Vancouver Island wineries came away with a treasure-trove of medals in the 2010 All-Canadian Wine Championships. In all Island wineries won 21 medals in 13 different categories. 

The haul included two coveted Double Gold medals–one for Muse Winery’s 2008 Marechal Foch and one for Church and State Wines’ 2007 Chardonnay. Gold medal winners included Rocky Creek Winery for its 2009 Pinot Gris, Starling Lane Estate Winery’s 2009 Ortega and 2008 Marechal Foch, Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery’s 2009 Ortega, Muse Winery’s 2009 Ortega “Poetic Justice,” and 2009 Rosé, and Church and State’s 2007 Coyote Bowl Merlot.

Silver medals were awarded to Beaufort Vineyards’ 2009 Pinot Gris and 2009 Ça Beautage, Averill Creek Vineyard’s 2008 Prevost and 2009 Cowichan Black dessert wine, MooBerry Winery’s Raspberry and Gooseberry wines, Silverside Farm’s Blueberry dessert wine, and Rocky Creek’s 2008 Wild Blackberry wine. 

Winners of bronze medals included: Starling Lane’s Celebration sparkling wine as well as its 2009 Pinot Gris, Rocky Creek’s 2009 Ortega, and Muse Winery’s 2009 Late Harvest Viognier.

The record harvest of medals at the ACWC begins to show the strength of Island wineries. Wineries in the Saanich Peninsula showed well, with Starling Lane winery and Muse winery both topping the results with four medals each. Muse in particular won one double gold, 2 gold and a bronze. 

“We are very pleased with the national recognition as it helps validate our

approach to wine making,” says Starling Lane’s Jerry Mussio. “Our philosophy is very simple:  grow the very best grapes and use a gentle wine-making process to retain the natural local flavours in the finished wines.” 

The recent successes begin to help focus on what varietals do well in Island wineries. In all, four medals were won by Island-grown Ortega wines, and three for Island-grown Pinot Gris. Marechal Foch wines grown on the Island won double gold and gold, indicating a real superiority of this grape in cooler climates. Fruit wines won five medals , two for blackberry wines. And while many Island wineries make wines from Island grapes as well as Okanagan grapes, 18 of the 21 medals were won by wines made from fruit grown on the Island. 

“I am not surprised that the island wineries did well,” says BC wine writer John Schreiner. “First of all, the 2009 vintage had perhaps the finest growing conditions in more than a decade. Secondly, a growing body of accomplished and experienced winemakers have learned how to grow good fruit from maturing vines and make interesting wines even in vintages that are challenging. I recently tasted an island

Pinot Noir from 2007, a cool year, that was one of the more charming Pinots

I have tasted in some time. The profile of the wine islands is rising for

good reason.”

Look for Island wines at your favourite private wine store or restaurant, or at the wineries themselves. Most have websites set up so you can purchase wines.

For more information, contact Janet Dougherty, president of the Wine Islands Vintners Association, at (250) 743-4293. Check out Island wineries at the WIVA website www.wineislands.ca