AWC Handbook

Archived Material

August 2004

a) Sketches of Provincial Organizations

i Nova Scotia

ii Quebec

iii Ontario

iv Manitoba

v Saskatchewan

vi Alberta

vii British Columbia

D a) i

SECTION D a) i NOVA SCOTIA

NO SKETCH AVAILABLE

D a) ii

SECTION D a) ii

QUEBEC

NO SKETCH AVAILABLE
D a) iii

SECTION D a) iii ONTARIO

The Amateur Winemakers of Ontario was founded in 1968. As demand for clubs grew, the original group split to form the strong core of clubs that started AWO. In 1969 interest was such that the first Ontario Championship was held. Interest has grown steadily over the years resulting in our current membership of clubs and members.

Each year the "Festival Weekend" is held in early June. This starts on Friday night with member clubs hosting a table of their best wines and competing for the award of best presentation, in keeping with that year's theme.

Saturday is devoted to seminars, tours and general socializing followed by a dinner and dance. The Sunday Brunch culminates in the presentation of the Provincial winners in all classes plus several "best in class" and Champion Winemaker, Brewer and Club.

The AWO Newsletter has matured over the years so that the present magazine "Better Winemaking" is one of the best Amateur Winemaking and Beermaking publications in North America due largely to its current editor, Paul Jean from Ottawa. Its membership now includes hundreds of individuals outside of the AWO.

In recent years AWO has expanded its Wine and Beer classes so that now we have many more classes than AWC. This presents an extra challenge at our Provincial Competition to decide which wines and beers go forward to the Canada Competition.

The AWO now has an ongoing Judges Certification Program that results in one or two new judges every few years. It is a very demanding training regimen that can take several years to successfully complete (with many dropping out along the way). Clubs which use the judging service are allowed to enter two winners in a class to the Provincial Competition if, in the judge's opinion, they are both "gold medal" quality (an infrequent occurrence).

For information on joining or starting a club please write to:

Dan Ostler

1742 Bronte Square

PICKERING, Ontario

L1B 3V8 Phone (416) 839-5465 Out of Date

D. O. May 2003

D a) iv 1

SECTION D a) iv HOW IT ALL BEGAN IN MANITOBA

The Amateur Winemakers of Manitoba came into being as a result of John Armstrong, then President of the Amateur Winemakers of Ontario, who phoned a wine supply store in Winnipeg to find out who could sparkplug an association or club in Manitoba. The name of Wayne Meadows was suggested as he had been attempting to organize winemakers during the previous year.

In the fall of 1971 Wayne gathered a group of winemakers in his house and formed a club which was known as the "Winemakers Guild of Winnipeg". The first official meeting was called for January 1972. The first President of the Guild was Don McKinnon.

Coincidentally another group of winemakers was contemplating forming a club. The club was formed out of a class in winemaking held in 1971. The first official meeting was also held in 1972 with Wilf Wood as its President. The club was named the "Fermented Fruits".

A third club, the "Sirisets Wine Club" was shortly formed with Art Pancratz as President.

With Wayne Meadow's driving enthusiasm the "Amateur Winemakers of Manitoba" was formed with Wayne as its President. In spite of immaturity as an association and lacking experience in conducting competitions, the Association held the first Manitoba Provincial Wine and Beer Competition in June 1972. Winnipeg entries were forwarded to the 1972 National Competition with surprising results of a first place award in Light Brew by Larry Ranson and a second place award to Jim Lord for his cider.

One of the major aspects of the new association was its ability to organize successful social functions. These included an unusually lively barbeque and awards presentation at the home of Betty and Jim Lord on the banks of the Red River, and a Winemaker's Golf Tournament.

Little difficulty was experienced in forming two additional clubs: "The Canadian Forces Base" and the "Vintage Years". The Siriset club disbanded shortly after due to transfers and moves by key members.

As early as 1972, the association began preparations to host the first National Competition to be held outside of Ontario. Larry Ranson, who had attended the National requested the Winnipeg be the site of the 1974 National - 1974 was Winnipeg's Centennial Year. It was the first convention type competition held and a forerunner for future conventions.

With transfers and moves, the number of clubs has dwindled to two - the "Winemakers Guild of Winnipeg" and the "Fermented Fruits".

The "Winemakers Guild of Winnipeg" has 23 active members including wives and husbands. Their activities include guest speakers, tastings, club competitions and a Christmas party and dance.. They hold a beer competition in April and a wine competition in May.

"The Fermented Fruits" are an informal group who have as members both winemakers and brewers and their wives or husbands. They are a fun club and love to socialise. Their activities include wine tasting, barbecues and a Christmas party at one of the homes with everyone bringing a dish for the meal. There are 14 active members.

The Provincial Competition is held usually on the first weekend in June. We follow the same format as the National regarding classes.. With regard to the Country Wine class, we also stipulate that no grape or concentrate be used. We have also followed the National format as far as regulations and rank point system except we insist on full bottles, not half bottles. Our Judges may be chefs, members of the local "Opimian Society", brewery representatives, liquor board members and our own club members.

The judging is usually followed by a barbeque and presentation of the awards. All wine entries are brought out for the group to sample and compare with the judging results.

With the lack of wineries and the distance from vineyards, we are limited in what the Provincial body can plan. Besides the judging and awards barbeque, the Provincial Association holds an annual "Braümeister Fest" - usually the end of February. Club members are asked to brew some beer for the "Fest" where it will be tasted and judged by all present - usually about a hundred people. A live Bavarian band is present and Bavarian style food is served. Only homemade beer (or wine for those who don't drink beer) may be served at the "Fest".

