Teaching Winery Wins Big At ‘The Nationals’

NC Winemaker Allison Findlay holds a bottle of Dean’s List Rosé and Dean’s List Riesling. The award-winning wines are from her first vintage as NC Winemaker./Niagara College photo

There are five new reasons to raise a glass to Niagara College – and five new award-winning wines to fill them with.

NC’s Teaching Winery has won several new medals— including two golds, two silvers and a bronze – from the 2023 WineAlign National Wine Awards, known as ‘the Nationals.’

“Winning five medals at one national competition is an outstanding testament to the high quality of applied learning at Niagara College,” said Steve Gill, General Manager of the College’s Learning Enterprises. “Our wine students gain the skills they need to lead and succeed in the industry at our Teaching Winery. Congratulations to the amazing alumni winemakers, staff and students behind our latest award-winning wines!”

“These awards are especially significant as we are going up against the best in the country,” said NC Winemaker Allison Findlay. “I was proud to submit some of my first vintage wines and have them show well too. It is a great example of things we have done great in the past, as well as continuing the reputation of quality in the future.”

The Teaching Winery’s latest winning wines include:

• 2022 Dean’s List Riesling St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, which won gold in the Riesling category;
• 2018 Balance Riesling Brut, VQA Niagara Peninsula, which won gold in the Sparkling category;
• 2022 Dean’s List Cabernet Rosé, VQA Four Mile Creek, which won silver in the Rosé category;
• 2020 Dean’s List Savant, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Peninsula , which won silver in the Icewine category; and
• 2020 Marmitons Gastronomy Pinot Noir, Niagara-on-the-Lake, which won bronze in the Pinot Noir category.

The Dean’s List Rosé and Dean’s List Riesling are from Findlay’s first vintage with the College since she joined as Winemaker in 2022. A 2014 graduate of NC’s Winery and Viticulture Technician program, Findlay was previously Head Winemaker at Flat Rock Cellars in Jordan, where she honed her craft producing award-winning wines including a Best in Show at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards.

If she had to choose, Findlay said she is most proud of the 2022 Dean’s List Riesling.

“There were high expectations as I had just received a Decanter Award for a previous Riesling I worked on,” she recalled. “This was our first estate grown Riesling off our newly planted vines in 2019 that I was so excited to vinify in 2022. It’s also the perfect excuse to drink more Riesling!”

Wine faculty member Gavin Robertson, who was Winemaker at NC from 2014 until 2022– and a 2011 graduate of NC’s Winery and Viticulture Technician program — noted that this year’s success at the Nationals showcased the diversity of the College’s wine portfolio as well as the diversity and talent of staff and students in NC’s wine program.

“You could pair a five-course tasting menu from front to back with these wines … sparkling Riesling to start, dry Rosé with a salad course; Riesling with seafood; Pinot Noir with meat or mushroom-based main; and finish with the Savant Icewine with dessert,” said Robertson. “It’s important that we make all these styles, and more, because it allows us to deliver top tier experiential learning opportunities in all these wine styles.

“The wine also serves to inspire our students who are intrinsic to helping maintain the high quality of our wines and program,” he said. “Spanning five vintages, these wines also demonstrate the commitment and hard work of over 100 students, teachers and learning enterprise staff operating with a shared goal of producing amazing wines and more amazing graduates who are the future of the Canadian wine industry.”

Various cohorts of students from NC’s two-year Winery and Viticulture Technician diploma program have been involved with the production of the award-winning wines – from picking and processing, to the maturation and bottling of the wines.

“The recognition and awards garnered by our alumni winemaking team is a clear and direct showcase on the educational path set by our amazing viticulture program,” said Craig Youdale, Dean of Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies. “Allison and Gavin are a fantastic example of what can be accomplished in the wine industry through the training and real work experience gained during their time at Niagara College.”

“It’s a good representation of what we do here at Niagara College, everything from Sparkling to Icewine, and plenty of in between, and doing it well,” said Findlay. “Our students deserve to learn and work in a place that is committed to excellence.

“They too can feel proud to have worked and learned here.”

The 2023 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada gathered 1,930 entries from over 255 different wineries from seven different provinces. Judging for the 2023 awards was held in Penticton, British Columbia from June 24-28. Visit winealign.com.

