Results from the 2026 Nationals – Sauvignon Blanc

Announcing the Results from the 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada Z

The 2026 Nationals took place in Niagara, Ontario from June 12th to 18th. Today, we are pleased to announce the winners in the Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Riesling categories. Category results will be rolling out throughout the rest of July, concluding with the Winery of the Year announcement on July 31st. We hope that you will stay tuned to follow the results!

Sauvignon Blanc

Category Overview by Michael Godel

Go straight to the winners.

There is a grape variety grown and produced in Canada that refuses to go away. Yes, the answer is also merlot — The extensive number of hectares and love for the “little blackbird” maintains a persistent hope to keep that varietal dream alive. In this case we’re not thinking about viognier or gewürztraminer, two aromatic and idiosyncratic white varieties that some winemakers seem desperate to get right. The answer is simply the sauvage blanc, or “wild white” sauvignon blanc. Consumers adore and consume it willfully, and winemakers work defiantly to produce the finest possible version of itself. Canada has matured into a sauvignon blanc producing wine nation, with well-trained oenology experts are conceptually transitioning away from trying to emulate Bordeaux, or Sancerre. Canadian sauvignon blanc has taken on a life of its own.

What should a consumer expect from Canadian sauvignon blanc? Diversity for one thing, with examples expressive of citrus plus herbal (or herbaceous) grassy greens. They will surely be less saline because there aren’t a ton grown proximate to an ocean, nor will they manifest as stony, save for the rare example raised on true limestone terroir. Though not inconceivable, in all likelihood there won’t be wines with a notable level of lactic creaminess, namely because the country’s cool climate will hold greater effect. Canadian sauvignon blanc will offer subtle vestiges of all these things, come together in balance, infrequently lean, seldom heavy, instead just right, somewhere in between.

The number of entries at the latest edition of WineAlign’s NWACs 2026 added up to more than viognier and gewürztraminer combined, and nearly 100 less than chardonnay. There was a rare Platinum occurrence from Ontario, crafted in a Loire Valley, Fumé Blanc style. There were also 5 Golds, 20 Silver and 19 Bronze, adding up to 71.4 percent of entries. Keep in mind that the White Blends category is also home to sauvignon blanc blends, usually produced alongside sémillon. The judges’ predominant preference veered towards barrel-fermented, and/or barrel-aged sauvignon blanc. The results are telling, suggesting that Canadian palates wish for richness, mouth-filling texture, complexity, and also age-worthiness in their white wines. The top sauvignon blanc in this competition certainly fit the description.

And the winners are…