (We presented the 2008 Cabernet Franc on Tannic). The 2010 vintage continued the tradition of excellence pioneered by its predecessors by once again winning Best Canadian White.
We look forward to seeing what’s next for Tawse Winery, and for the many other fantastic producers who continue to set the bar for quality Canadian wine.
Look for detailed coverage of the Canadian Wine Awards in the December/January issue of Wine Access magazine (we know where you can get a subscription!).