Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

International Value Wine Awards announces

The best wines in Canada under $25

By Anthony Gismondi

Earlier this week Wine Access released its first ever International Value Wine Awards results, a competition they positioned as “the search for the best wine in Canada under $25.”

I should make it clear I’m an editor at Wine Access but like the other 15 judges invited from across Canada to judge the wines I too sat in a Calgary hotel room for the better part of a week to blind taste over 760 wines in search of that elusive best wine under $25.

With so many awards worldwide Wine Access chose to do something different and look at the lower end of the market where almost 95 per cent of all purchases are made.

The wines were mostly tasted on the basis of grape, that is to say all the chardonnay, all the sauvignon, all the cabernet regardless of origin competed against each other. In some cases, particular blends or styles that could be considered regional were left to be tasted together.

By the time we finished we tasted almost 1,000 wines, both domestic and imported from 17 countries, with the retail price of each being $25 per bottle or less somewhere in Canada. This includes government stores, private stores, and the consignment programs in Ontario and British Columbia.

The results are illuminating and in the inaugural year certainly exciting for two B.C. wineries that topped their categories. Jackson Triggs took home the best cabernet sauvignon in the competition, and Lang Vineyards snagged the riesling title.

The IVWA will be the cover story of the November issue of Wine Access, due to hit newsstands the third week of October, just in time for the busy Holiday buying period. The issue will feature photos of the top wines, detailed information about the categories and tasting notes on all winning wines and the unveiling of the Best Red, White and Sparkling Wine Under $25 as judged in a final taste-off at the end of the competition. They will also publish an extensive list of the best red and white wines in Canada under $15.

In the meantime I wanted to share with you some of the early results so you can get out shopping. And the winners are…

 

Cabernet Sauvignon

90 Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2004 Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. B.C. $24.99

 

Merlot

89 Delicato Family Vineyards 2005 Merlot, California, United States.

B.C. $13.99, AB $11.95, MB $11.99, ON $11.95, QC $14.60, NF $13.91

 

Syrah/Shiraz

91 Nugan Estate McLaren Parish 2004 Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia. B.C. $23.85

 

Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz Blend

88 Wakefield Promised Land 2004 Shiraz Cabernet, South Australia.

ON $13.55

 

Pinot Noir

88 Mount Riley 2005 Pinot Noir, South Island, New Zealand.

B.C. $19.85, AB $21.95

 

Malbec

89 Kaiken Reserva 2004 Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina.

AB $16.95

 

Zinfandel

89 Clos du Bois 2003 Zinfandel North Coast, California United States.

MB $23.00, QC $22.85

 

Sangiovese Blends

90 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi 2004 Tenuta di Castiglioni, Tuscany, Italy.

B.C. $26.99, AB $23, ON $19.95, QC $26.75

 

Red Blends

91 Chateau Sainte Eulalie la Cantilène 2003, Minervois, Languedoc, France. B.C. $24.99, AB$22, ON $18.95

 

Red All Other

89 De Bortoli dB 2005 Petite Sirah, Riverina, New South Wales, Australia.

B.C. $11.99, ON $12.95

 

Sparkling

88 Deinhard Lila N/V Riesling Sekt, Germany.

B.C. $13.99, AB$13, ON $12.95, NS $19.18

 

Un-Oaked Chardonnay

90 Goundrey 2005 Homestead Unwooded Chardonnay, Western Australia.

B.C. $12.02, AB $12.65, QC $13.85, NB $10.89

 

Oaked Chardonnay

89 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve 2004 Chardonnay, California, United States. B.C. $22.21, AB $21.95, MB $18.61, ON $19.95, QC $21.05

 

Sauvignon Blanc

89 Villa Maria 2005 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand. B.C. $18.82, ON $16.15

 

Riesling

88 Lang Vineyards 2005 Riesling Farm Reserve, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. B.C. $15.90 winery, VQA stores

 

Other Aromatic Whites

89 Pfaffenheim 2004 Gewurztraminer, Alsace, France.

B.C. $16.65, AB $15.95 NB $21

 

White Blends

87 Parri Estate 2005 Viognier/Chardonnay, South Australia.

ON $17.95 (Feb 07)

 

All Other Whites

88 Mission Hill 2005 Five Vineyards Pinot Grigio, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. B.C. $ 15.86, AB $14.99, NB $13.87

 

Canada Best Red

90 Jackson-Triggs Okanagan 2004 Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. B.C. $24.99

 

Canada Best White

88 Mission Hill 2005 Five Vineyards Pinot Grigio, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. B.C. $15.95

 

United States Best Red

89 Clos du Bois 2003 Zinfandel North Coast, California United States.

MB $22.44, QC$22.85

 

United States Best White

89 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve 2004 Chardonnay, California United States. B.C. $22.21, AB $21.95, MB $18.61, ON $19.95, QC $21.05

 

Chile Best Red

89 J. Bouchon 2005 Reserva Carmenère / Syrah 2005, Maule Chile. $12.95

 

Chile Best White

87 Cono Sur 2005 Loma Roja Vision Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley, Chile. ON 14.95

 

Argentina Best Red

89 Kaiken Reserva 2004 Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina. AB $15.95

 

Argentina Best White

89 Catena Chardonnay 2004, Mendoza, Argentina. BC $24.95, AB $21.50, ON $19.95, QC $21

 

Australia Best Red

91 Nugan Estate McLaren Parish 2004 Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia. AB $24

 

Australia Best White

90 Goundrey 2005 Homestead Unwooded Chardonnay, Western Australia. B.C. $12.02, AB $12.65, QC $13.85, NB $10.89

 

New Zealand Best Red

88 Mount Riley 2005 Pinot Noir, South Island, New Zealand. B.C. $19.85, AB $21.95, ON 18.95

 

New Zealand Best White

89 Villa Maria 2005 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand. B.C. $17.59, ON $16.15, NB $18.26

 

IVWA France Best Red

91 Chateau Sainte Eulalie la Cantilène 2003, Minervois, Languedoc, France. B.C. $24.99, AB $22.00, ON $18.95

 

IVWA France Best White

89 Pfaffenheim 2004 Gewurztraminer, Alsace, France. B.C. $17.59, AB14.95

 

Italy Best Red

90 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi 2004 Tenuta di Castiglioni, Tuscany, Italy. B.C. $26.99, AB $23.00, ON $19.95, QC $26.75

 

IVWA Spain Best Red

88 Castaño 2004 Monastrell, Yecla, Spain. B.C. $9.99, AB $10.80, NB $12.09

 

For complete results and top tens in all categories go to www.gismondionwine.com

 

Anthony Gismondi is a globetrotting wine writer who makes his home in West Vancouver, British Columbia. For more of his thoughts on wine log onto www.gismondionwine.com