The Friday Files: News & Notes from Canada’s Wine Scene

WineAlign announced all the medal winners at the 2014 National Wine Awards of Canada this week. Of the 1,300+ wines entered in the competition, 11 earned the elusive platinum award, including the Laughing Stock 2012 Perfect Hedge Vineyard Syrah, and the Thornhaven Estates 2012 Syrah.

Plenty of other My Wine Canada partners medaled as well — check out the results here. Oh, and big congrats to MWC winery partners for making the top 25 wineries in Canada, including Road 13 at #8, Thornhaven Estates at #17, CedarCreek Estate Winery at #22 and JoieFarm at #24!

Over at The Globe and Mail, Beppi Crosariol says it’s OK to put an ice cube in your wine (hey, it’s summer).

Have a favourite watering hole? enRoute, Air Canada’s in-flight magazine, wants you to vote on Canada’s best bar, but one Ottawa establishment is saying “thanks but no thanks” to the nomination.

Meanwhile, the magazine’s list of 30 nominees for best new restaurant are being dwindled down as well. You can vote on those here.

Quebec sommelier Veronique Rivest tells Maclean’s that to be a better Canadian, you should drink Canadian sparkling wine.

Chances are you won’t be seeing too many Ontario Merlots or Sauvignon Blancs bearing the 2014 vintage — most fruit was done in by our long winter (aka the polar vortex).

Vancouverites will have a chance to check out some top-notch winemakers and brewers this fall at Top Drop Vancouver this Sept. 15 and 16. Featuring winemakers from around the world (including Tantalus), My Wine Canada writer Kurtis Kolt is among the organizers of this event, which celebrates those who are passionate about fusing terroir and craft to create something genuine.

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