VQA FAQ

The festival of Wassail affords each and every one of us a wonderful opportunity to taste the difference between “V.Q.A. Prince Edward County” wines and those made with grapes from other jurisdictions.

Introduced as recently as 2000, the designation V.Q.A. stands for “Vintners Quality Alliance.” Regulations require that wine displaying this designation be made only from grapes grown in Ontario. By matching the yield of each vineyard to the production of every winery, authorities can be confident that if a wine shows the “V.Q.A. Ontario” on the label, the grapes have been grown in Ontario. But the label does not mean that the source grapes were all grown within a certain appellation, be it Niagara, Lake Erie or Prince Edward County. Wineries can import grapes from other regions (within Ontario) to maximize production and introduce more mature fruit to their offerings.

The County now has its own V.Q.A. appellation. Only wines made with grapes that are 100 per cent County-grown may qualify for the designation V.Q.A Prince Edward County. This does not mean, however, that we should discount County wines produced with grapes from other jurisdictions. Such wine is often blended with grapes grown locally.

P.E.C. locals should get out and celebrate the festival of Wassail, to find out the difference. Visit our wineries, if only to discover the wealth of tastes that are available right on our doorstep. Please do not drink and drive. There is a wonderful jump-on-jump-off shuttle service to and from participating wineries, allowing us to freely enjoy the wine and food of Wassail. What a wonderful opportunity!

THIS WEEK’S PICK
As this is the final week of Wassail, it is a perfect time to select your favorite wines to accompany the Christmas feast.

By Chadsey’s Cairns has just released a delicious 2011 Gewurztraminer, V.Q.A., P.E.C. for $19.95. It is the perfect Wassail treat to enjoy with Lili’s dish this week. This is a wine that presents in a traditional fashion, showing a washed gold hue with floral aromas of rose and lychee. The palate surprises you with predominant flavors of ripe Galia melon and citrus, layered with spices. The great (yet not overpowering) acidity makes this wine a keeper for special occasions.

By Chadsey’s Cairns is located at 17432 Loyalist Parkway, just west of Wellington.