CASSINI TAKES CHARGE

Okanagan Valley winery’s medal haul leads the way at annual InterVin awards

Cassini Cellars from B.C.’s Okanagan Valley was one of this year’s biggest winners at the InterVin Wine Awards, bringing home a record-setting seven gold medals and winning winery of the year honours as a result.

The medal haul was led by Cassini’s red portfolio, including two vintages (2013 and 2012) of the Aristocrat Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 Quattro Red, 2013 Collector’s Series Cabernet Franc and 2013 Nobilus Merlot.

Cassini’s top-scoring white wines were the 2014 Chardonnay Reserve and 2013 Rousanne Marsanne, which also struck gold. The Okanagan winery also collected five silvers and three honours awards.

Located on Highway 97 on the Golden Mile Bench, pretty much halfway between Oliver and Osoyoos, B.C., Cassini has attracted lovers of big, bold red wines since opening its tasting room in 2009. The grand tasting room features a 10-metre tasting bar that’s as remarkable as the wines.

Adrian Cassini, who describes himself as being Romanian by birth and Canadian winery owner by choice, has worked with several winemaking consultants, including Philip Soo, to hone his style. He has called himself a perfectionist, saying, “I want to do better, and it is possible to do better.”

Extended barrel aging is one of the contributing factors to the rich and concentrated Cassini red wine style, which met with approval from InterVin judges. The Maximus red blend sees 14 months in oak barrels, while components used to create the winery’s flagship red, The Godfather, routinely mature for 22 to 24 months to contribute to the rich and dense character.

Another B.C.-based boutique winery, Church & State Wines, was the runner-up in the Winery of the Year category, while Australia’s Wolf Blass placed third overall, earning the title International Winery of the Year. Peller Estates from Niagara-on-the-Lake was the top-rated Ontario winery.

Wineries that enter five or more wines into the competition are automatically entered into the Winery of the Year category. The top five scores from each winery are calculated to determine the ranking.

All of the InterVin results, including gold, silver and honours award winners and a spotlight of the Top 10 Wineries of the Year from the competition, are featured in a special edition of Vines Magazine.

Visit intervin.ca. Christopher Waters is the co-founder and editor of Vines, a national consumer wine magazine.