In This Issue:

AWO 2002 in Hamilton, “Grape Expectations”, was a highly enjoyable weekend with excellent seminars, great food, and fine friends to share it all with. Kudos to the Organizing Committee and all the people from the two Hamilton clubs who put so much effort into it. It certainly showed! When the dust was settled, John Tummon walked away with the titles of Grand Champion Amateur Winemaker AND Grand Champion Amateur Cidermaker. It was a stellar performance by a talented winemaker, who presumably was driving home…. all that metal in his medals would have sounded every securityalarm in the airport if he’d had to fly! Congratulations, John, on honours well-deserved.

A familiar name also came to the fore as Joanne Anderson of Blue Mountain was again named Grand Champion Amateur Brewer. Joanne’s credentials and accomplishment need no embellishment here, and attest to her continuing talents in the art of brewing.

Your editor, Paul Dunseath, who has been making wine for over 30 years and judging it, both here and internationally, for 25, was “surprised and delighted” to be named this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Service Award. He would like everyone involved in his selection for this year’s award to know how much it was appreciated, and to thank the membership as a whole for their encouragement and support.

On the down side, while we have hosts lined up for 2004 through 2007, no area has come forward to take on 2003, and at the moment - unless there is a sudden surge of interest - there will be no Festival 2003, but we will continue on with the Club Judging, the Ontario Finals, and also the AGM. Details will be announced in these pages in due course, although it seems a shame that those areas thathaven’t hosted a Festival in many years are unwilling to step up for next year.

On a positive note, the Eastern Ontario Amateur Wine Competition, now in its 17th year, will be held in September. This competition is open to all amateur winemakers; an entry form is inside and the “official” bottle label, which may be photocopied and which must accompany every entry, is reproduced inside also.

The highlight of EOAWC is the annual awards banquet; this particular event is open only to members of the Eastern Ontario Amateur Wine Association, and is at no cost to those members. Yearly memberships may be obtained by applying to either Winston Spratt at (613) 692-4008 or Morley O’Neill at (613) 836-4799. Memberships for the 2002/2003 association year are $35 if enrolled prior to September 5; a late enrollment, until September 17, will cost $40. No new memberships are available after that date. You do NOT however have to be a member of the Association in order to enter the competition. EOAWC originated the “Medal concept” at its inception and wines will continue to be assessed on this basis.

This competition has proved very popular over the years to winemakers from across Ontario and indeed outside the province, and is an opportunity to have your wines assessed against those of your peers.

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