Home Recent Judgement Judgement 2020
Kingston’s premier wine-tasting event, the Judgment of Kingston, was not open to the public this year given the pandemic situation. Nevertheless, while observing all required public health and safety regulations, great chardonnays from Niagara were blind-tasted on 7 November and compared with some of The County’s best by an independent panel of sommeliers, including Lorie O’Sullivan, Emily Pearce, and Nabilah Rawji, with CKWS-TV personality, Bill Welychka, as Master of Ceremonies. After a lengthy deliberation, the judges scored Leaning Post 2017 Wismer-Foxcroft Chardonnay as the top wine of the event, with the 2018 Trail Estate Vintage Three Chardonnay coming second and Mineralité de Niagara Chardonnay 2018, by Thomas Bachelder, taking third. The public vote for first place went to the Leaning Post chardonnay.
During the event the all-volunteer JoK 2020 team invited donations in support of regional charities. As Professor Lubomyr Luciuk reported, $3,000 was raised for Martha’s Table with an additional grant designated to support The StoreHouse, a food bank in Wellington. He added: “County wines have consistently demonstrated, over several years, just how good they are, and, as our judges noted, they have been getting better and better every year. We are truly grateful to all of the winemakers from Niagara and The County who supported this year's Judgement of Kingston event, allowing us to showcase great Canadian wines and, at the same time, raise funds to help those of our neighbours who find themselves in need.”
Next year’s JoK will offer the public a chance to taste some of the best pinot noirs of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley compared with pinots from The County. For more information please go to judgementofkingston.ca
Those with Judgement of Kingston present a cheque for $3,000 to Martha’s Table.
Left to Right: Bob Burkholder (Judgement of Kingston), Bill Welychka (MC), Ronda Candy
(Director of Martha’s Table), Rachel Mathies (Judgement of Kingston) and Dr. Lubomyr Luciuk (Judgement of Kingston). Photo by Joanna Castles.
$1,000 went to the StoreHouse Foodbank in Wellington, Ontario.
Click here for the 2020 Tasting Notes