Oh Canada! What amazing wines you are producing these days. The 2007 All Canadian Wine Championships had over 850 wines from 140 wineries that were judged by industry experts. The overall quality of Canadian wines in improving, and the Best Wine of the Year went to a syrah from British Columbia.

From Appellation America:

The "Best Red Wine of the Year" was the 2004 SunRock Shiraz from Jackson Triggs Okanagan Estate. It's a power red with mineral, tar and blackberry notes, huge tannins, intense colour, and big flavours. It's still a good food wine though, with balance that makes you think of the Northern Rhone.

That a Syrah won the competition was surprising, but maybe not that surprising considering that there were 25 Syrah/Shiraz wines entered, many of which were excellent. Ontario grows Syrah too, and some of it is fine, but the southern Okanagan sure seems to be perfect terroir for this grape. Others have noticed: Jackson Trigg's Grand Reserve Okanagan Shiraz won Best Shiraz/Syrah at the huge International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2006, in London, England, beating out many more expensive wines.

Be sure to read the rest of the article for more on wines from Quebec, white varietals, and blends. Canada's wine industry is strong and growing!