J. S. June 1982

D a) v

SECTION D a) v SASKATCHEWAN

NO SKETCH AVAILABLE

D a) vi

SECTION D a) vi ALBERTA

The Alberta Amateur Winemakers had its beginning in 1967 (Canada's Centennial) with the formation of the first Alberta Guild named "Centennial Wine Club". They held their own competition for several years and in 1973 had entries in the National Competition in Ontario. By 1974, the then existing three guilds, Centennial, Chinook and Foothills Wine Clubs joined the National Organization. In May 1974, the first Provincial Competition was held which was hosted by the Centennial Wine Club, and the winning entries were submitted to the National Competition in Winnipeg. In 1975 the Provincial Competition was under the direction of the Foothills Wine Club and entries were received from Centennial, Chinook Foothills as well as from the then newly formed Heritage Wine Guild. Again the winners were submitted to the AWC Competition which was held in Vancouver.

It was in 1976 that the Provincial Organization became officially known as Alberta Amateur Winemakers. The newly formed AAW successfully met its first major challenge when it hosted the National Competition in July 1977 in Calgary. Eldred Umbach of the Foothills Wine Club acted as Chief Steward with entries received from Provinces. During this competition and Convention the Amateur Winemakers of Canada became a formally organized society with Ron Tyler, Chinook Wine Guild, President, Leo Durocher, Secretary and Charles Plant, Treasurer.

In recent years, wine guilds in Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, Brooks and Lethbridge have joined the AAW which brings us to 10 guilds with about 200 members total

June 1989

D a) vii 1

SECTION D a) vii BRITISH COLUMBIA

The British Columbia Amateur Winemakers Association was formed in September of 1972 in Penticton. For some years it had been the custom of winemakers to travel in the Fall to the Okanagan Valley to buy grapes and to attend the Penticton Grape and Harvest Fiesta. Winemakers from all over the Province met socially and exchanged ideas. It was a logical step to turn this relationship into a more formal association. BCAWA was founded with the aim of encouraging wine, beer and cider makers. It would be a means of exchanging ideas and information and of assisting clubs both old and newly forming. BCAWA would maintain communication amongst local, provincial and national organizations with similar aims. The objectives of the British Columbia Amateur Winemakers Association are being met today as they were twenty years ago. Possibly this is because of the autonomy that member clubs enjoy. At no time and in no manner is the umbrella body allowed to interfere in the internal matters of a Member Club.

The affiliated clubs are located mainly in three geographical areas - Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley, with a scattering throughout the interior of the Province, particularly Kamloops. Distance separates the scattered clubs apart from most of BCAWA's activities - the combined Provincial Competition and Annual General Meeting and two Council Meetings. However, these events move from place to place each year. Clubs are invited to send two delegates to each meeting. The Executive is elected at the AGM from the membership at large. All resolutions are circulated by mail for discussion at the club level before they are acted on at a full Council Meeting.

The GRAPEVINE is a quarterly for home Winemakers but it is not an official organ of BCAWA. It is an independent publication that serves subscribers not only in B. C. but also in several other Provinces. Its first issue in May 1971 listed seven winemaking clubs as subscribers. Now there are eighteen.

To raise the standard of judging, BCAWA encouraged the formation of the B. C. Guild of Wine Judges. This group is represented at all competitions in the Province. There are twenty three qualified Judges in the Guild which draws its membership from five clubs. BCAWA also has a Competition Handbook which is updated on a regular basis. The Handbook contains a wealth of information about judging and scoring wine, as well as guidelines for staging a well run competition.

Some B. C. clubs are composed of couples and the social side of winemaking is underlined. Other clubs are principally interested in wine education. Whatever the emphasis of the club, competitive winemaking is keen. Six clubs stage annual competitions open to members of all clubs. This helps prepare for the Provincial Competition which in turn graduates the entrant to the National. We are proud that so many Grand Champion Winemakers and Beermakers in the twenty years of our existence have come from B. C.

BCAWA in itself has no resources, so when there's to be a Council Meeting, or the AGM or the Provincial Competition, the privilege of hosting is granted to a member club. In contrast, when B. C. hosts the National, it is often a co-operative effort with members of several clubs involved.

B. C. winemakers are fortunate to have a number of sources of grapes. The re-vitalized Okanagan

winegrowing areas are beginning to show promise with well known viniferas such as Merlot, Pinot blanc, Gewürztraminer and others. Other interesting varietals, for example, Ehrenfelzer, have been introduced from Europe. Considerable quantities of Pinot Noir are being planted, both for red wine, and for champagne type wines. Located as we are only twelve hours by truck from the California border we are able to buy good quality California viniferas which arrive in B. C. fresh and in good condition. Quality viniferas are also being brought in from Washington and Oregon. Flash frozen white grape juice and red crushed and destemmed must from selected California, Oregon and Washington vineyards are also available. These factors have tended to convert people who get their start by making their wine from fruit into grape Winemakers. However, there is plenty of fruit wine made in the province and BCAWA is supportive of the Country Wine category in the National. T. J. R./ C. P.

HOST PROVINCE - EXAMPLES OF PAST PROGRAMS

The following pages are facsimile copies of information sheets different Host Provinces have sent out for past Competitions.

Note – there is no page E c) I 1. June 1982