The Comox Valley’s Beaufort Vineyard and Estate Winery won six medals at the prestigious All Canadian Wine Championships, including a double gold, best-in-class in Canada, for its 2014 Beaudacious.
It also won two gold medals (2014 Epic and 2014 Nouveau), two silvers (2014 Beauhemian Blonde (to be re-named Beausephine) and the 2014 Rosé) and a bronze for its Pinot Gris.
The winery was established in 2006 by Susan and Jeff Vandermolen, who transferred land stewardship to the Cameron family in 2014. It's managed by Mark and Freya Timmermans.
“We continue to believe that the All Canadian Wine Championships is one of the toughest competitions for Canadian wineries," says Susan, Beaufort’s chief Winemaker. "The judging process is very stringent and thorough. We are extremely pleased to receive any sort of medal at the All Canadians, let alone six.”
Beaufort captured six of 11 medals awarded to Vancouver Island grape wineries. It was one of 33 wineries in the country to receive a double gold for a grape-based wine (112 wineries from B.C. entered the competition).
Established in 1981, the ACWC is held annually in Windsor, Ont. It is the oldest and largest competition created specifically for Canadian wines.
“It is a great feeling to receive these awards, and we believe that it proves that Beaufort, with the continuing winemaking expertise of Susan and Jeff, can craft consistently high quality, world-class wines, from sustainably-grown grapes, year-on-year, right here in the Comox Valley," Mark said. “We’d like to extend a special thanks to Beaufort’s loyal customers, who have supported Beaufort since it opened in 2008, and have continued to do so through the transition in 2014. We’d also like to extend a special thank-you to everyone who buys local and supports their local farmers.”