After leading the Ontario Wine Society's 2nd annual Canadian Wine Awards tasting on March 18, 2003, David Lawrason, founder of the Canadian Wine Awards competition, was asked for his opinion of the event. Speaking of our members' enthusiasm, he said that he is "delighted at the Ontario Wine Society's response to the competition. To be sold out again for the second year shows great interest in what we want to achieve ... to give Canadian consumers a cross-country overview of the wines and wine makers who are putting quality first."

David will return to lead our 3rd Annual Canadian Wine Awards tasting and your board is already working on making it even bigger and better ... stay tuned!

The competition will be held a few months earlier this year and the results will be announced in the September 2003 issue of Wine Access.

Linda Bramble Starts Niagara off with a Bang!

The Niagara Chapter came out of the gate on April 22 with their inaugural meeting held at Chateau des Charmes. Linda Bramble led her "Matching Wine and Food" seminar to a turn-out of 35 people. Anyone who's ever attended one of Linda's classes knows what a light-hearted and captivating educator she is.

After an enriching and informative pre-lecture, Linda explained how we would taste each wine, and then "RUIN" it with a selected food item. We would then "resurrect" it with a more appropriate food pairing. It was an educational evening full of surprise matches and mismatches. Who knew vinaigrettes and wine could actually work?!

A special thanks to Chateau des Charmes for providing the elegant venue and wines, and to Linda Bramble for starting us on our adventures of wine and food pairings and providing us not with the "rules", but with the "tools" to guide us through them.

Karl Kaiser Receives Tony Aspler Award Of Excellence

Karl Kaiser, co-founder of Inniskillin Wines, was singled out by Tony Aspler to receive the fourth annual Tony Aspler Award of Excellence at Cuvée 2003.

The Award was presented amidst the festivities of the Cuvée Gala Evening to Kaiser for his outstanding contribution to the wine industry by His Excellency John Ralston Saul.

Aspler very enthusiastically commented: "Karl Kaiser has presided over 20 consecutive vintages of Icewine at Inniskillin. Not many winemakers around the world can make such a claim for their own regions. Indisputably, he is one of the wine world's most experienced vintners when it comes to this winter luxury. But more important, his leadership role in encouraging the Ontario industry to make better Icewine has secured a position for this product as Canada's first international icon wine."

Kaiser stated that he is extremely honoured to receive this award and is very grateful to Tony for this acknowledgment.

Kaiser joins this select group of previous recipients of the Tony Aspler Award of Excellence: 2002 His Excellency John Ralston Saul; 2001 Don Triggs; 2000 Peter Gamble.

Kaiser first produced Vidal Icewine in 1984 and today has expanded his Icewine portfolio to cover production of seven different styles. Kaiser's Icewines can be found throughout North America, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and prominently placed in duty free shops internationally.

In January 2003, two of Kaiser's Icewines were listed in the prestigious Lavinia Wine Shop in Paris, the largest wine shop in Europe.

A Grand Gold Medal was awarded to Konzelmann Estate Winery at the 2003 VinItaly International Wine Competition for its 2000 Chardonnay Grand Reserve in the category of still wines with a geographic designation, matured in barriques or fined in oak.

More than 3,200 wines from 30 countries in five continents took part in the 11th VinItaly International Wine Competition 2003, recognized as the most important and selective event of its kind in the world.

Also, at the Canadian International Wine Challenge 2003, organized by The Food & Beverage Institute of Canada, Konzelmann Estate Winery was awarded a Gold Medal for its 2000 Vidal Icewine and a Bronze Medal for its 2001 Riesling Select Late Harvest.

Both Winemaster Herbert Konzelmann and Winemaker Matthias Boss are proud to receive these prestigious National and International Awards of recognition. The Grand Gold Medal is known around the world as an award of highest distinction. The 2000 Chardonnay Grand Reserve had also received the award of Best Limited Edition White Wine and a Gold Medal for the 2000 Vidal Icewine for the category of Sweet Wine, at Cuvée 2003.

Puddicombe Estate Farms & Winery is very pleased to announce that Lindsay Puddicombe, our winemaker, has won four medals at the Fruit Wines of Canada Wine Competition.

• Iced Apple - Silver
• Raspberry - Silver
• Pear-a-dise - Bronze
• Cranberry - Bronze

Also Lindsay has been invited to participate in the Young Winemakers Event in Toronto on April 30, where 22 young winemakers from all over the world will be meeting and offering the public a chance to taste some of their best wines. It is sponsored by LCBO Vintages. For more information please contact Lindsay or Holly at 905 643 1015.