NC’s latest award-winning wines are available for purchase alongside a variety of student-created products from NC’s Teaching Winery, Teaching Brewery and Teaching Distillery (while supplies last) at the College’s Wine + Visitor Education Centre, located at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake (135 Taylor Rd.) or online at ncteachingwinery.ca.

The NC Teaching Winery became Canada’s first commercial teaching winery in Canada when it was launched in November 2002 and is the only facility of its kind in the country today. It is located at the College’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Attribution: Niagara College media release

Sign Language

Sign Language is a recurring feature on the blog./Joe Barkovich photo.

Niagara College Wins Grand National Champion, Multiple Medals At U.S Beer Competition

Final-term students from Niagara College tapped into a Grand National Champion title along with multiple new medals for their student-crafted brews at recent U.S.-based competitions.

Final term Brewmaster students celebrate five medals and a Grand National Champion title after hearing about the results of the 2023 U.S. Open College Beer Championship./Niagara College photos

U.S. Open College Beer Championship

NC won five medals and the top title at the 2023 U.S. Open College Beer Championship.

Every beer that the College’s Teaching Brewery entered in this year’s competition achieved a medal, including two golds, two silvers, and a bronze.

Final term students from the College’s two-year Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management diploma program were behind each of the five medals.

“We’re so very proud of these students and this program,” said Maija Saari, Associate Dean, Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies. “It is absolutely incredible to witness such a showing at an international competition for student-produced beers.”

Saari noted that the awards are hard evidence that students not only learn how to brew beer in the program, they learn how to brew beer well.

“That high standard of excellence and attention to detail are terrific attributes to develop while here,” said Saari. “These award-winners will certainly carry that sense of pride in excellence with them when they move through their careers.”

“Our trailblazing Teaching Brewery continues to raise the bar for the industry in Canada,” said Steve Gill, General Manager of NC’s Learning Enterprises. “Our students make some of the best beers in North America, thanks to the quality of applied education at NC, and bring their skills and knowledge out into the industry.”

“This year’s results are superb! It’s amazing that this class of only 10 students won five medals – a medal for each beer that they entered into the competition,” said Brewmaster Professor Jon Downing. “The students not only created the winning beers but came up with names and selected a maximum of five beers to enter in the competition which all won medals.

“The students did it all, from start to finish.”

NC won gold for Echoes in the Taproom, a Belgian Dubbel beer made by the entire class of 10 final-term students. Each school was invited to submit a beer from this year’s specified specific category – which was Belgian Dubbel for 2023 – to be judged head-to-head according to the U.S. Open style standards.

In addition to winning gold for the class brew, four medals were won for individual student brews that were initially created by final term students for their Target Brew class project during their third term earlier this year. The Target Brew project challenges Brewmaster students to brew a classic beer to style in a test of fundamentals to master traditional standards using Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) style guidelines.

Gian Raina Arnas holds a can of his gold-medal-winning beer, Hulk Roggen. The beer won gold at the 2023 U.S. Open College Beer Championship

Hulk Roggan, a historical beer created by student Gian Raina Armas, won gold and tied for Best of Show. Armas, who is originally from Cuba and has been living in Niagara Falls for the past 10 years, created a historical roggenbier (rye beer). Inspired to make a beer that is not often seen in the craft beer world, he worked on three homebrew versions of the beer before committing to the style.

“I feel extremely happy with the results of this competition and proud of not just being in this program but of my classmates and thankful to all our teachers who have inspired us to make all these amazing beers” said Arnas. “All the winning beers would have not gotten medals if it were not to the effort and assistance from the class as we all gave 200% of effort not just to make our individual beers, but also make each other’s beers the best representation of what that product should be.”

Marye Anne Chisholm holds a can of silver-medal-winning Taylor Rd. Saison, in one hand and gold-medal winning Echoes in the Taproom in the other. Chisholm created Taylor Rd. Saison for her Target Brew class project and the recipe for the class beer, Echoes in the Taproom, which were both submitted to the U.S. Open College Beer Championship and won.

A silver medal was awarded for Taylor Rd. Saison, made by Stevensville resident Marye Anne Chisholm who also created the recipe for the gold-medal-winning class beer.

“The wins validate that all of our hard work is paying off,” said Chisholm. “It’s rewarding to not only have the skills to create the beers, but to know that people enjoy them. It gives me more confidence as a Brewmaster student who will soon be graduating.”

