{"id":50114,"date":"2018-03-26T22:35:53","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T02:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=50114"},"modified":"2019-02-28T13:44:59","modified_gmt":"2019-02-28T18:44:59","slug":"inaugural-winemaker-of-excellence-awarded-at-packed-cuvee-grand-tasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2018\/03\/inaugural-winemaker-of-excellence-awarded-at-packed-cuvee-grand-tasting\/","title":{"rendered":"Inaugural Winemaker of Excellence awarded at packed Cuv\u00e9e Grand Tasting"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cuv\u00e9e Grand Tasting rang in a milestone 30th anniversary by bringing more than 800 guests together to celebrate excellence in the thriving Ontario wine industry.<\/p>\n

Organized by Brock University\u2019s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), a record crowd came to the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls on Friday, March 23 to sample from the largest selection of Ontario wines under one roof and taste unique culinary dishes from local chefs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe strong turnout of guests from across Southern Ontario year-after-year truly showcases the importance of our grape and wine industry and the strong level of support it garners from our community,\u201d said Cuv\u00e9e manager Barb Tatarnic.<\/p>\n

The Grand Tasting also honours the talented people who work in the $4.4 billion Ontario grape and wine industry.<\/p>\n

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Donald Ziraldo, right, presents Angelo Pavan, Vice-President, Winemaker and Founding Partner at Cave Spring Cellars, with the inaugural Cuv\u00e9e Winemaker of Excellence Award Friday, March 23 in Niagara Falls.<\/p><\/div>\n

The inaugural Winemaker of Excellence Award <\/strong>winner was Angelo Pavan, <\/strong>chosen in a unanimous decision for his major contributions to the industry, his commitment to excellence and his mentorship to winemakers across Canada.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Pavan, Vice-President, Winemaker and Founding Partner at Cave Spring Cellars, is known for his encyclopedic understanding of viticulture in Niagara. He was among the first in the province to work with numerous grape varieties and was a pioneer in the quest to improve wine quality and sustainability in vinifera varieties.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is humbling to be the first recipient of this great award,\u201d said Pavan. \u201cIt validates the passion, time, effort and commitment of over 30 years dedicated to this great wine growing region and having participated in its evolution to international recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pavan is also a founding member and Chair of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) Standards Development Committee and has played a key role in determining the most suitable winemaking practices applicable in Ontario. As the founding Chair of the International Riesling Experience, held in conjunction with CCOVI, Pavan has also been instrumental in solidifying Niagara\u2019s place as one of the world\u2019s pre-eminent Riesling producing regions.<\/p>\n

Teamwork and collaboration is also key to success, he stressed, adding \u201cto be successful and to be acknowledged for your work, one needs to contribute to the industry at large and not just your own operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Cuv\u00e9e Vineyard of Excellence Award\u00a0winner Albrecht Seeger, an eighth-generation grape grower\u00a0in Niagara-on-the-Lake and sitting member on the Ontario Grape and Wine Research Technical Committee, speaks to the crowd after being given the honour Friday, March 23.<\/p><\/div>\n

This year\u2019s Cuv\u00e9e Vineyard of Excellence Award<\/strong>\u00a0went to\u00a0Albrecht Seeger, an eighth-generation grape grower\u00a0in Niagara-on-the-Lake and sitting member on the Ontario Grape and Wine Research Technical Committee. Sponsored by BASF Canada Inc., the award recognizes a grape grower who promotes excellence in vineyard practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cBASF believes that we achieve excellence not just by using current practices to their fullest potential, but by looking for new innovations to continuously improve and evolve,\u201d said Scott Hodgins, Crop Manager, Horticulture for BASF Canada Inc. \u201cThe Vineyard of Excellence Award provides the opportunity to celebrate others in the industry who do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alongside his wife Anja Bertelmann, Albrecht maintains a sprawling 150-acre vineyard of premium Vitis vinifera grape varieties and has made viticulture his life\u2019s work. He is dedicated to being a grape grower in Ontario, which he calls \u201cone of the best regions in the world to grow grapes.\u201d<\/p>\n

CCOVI Senior Scientist Jim Willwerth said Seegar is \u201ctruly deserving of the Vineyard of Excellence Award.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis vineyard is meticulously managed right down to the finest detail,\u201d Willwerth said. \u201cAlbrecht strives to produce grapes of the highest quality destined for world class wine and this was demonstrated in every way throughout the evaluation process.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Tony Aspler Cuv\u00e9e Award of Excellence was awarded to Sue-Ann Staff Friday, March 23.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Tony Aspler Cuv\u00e9e Award of Excellence, <\/strong>presented to the individual or institution that best furthers the aims and aspirations of Ontario\u2019s wine industry, was awarded to Sue-Ann Staff. She is a fifth-generation Niagara grape grower and internationally recognized winemaker who has won some of the most respected wine competitions in the world. Staff worked for several Niagara wineries before creating her own eponymous facility, and Tony Aspler said she has since become an \u201carticulate ambassador for the Ontario wine region on the international stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cuv\u00e9e also celebrates the next generation of winemakers and grape growers by providing scholarships to Brock University Oenology and Viticulture students through the Cuv\u00e9e Legacy Fund.<\/p>\n

The Cuv\u00e9e Scholarship winners are:<\/p>\n