Rush Creek Wines recently won the Best of Show Across Canada at the Fruit Wines of Canada National competition held in March 2003. This wine topped all scores out of 142 wines entered, winning the Sharon Burke Trophy for our unique Maple Rush Dessert Wine.

Thomas and Vaughan Triumph at Toronto Wine Show and Cuvée Niagara - Toronto, Ontario - April 22, 2003

Thomas and Vaughan Vintners of Beamsville announced today that it has won multiple Best Wine Awards. In March, Cuvée Niagara, Ontario's most celebrated wine tasting, selected Thomas and Vaughan's 1999 Estate Cabernet Franc as the overall Best Limited Edition Red Wine and Best Cabernet Franc Wine in the Province.

On April 10, 2003, at The Canadian International Wine Challenge 2003, Thomas and Vaughan was chosen as the "Overall Best Red Wine" amongst all entries from around the World. It was the Estate Meritage 2000 that stood out above all others. The Cabernet Franc 2000 won Gold as well. Accompanying these Gold Medals were two Silver medals for their Cabernet Blend 2000 and Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2000. This event was part of the Toronto Wine and Cheese Show, one of the largest wine shows in North America.

Proprietor Thomas Kocsis was pleased to point out that, "Our Winery is unique in that we have won two top honours within a period of one month, both for red wines, a tremendous accomplishment by an Ontario winery. We are excited to see our "red-soiled" estate winery being awarded these distinguished honours."

2003 Wine Competition - Ontario Winners

This year marks the launch of the Canadian International Wine Challenge with awards being presented at the 20th annual Toronto Wine & Cheese Show at the Toronto International Centre. The Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada, an incorporated not-for-profit organization dedicated to consumer/trade education, conducts the competition. This is Canada's largest competition where Canadian wines have a window to compete one-on-one with imports. A total of 468 wines were submitted in 17 classifications. There were 34 gold medals (7%), 60 silver medals (13%) and 98 bronze medals (21%). The wines were served blind in the appropriate classes in flights based on grape variety or fruit type. Note that this is the only competition in North America where award-winning fruit wines are professionally judged and then presented to more than 35,000 consumers. Only wines of merit receive an award. If, for instance, the wines in a specific class did not score sufficient points, no medal was awarded. Michael Vaughan, weekly wine columnist at the National Post and editor of Vintage Assessments, led the judging. The judging panel included David Lawrason, Barbara Richie, Richard Feldkamp and Jay Fallah. For further information, email Michael Vaughan: mbv@total.net.

• 2000 Chardonnay Reserve - Lakeview Cellars

• Silver: 2001 Pinot Blanc - Strewn
• Silver: 2002 Riesling - Eastdell
• Silver: 1999 Riesling - Hernder
• Bronze: 2002 Chardonnay Bench - Stoney Ridge
• Bronze: 1999 Chardonnay Barrel Aged - Strewn
• Bronze: 2002 Pinot Gris - Thomas & Vaughan
• Bronze: 2002 Pinot Gris Bench - Stoney Ridge
• Bronze: 2001 Pinot Gris Special Reserve- Magnotta
• Bronze: 2002 Riesling Dry - Legends

• Silver: 2001 Old Vines Chard. (Am. Oak) - Daniel Lenko
• Silver: 2000 Chardonnay Lailey Vineyard - Southbrook
• Bronze: 2001 Chardonnay B. F. Ltd. Ed. - Magnotta
• Bronze: 2000 Chardonnay Est. Res. - Thomas & Vaughan
• Bronze: 2002 Morio Muscat - Hernder
• Bronze: 2002 Riesling Sussreserve - Angels Gate

• Gold: 2000 Chardonnay Reserve - Lakeview Cellars
• Silver: 1999 Speck Family Res. Chard. - Henry of Pelham

• 2000 Meritage - Thomas & Vaughan

• Gold: 2001 Marechal Foch - Southbrook
• Silver: 2000 Cabernet - Thomas & Vaughan
• Bronze: 2001 Baco Noir Special Reserve - Magnotta
• Bronze: 2001 Petite Baco - Pillitteri
• Bronze: 2001 Cabernet Franc Spec. Res. - Magnotta
• Bronze: 2001 Cabernet Franc - Caroline Cellars
• Bronze: 2000 Cabernet Franc Bench - Stoney Ridge
• Bronze: 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Spec. Res. - Magnotta
• Bronze: 2000 Silver Label Cabernet - Chateau des Charmes
• Bronze: 2000 Autumn - Harvest Estate
• Bronze: 2000 Cabernet Merlot - Maleta
• Bronze: 1998 Cabernet Merlot - Hernder
• Bronze: 2002 Gamay - Henry of Pelham