Santiago Hernan Ampudia Vasquez – a Thorold resident who taught at a university in Ecuador prior to enrolling in the program – won silver for Te-Toiset Bois Belgian Tripel.  

T’Weiss as Nice’ German Wheat Ale, led by student Jenny Lucasiewicz (Port Edward, Ontario) won bronze.

The U.S. Open College Beer Championship is the only competition for beers exclusively from college and university brewing and fermentation programs. For info, visit usopencollege.com.

U.S. Open Beer Championship

NC’s success at the U.S. Open College Championship follows two new medals won at the 2023 U.S. Open Beer Championship, which also announced results in early July. NC’s Beer 101 Bitter achieved a silver in the Bitter category while Beer 101 Strong won silver in the Old Ale/ Strong category.

The two beers are among the most popular from the Teaching Brewery’s Beer 101 series and have won multiple previous awards including golds from the U.S. Open in 2018, and other national and international awards.

“This is a victory for all levels of our Brewmaster students who contribute to our Beer 101 beers,” said Downing. “The consistency and quality of the brewing education that our students receive shines through when the same beers win, even though they are brewed by different classes of students. It’s something that all students and graduates can be proud of.”

The U.S. Open Beer Championship is among the top beer competitions in the U.S. Visit usopenbeer.com.

Products from the NC Teaching Brewery are available for purchase alongside student-created products from the NC Teaching Winery and Teaching Distillery (while supplies last) at NC’s Wine + Visitor Education Centre at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake (135 Taylor Rd.) or online at ncteachingwinery.ca.

While beer cans from NC’s Beer 101 series are regularly stocked, class Target Brew beers debuted spring 2023 and sold out quickly.

Project Brew Augtoberfest

The public will get a taste of new craft brews from NC’s final term Brewmaster class – the same class of students behind the five medals and Grand National Champion title at the U.S. Open College Championship – at Project Brew Augtoberfest. The Bavarian themed student-organized beer festival will be held on August 11 (5-9 p.m.) at NC’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. For info visit projectbrew.squarespace.com.

NC’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program was launched in 2010 as the first of its kind in Canada. The award-winning, two-year diploma program offers extensive hands-on training at an on-site, state-of-the-art Teaching Brewery to prepare students for employment in the expanding brewery, microbrewery and brewpub industries. Located at the College’s Daniel J. Patterson in Niagara-on-the-Lake, students learn from award-winning faculty and have access to on-site hop yard and local farm products to brew a full range of beer styles. Visit ncteachingbrewery.ca.

Attribution:  Niagara College media release

Welland Adopts Affordable Rental Housing Community Program

WELLAND – During their council meeting July 18, Welland city council officially adopted an Affordable Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan (CIP). This program aims to establish a new housing partnership with multiple providers to address the city’s affordable housing needs.

The CIP and its accompanying programs offer financial incentives to private property owners and non-profit housing providers who wish to build affordable rental housing. Creating the CIP is part of the City’s Housing Action Plan and will help the City meet its housing growth target.

“We’ve undertaken considerable consultation to develop the CIP,” said Grant Munday, director of planning and development. “We’ve taken everything we heard from the consultations and created a CIP designed to stimulate and promote the creation and longevity of affordable housing in the City of Welland.”

The Affordable Rental Housing CIP offers seven incentive programs: Tax Increment Grant, Affordable Housing Study Grant, Affordable Residential Forgivable Loan, Extended Benefits Grant, Municipal Fees Grant, Affordable Housing Reserve Fund, and Special Land Program. For example, a property owner seeking to construct an affordable apartment in their home is eligible to receive up to a $20,000 forgivable loan.

The City of Welland wants to assist in the creation of more affordable housing. If interested in applying for the incentives, please contact devserv@welland.ca.To review the Affordable Rental Housing CIP, please see the following link: https://www.engagewelland.ca/affordable-housing-community-improvement-plan

Attribution: City of Welland media release

Heritage Lives: Ghosts From West Main Village

By  Terry Hughes

Some time ago, Joe Krar made a presentation to city council concerning buildings that line West Main and Niagara streets as significantly historic structures that need special designation.

He identified this area as West Main Village. One building that has a connection to the past is the structure housing the former Sleep Factory operated by store manager, Ray Vanderlaan on Niagara Street.

