Vineyard named best performing small winery at national awards

Moon Curser Vineyards, a family-owned winery in Osoyoos, has been named Best Performing Small Winery at the 2019 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada and also ranked second overall in the Top 25 Wineries in Canada.

“We are absolutely delighted,” said co-owner Beata Tolley. “Moon Curser has been a labour of love for us for over 15 years now, and this award is a testament not only to the skill and dedication of our vineyard and winemaking teams, but also to the exceptional growth and development of the South Okanagan as a wine growing region.”

The WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada is regarded as the most prestigious wine competition in Canada.

Led by co-founders Anthony Gismondi and David Lawrason, a team of leading sommeliers and wine writers had the daunting task of narrowing down 1,815 entries, from 259 different wineries in eight provinces, to an elite few.

Moon Curser Vineyards received 11 medals in the competition, including Platinum for its 2017 Touriga Nacional, and topped the standings for any winery producing fewer than 10,000 cases annually, and ranked second overall for all wineries in Canada.

The winery was established in 2004 with a focus on making premium wines from established old-world grape varieties not commonly encountered in British Columbia.

Chris Tolley, co-owner and winemaker, views their location as an integral part of his success in the cellar.

“We believed that growing interesting world-class grapes like Touriga Nacional, Arneis or Tannat would be possible on the Osoyoos East Bench where the influence of the heat, sun and lake all combine to deliver fantastic growing conditions for these grapes. We still do, now more than ever.”

Click here for more on the awards and the vineyard.