The official wines of Queen's Park have been selected, and they are both from Niagara.
The Grape Growers of Ontario with the Honourable Speaker of the Legislature and MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills, Ted Arnott, hosted the 42nd Annual Wine Tasting event at Queen’s Park yesterday.
In the revised format following COVID-19 protocols, Matthias Oppenlaender, Chair of the Grape Growers of Ontario, and CEO Debbie Zimmerman announced that 'Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery 2019 Meritage' has been selected for the red, and 'Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery 2020 Chardonnay' will be the chosen white.
“As the legacy partner of the Legislature’s wine tasting event, the Grape Growers of Ontario thank the Hon. Speaker Arnott for continuing the tradition of choosing the official VQA wines of the Legislative Assembly for the coming year,” said Matthias Oppenlaender, Chair. “Our agriculture value-added industry is rooted in the land, and the Grape Growers of Ontario look forward to continuing to work with the Government of Ontario to support Ontario’s grape and wine industry.”
“Congratulations to all of Ontario’s wineries on producing top-quality 100% Ontario VQA wines, and thank you to the four wineries that participated in this year’s tasting. The wines showcased at this event reflect the connection between locally grown grapes and the winemakers who craft them, and are a testament to the dedication, hard work and vision of grape growers across the province,” said Debbie Zimmerman, CEO.
Traditionally, members of Provincial Parliament gathered each year to support the local industry and select the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s official VQA wines to be served at legislative functions throughout 2022.
In keeping with COVID-19 restrictions, a virtual event with a select group of participants tasted and marked their preferences on a voting ballot to determine which wines would be selected from four wineries from across the province.