• Gold: 2000 Meritage - Thomas & Vaughan
• Gold: 2000 Cabernet Franc - Thomas & Vaughan
• Gold: 2000 Baco Noir Reserve - Lakeview Cellars
• Silver: 2001 Cabernet Franc Watson Vyd. - Southbrook
• Silver: 2001 Cabernet Sauv. Lailey Vyd. - Southbrook
• Silver: 2000 Cabernet Sauv. Estate - Thomas & Vaughan
• Silver: 1999 Meritage - Maleta
• Bronze: 2001 Merlot - Strewn
• Bronze: 2000 Cabernet Sauv. Reserve - Lakeview Cellars
• Bronze: 2000 Cabernet Franc - Featherstone
• Bronze: 2000 Baco Noir Reserve - Henry of Pelham
• Bronze: 2000 Meritage - Lakeview Cellars
• Bronze: 1999 Cabernet - Merlot Unfilterd - Henry of Pelham
• Bronze: 1999 Cabernet Franc - Hernder
• Bronze: 1999 Merlot - Hernder

• Silver: 2000 Meritage - Kacaba Vineyards

• Bronze: 2002 Summer Rose - Eastdell

• 2002 Black Currant - Downey's Estate

• Gold: 2002 Black Currant - Downey's Estate
• Gold: 2001 Spiced Apple - Sunnybrook Farm
• Gold: 2002 Cranberry - Stoney Ridge
• Gold: 2002 Regal Raspberry - Downey's Estate
• Gold: Cranberry - Hernder
• Gold: 2002 Spiced Apple - Hernder
• Gold: 2002 Crimson Cranberry - Downey's Estate
• Gold: 2002 True Blue - Downey's Estate
• Gold: 2002 Blackberry - Downey's Estate
• Gold: 2002 Black Raspberry - Sunnybrook Farm
• Gold: 2002 Elderberry - Scotch Block
• Gold: 2002 Elegant Elderberry - Scotch Block
• Gold: 2001 Russet Fantasy - Cox Creek Cellars

• 2001 Black Currant Ambrosia - Harvest Estate

• Gold: 2002 Cranberry Ice - Downey's Estate
• Gold: 2002 Framboise - Downey's Estate
• Gold: 2001 Black Currant Ambrosia - Harvest Estate
• Gold: 2001 Magnotta Pineapple Chardonnay
• Gold: 2001 Magnotta Blueberry Blue
• Gold: 2000 Spiced Russet - Cox Creek Cellars
• Gold: Blueberry - Southbrook
• Gold: Blackberry - Southbrook
• Silver: 2002 Blackberry Legend - Cox Creek Cellars
• Silver: 2002 Strawberry Sunsation - Scotch Block
• Silver: 2002 Elderberry Ecstacy - Scotch Block
• Silver: 2002 Red Currant Cassis - Scotch Block
• Silver: 2002 Cassis - Downey's Estate
• Silver: 2002 Cassis Black Currant - Scotch Block
• Silver: 2001 Cranberry Wine - Featherstone
• Silver: 2000 Symphony #9 - Cox Creek Cellars
• Silver: 2000 Iced Cherry - Sunnybrook Farm
• Bronze: 2002 Cassis Rouge - Downey's Estate
• Bronze: 2001 Golden Plum - Downey's Estate
• Bronze: 2000 Iced Peach - Hernder Estate
• Bronze: 1999 Iced Pear - Hernder Estate

• Silver: 2000 Duemila - Pillitteri
• Silver: 1999 Cuvée Catharine Brut - Henry of Pelham
• Bronze: Brut Methode Trad. - Chateau des Charmes
• Bronze: Hernder Canadian Champagne

• 2001 Vidal Select Late Harvest - Magnotta

• 2000 Riesling Icewine Ltd. Edition - Magnotta

• Gold: 2001 Vidal Select Late Harvest - Magnotta
• Gold: 2000 Vidal Icewine Ltd Edtion - Magnotta
• Silver: 2001 Vidal Select Late Harvest - Pillitteri
• Silver: 2000 Vidal Special S. Late Har. - Henry of Pelham
• Bronze: 2001 Riesling Select Late Harvest - Konzelmann
• Bronze: 2001 Vidal Select Late Harvest - Southbrook
• Bronze: 1999 Riesling Late Harvest - Chateau des Charmes

