The Friday Files: News & Notes From Canada's Wine Scene

Hey hey! I’m in Penticton, BC, as you read this, judging at the 2015 B.C. Wine Awards. Apparently there were a record number of entries this year, which is certainly promising. More to come on the competition in the coming days/weeks.

My pal Bill Zacharkiw at the Montreal Gazette was one of my fellow judges at WineAlign’s 2015 National Wine Awards of Canada, and weighed in with his take on this country’s wines. (Spoiler alert - he’s pleased.)

Bill also had some recommendations when it comes to Canadian wines, including My Wine Canada partners Flat Rock Cellars and Tawse. Click here to see all his recommendations.

Over at the Globe and Mail, Beppi Crosariol talks about how his wine tastes change as summer turns to fall (mine too). He had some nice things to say about MWC partner wineries Stag’s Hollow and 13^th Street - specifically their 2013 Gamay Noir.

Good news for the Niagara Wine Festival – it landed in the top 100 events Canada at BizBash, as well as the top 10 wine and food events. The festival runs through until September 27 in various venues throughout Niagara, ON.

Oh, and congrats to, uh, his royal highness Jamie Slingerland of Pillitteri Estates Winery for being named Grape King at the fest. Slingerland will represent the Grape Growers of Ontario at events across the country.

It was bound to happen – the wine world and the federal election have crossed paths. Conservative leader Stephen Harper paid a visit to MWC partner winery Painted Rock Estate Winery this past weekend. You can see Harper and Painted Rock’s John Skinner perusing the vineyards here.

Actually, Harper wasn’t the first federal leader to visit B.C. wine country this election campaign. NDP leader Tom Mulcair was in the region a couple weeks ago.

Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson is the wine columnist and literary editor for the Winnipeg Free Press. He’s on Twitter and Instagram at @bensigurdson.