He indicated that the business that preceded him was Kerr Bros. Furniture Store. It did  not lend itself to the type of display potential that he had envisioned for his business.  Down came the walls and with them, the tin ceiling that was so common to buildings built at the turn of the 20th century. The lumber and supporting columns that were revealed spoke volumes about the age of the building. They were probably cut at one of several lumber businesses, the latest being operated by the Rounds family, that inhabited the bank of the Welland River over a century ago. It would be one of several clues that this building has some early links with Welland’s past.

In 1993, I was part of Gib Parent’s re-election team. John Belcastro had noted that Kerr Bros. had vacated this building and it would be ideal for Gib’s campaign headquarters. After settling in, there was time to look around. The basement was constructed for storage of redundant equipment with limited clearance to the main floor. The damp, musty air indicated that the supporting walls did little to keep out the water. The main floor was made of a well-worn hardwood with oil stains near the large front display windows indicating an automotive dealership many have once inhabited the building. Coming off Mill Street, your eyes would pan to the cornice of the building that caps the top of the structure. It is painted a pale yellow and was used as a sign to advertise the name of an automotive dealership! The letters are still visible today. The names HUDSON, ESSEX, WILLYS, still look down on the traffic on what was North Main Street. 

As the accompanying newspaper advertisement from the 1924 WELLAND TRIBUNE & TELEGRAPH shows, W.G. Somerville & Sons operated a garage from this building. The founding date coincides with the age of the structure. Note the two-digit phone number!

And what about the ghosts that this building brings to us over a century and quarter later? It tells us about a vibrant business that once operated out of this building. Like the Oldsmobile, Plymouth and Thunderbird that left the automobile scene, it lists cars that for most of us, were never part of our driving experience. It tells us that W.G. Somerville and Sons at 36-40 North Main Street was an active part of the business community.

(Terry  Hughes is a Wellander who is passionate about heritage, history and model railroading. His opinion column, Heritage Lives, appears on the blog once or twice monthly.)

Now, About The Birds And The Bees

Caption: Just a few of the reasons I’m in love with the great outdoors. /Joe Barkovich photos.

Canal Days: Civic Holiday Weekend In Port Colborne

This year will mark the Museum’s 45^th Canal Days festival and this year we will have our biggest marine display and demonstration yet with HMS Psyche, a group which re-enacts life of 19^th century sailors on the Great Lakes. (photo: top left)

 They will have their boat on site and will be shooting off their cannon!  

The grounds are filled with many more heritage demonstrations, including knights, blacksmiths, and Niagara Antique Power with their kiddie ride, plus many more heritage displays and model ships. (file photo: bottom left)

Enjoy the music from our bands Kindred and Barley Brae, get your iconic Canal Day t-shirts (already on sale at the Museum every day between 12-5, or at Port market on Friday mornings) and join in the fun for the whole family with water games, face painting, and giant sandbox, as well as refreshingly cold and yummy treats. 

 And don’t forget to stop by Roselawn and check out the Titanic exhibit as well. To top it off admission to the Museum & Roselawn is FREE! See you at Canal Days!

2023 celebrates the 45th Annual Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival, offering activities and attractions for the whole family. Join us every Civic Holiday weekend for a four-day celebration (Friday, August 4 through Monday, August 7, 2023) of the history and heritage along the Welland Canal.

Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival encompasses the entire community. The Vale Health & Wellness Centre hosts Ontario’s largest outdoor Classic Car Show and an indoor Craft Show. Seaway Park hosts our kids’ zone with plenty of games, entertainment, and activities.

At the Port Colborne Historical & Marine Museum the history of the Welland Canal is on display, and heritage artisans can be seen working their trade. Historic West Street is home to many of our local businesses, festival food and shopping kiosks, our Patio on West, the Empire Sandy Tall Ship, other vessels, and our recreation zone. The Canal Days Concert series is located at H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park and features top-notch entertainment nightly. Canal Days offers a free shuttle service to ensure you can enjoy what each location has to offer!

(Attributions: Port Colborne Historical & Marine Museum and City of Port Colborne release)

Barky’s Billboard

Please support/attend this neighbourly neighbourhood event

Barky’s Billboard is a recurring feature on the blog./ Supplied graphic.

Gadabout Gardener: After The Downpour

Stressed. (Gadabout Gardener is a recurring feature on the blog. /Joe Barkovich photo)

Barky’s Billboard

Please support/attend this deserving community event

Barky’s Billboard is a recurring feature on the blog. /Supplied graphic