Cuvée Winemaker of Excellence Award – Nomination

Sponsored by the Criveller Group

Nominations are being accepted for the Cuvée Winemaker of Excellence Award. The award was first presented at the 2018 Cuvée Grand Tasting where the Ontario wine industry showcases the best Ontario VQA wines.

This is the perfect opportunity to recognize a winemaker who promotes and displays excellence in the categories outlined below.

Nominations are OPEN
Nominations CLOSE:  February 15, 2020
     Winner notification:  After February 28, 2020

Nominate Now

Nomination Guidelines:

*The Nominator must not be an immediate family relative of the nominee.*

Who can nominate:

  • Anyone associated with or working for a VQA winery;
  • Grape grower
  • Wine writer, wine media, wine industry professional

Other details:

  • Nominator is not made public, only to the nominee and judges.
  • Nominations will be held in confidence and confirmed by email.
  • The Nominee does not have to have a winery participating in Cuvée.
  • The Nominee must agree to the nomination.
  • The Nominee must be producing VQA wine.
  • The award winner will not be made public prior to the Cuvée Grand Tasting and will remain confidential to the award winner, nominee and judges up until the Grand Tasting award presentation.
  • The award winner will be notified by the Manager of Cuvée and receive two complementary tickets to attend the Cuvée Grand Tasting to accept the award. The award will be announced and handed out at the opening ceremony at Après Cuvée.
  • The Manager of Cuvée will contact the award recipient with all details.
  • The award winner will be invited to attend Cuvée the following year in order to present to the succeeding winner.

The Nominee will be evaluated in the following categories:

  1. LEADERSHIP IN THE WINE INDUSTRY in the following areas:
    • Promotion, provision, and support of educational initiatives to further benefit the VQA wine industry;
    • Research, development and/or innovative approaches that advance VQA wines;
    • Mentorship of other winemakers to enhance and enrich peers;
    • Community engagement as it pertains to the VQA wine industry.
  2. EXCELLENCE IN VQA WINEMAKING AS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH AWARDS, DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL.

Evaluation Process:

  • Each nominee evaluation will be based solely on the information submitted.
  • The evaluation team will be made up of a maximum of five expert judges from, or affiliated with, the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) at Brock University. Judges can include: CCOVI researchers, Department of Biological Sciences faculty, lecturers or experienced staff, CCOVI Fellows and Professional Affiliates. The evaluation team will be chaired by the Manager of Cuvée.

Nominate Now