• Gold: 2001 Vidal Icewine - Lakeview Cellars
• Gold: 2001 Vidal Icewine - Pillitteri
• Gold: 2001 Riesling Botrytis Affected - Strewn
• Gold: 2000 Vidal Icewine - Konzelmann
• Gold: 2000 Riesling Icewine Ltd. Edition - Magnotta
• Gold: 1999 Riesling Icewine - Cilento Wines
• Silver: 2001 Vidal Icewine - Southbrook
• Silver: 2000 Vidal Icewine - Colio Estate
• Silver: 2000 Riesling Icewine - Henry of Pelham
• Silver: 2000 Riesling Icewine - Pelee Island
• Silver: 1999 Riesling Icewine - Thirty Bench
• Bronze: 2000 Vidal Icewine - Marynissen
• Bronze: 1999 Vidal Icewine - De Sousa Wine Cellars
• Bronze: 1999 Vidal Icewine - Chateau des Charmes
• Bronze: 2001 Cabernet Franc Icewine - Lakeview Cellars

• Silver: 1994 De Sousa Port - De Sousa Wine Cellars

Vineland Estates Winery Earns Dual International Honours on Two Continents for VinItaly, in Verona, Italy and Culinary Honours In New York

Vineland - It was a landmark day yesterday at Vineland Estates Winery on two continents as they accepted the Grand VinItaly 2003 Award, the top over all award at the prestigious 2003 VinItaly Wine Exposition in Verona, Italy and were the featured winery restaurant at the renowned James Beard Foundation in New York City.

Winery President, John Howard, and Winemaker, Brian Schmidt, were in attendance in Verona to accept the award at an evening gala with the "who's who" of the world's wine industry. Vineland Estates competed from among an unprecedented 95 gold medals from 3,334 wines submitted by 31 countries around the world. According to the press office at VinItaly, this is clearly the "Oscar" of the 2003 VinItaly Awards.

The 18 judging panels assigned Vineland Estates Winery with top honours and recognition based on achieving the best-combined score calculated on the basis of two earned medals. Of all medals bestowed at VinItaly, the Grand VinItaly is awarded to the single winery that achieves the highest combined score from all categories in the entire competition from two medal scores. Vineland Estates' 1999 Vidal Icewine garnered a Gold Medal and the 2000 Vidal Icewine was honoured with a Silver Medal in the competition.

Winemaker, Brian Schmidt, said, "this is quite incredible and says a lot about what we are doing here at Vineland Estates that is reflected in this international honour - to think globally and act locally and this demonstrates our continued commitment to producing great wines."

Not only was this a day of international recognition for Vineland Estates Winery in Italy, but in New York, original winemaker and general manager, Allan Schmidt, and executive chef, Mark Picone, C.C.C., hosted a winemakers dinner at the renowned James Beard Foundation in New York City to showcase Vineland Estates wines and culinary skills at this famed culinary site. Chefs appear at the foundation by request to lead and host dinners based on a solid reputation in the culinary world. This was Chef Picone's first invitation to appear as guest chef for the James Beard Foundation but is sure not to be his last. For more information on the James Beard Foundation, visit their website at www.jamesbeard.org.

Chateau des Charmes and Peninsula Ridge Join Expanded Winerytohome Listings - March 19, 2003, Toronto, Ontario

Starting this day, with the addition of two new wineries, Chateau des Charmes and Peninsula Ridge, the number of VQA wines that Ontario wine lovers can have delivered to their homes or offices through Winerytohome equals the selection available at the LCBO's largest stores.

After two months of success, Winerytohome now offers a full range of over 220 wines, the majority premier-quality VQA wines, and over 70% of which cannot be obtained through the LCBO. Wine enthusiasts can click on www.winerytohome.com and select wines that best suit their needs and tastes with the assistance of independent reviews by Winerytohome's widely-respected wine writer panel of Tony Aspler, David Lawrason, and new appointee Christopher Waters of St. Catharines.

Winerytohome now offers and arranges convenient delivery of wines to the expanded GTA via an interactive, secure, e-commerce web site. Wineries include:

Cave Spring Cellars, Chateau des Charmes, Creekside Estate Winery, EastDell Estates, Henry of Pelham Family Estate, Joseph's Estate Winery, Lakeview Cellars Estate Winery, Peninsula Ridge, Legends Estates, Reif Estate, Strewn, Thomas & Vaughan Vintners, and Thirty Bench Vineyard & Winery.

Winerytohome is proud to be associated with these fine Ontario wineries, six of which earned 10 gold medals at Cuvée 2003.

For more information, please contact Doug Towers, President, Winerytohome 416 492 3102 or dougtowers@winerytohome.com.

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