The 6th annual Judgement of Kingston winetasting event took place on Saturday, 6 November, at the Marriott Residence Inn (Water’s Edge). This year featured a blind-tasting of pinot noirs from Prince Edward County and British Columbia. The event started with guests enjoying Ceremony, a sparkling wine from Rosehall Run Vineyards, and a real crowd pleaser.
Following a careful tasting and deliberations the three judges –Toronto sommeliers Renee Sferrazza & Leah Spooner, and Kingston’s own Ian Nicholls–declared the County’s Harwood Estate Vineyard 2018 as #1, followed by another County wine, Hubb’s Creek 2017 Pinot Noir, with 3rd place going to Unsworth’s Pinot Noir 2019 from British Columbia.
The #1 choice following audience balloting was Burrowing Owl 2019 Pinot Noir from British Columbia, with the Harwood and Unsworth wines coming second and third in the public rankings.
Commenting, one of JoK’s organizers, Professor Lubomyr Luciuk, observed: “The JoK team is made up entirely of volunteers and wine enthusiasts who are committed to doing two things: promoting culinary tourism and outstanding wines from The County and other great wine-making regions, while also raising money for regional charities–this year, thanks to our supporting wineries, sponsors like the Frontenac Club, and all our guests at JoK 2021, we raised $2,500 for the St Vincent de Paul Society of Kingston and $2,500 for the StoreHouse food bank in Wellington. It’s hard to imagine a more satisfying way in which to celebrate the autumn season while also sharing in its bounty with those of our fellow citizens who find themselves in need.”
A GLOBAL TV videoclip on the Judgement of Kingston (shown on the morning of 8 November 2021)