The dedication of Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) to the Canadian grape and wine industry was on full display at the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) last week.

Almost 250 professionals and enthusiasts packed the main ballroom at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s White Oaks Resort for i4C’s School of Cool, the first event of the four-day celebration, on Friday, July 17.

Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute Operations Coordinator Taylor MaGee poured two wines from relaunched Canadian Wine Library during the walkaround tasting following the School of Cool on Friday, July 17.

i4C’s signature gathering featured speakers, moderated industry-expert panel sessions and tastings for attendees from around the Chardonnay-growing world.

School of Cool participants also had the unique opportunity to experience some of the treasures housed in the relaunched Canadian Wine Library (CWL) during the “Chardonnay’s Coming of Age – A Retrospective” session led by CCOVI Oenology Scientist Jennifer Kelly.

Housed within CCOVI’s 44,000-bottle cellar at Brock University, the CWL was developed to determine how Canadian wines age and provide producers with feedback based on results from scheduled tastings.

“It was only fitting that we presented the 240-person audience with an opportunity to revisit, or to taste for the first time, a 1995 Chardonnay Reserve from Cave Spring Vineyard,” said Kelly. “It showed beautifully, and everyone had the experience of enjoying a 30-year-old wine together.”

Following School of Cool panel and tasting sessions, attendees were able to sample a variety of Chardonnays and meet with international winemakers and Ontario producers during a walkaround tasting.

Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) team hosted the What Kind of Cool Are You? interactive tasting as part of the 2025 International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration’s Friday Night Flights on July 18. The tasting event asked attendees to pick a favourite style of Chardonnay wine from the line up. Then, using their responses, CCOVI staff created personalized roadmaps of all the Chardonnays available at the event.

The CWL presented two wines from Brock’s cellared collection — a 1999 CSV Chardonnay from Cave Spring Vineyard and a 1999 Founder’s Reserve Chardonnay from Inniskillin Wines  — poured by CCOVI Operations Coordinator Taylor MaGee, who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the CWL collection.

“It was great to see so much interest in the wines we were pouring and the Canadian Wine Library. There is clearly a demand to see just how well VQA wines can hold up over time,” he said.

The i4C celebrations continued Friday, July 18 with tastings at participating Niagara wineries and Friday Night Flights at the Niagara District Airport, which featured premium VQA Chardonnays from Ontario and around the world as well as CCOVI’s popular “What Kind of Cool are You?” interactive tasting.

Saturday included winery visits and tastings as well as the Chardonnay in the Vineyard World Tour Tasting and Dinner at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Riverbend Inn. The four-day spectacle capped off on Sunday with additional Niagara winery tastings and tours.

CCOVI Manager of Professional Studies and Outreach Barb Tatarnic said the four days were an “incredible experience.”

“The i4C is an amazing event bringing wine lovers to taste, connect and explore our region,” she said. “CCOVI is proud to be a sponsor of this event and acknowledge the incredible effort it takes to make this a world-class celebration.”