The results are in and it’s another sparkling vintage for Nova Scotia wineries. The winners of the 2019 Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in Nova Scotia Wines were recently announced at a ceremony at Government House. Of the four wines bestowed with the title of the province’s best by the 11-person tasting committee, two were Tidal Bay and two were Traditional Method sparkling wines.
According to Winery Association of Nova Scotia, Director Jerry White, “Nova Scotia wines continue to experience a high level of success in regional, national and international wine competitions and continue to receive acclaim from leading wine commentators throughout the world. This is a direct result of the maturity of the industry in understanding the potential of the terroir in Nova Scotia for producing wine grapes and the skills of the winemakers in turning those grapes into great wines. Awards such as the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Nova Scotia Wine spotlight the skill and vision of our winemakers and their teams, who work together to bring the emerging story of Nova Scotia wine to the world and to then bring the wine world to Nova Scotia.”
Carman Mills, Education Director of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and a judge at both the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in Nova Scotia Wines and the Atlantic Canadian Wine Awards, gives a special nod to one wine style. According to Mills,“Sparkling wines are Nova Scotia’s best. With back-to-back selections (2018 and 2019) for the Lieutenant Governor Award for Excellence in Nova Scotia Wines, Blomidon’s Traditional Method sparkling wines are impeccable. While I’ve always fancied Simon Rafuse as a bit of a ‘Chardonnay whisperer’, Rafuse has a profound ability to coax out rich autolytic-influenced notes of buttery hazelnuts while preserving lip-smacking lemony freshness,” he says. “With a winning streak like this, I’m anxious to see what Blomidon Estate Winery has stashed away for next year’s Lieutenant Governor's submission.”
Blomidon was recognized for its 2011 Brut Réserve, a 100 per cent sparkling Chardonnay made using the Traditional Method (second fermentation in bottle) and aged a remarkable 60 months on its lees, leading to its rich yeast and buttery aromas and flavours. The recognition for the wine follows its win at the Atlantic Canadian Wine Awards (tied with Lightfoot & Wolfville’s Blanc de Blanc Brut, another Chardonnay-based Traditional Method sparkling wine). Joining Blomidon on stage at the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards was Avondale Sky, Jost and Planters Ridge.
Avondale Sky was recognized for its 2011 Blanc de Noir, a Pinot Noir-based Traditional Method sparkling wine, while Jost and Planters Ridge were both awarded for their versions of Tidal Bay. The results, in compilation with the recently held Atlantic Canadian Wine Awards, reaffirm sparkling wines and crisp white wines as the province’s best.
