An annual celebration, Cuvee 2013 saw the Ontario wine industry come alive with the love of their craft. The event was catered by numerous Niagara restaurants and showcased a new format for the 2013 season. No longer a competition of Oscar-style voting by winemakers in the industry, Cuvee 2013 was a showcase of the winemaker’s choice for his or her best wine. It was intriguing, with simply divine results as attendees were treated to the crème de la crème of the portfolios of each winery in attendance.

Each year the Tony Aspler Award, named for the well-known wine writer, educator and Ontario wine advocate, is awarded to a member of the industry who has done outstanding things for wine education. This year that award was given to Terence Van Rooyen, winemaker at the Niagara College Teaching Winery. Praised for his contribution to the industry and for the quality of graduates leaving the Winery and Viticulture Technician program, Van Rooyen is a hands-on element of the program and acts as a mentor to the talented crop of students that attend each year.

The Niagara College Teaching Winery is located at Niagara College’s Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus and is a part of the Canadian Food and Wine Institute. It is the only teaching winery facility of its kind in North America and is part of the Wine Visitor and Education Centre. This building acts as a resource for education in the industry and the  wine growing region for visitors to wine country.

Because you may be curious which wine Van Rooyen decided to pour from the NC Teaching Winery portfolio, his choice was the 2010 Dean’s List Chardonnay. This wine was also honoured as the Intervin White Wine of the Year in 2012.