For three of the past four years, Kelowna area wineries have taken home top honours at the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada, meaning you can visit some of the country’s winningest wineries on your next visit to the region.
2025 Winery of the Year: Mission Hill Family Estate
Mission Hill underground barrel cellar. Image credit: Ken Hagen
This year, Mission Hill Family Estate was named Winery of the Year for the sixth time, marking a historic milestone as Canada’s most awarded winery in WineAlign's 25-year history. The winery first took home the honour at the inaugural award ceremony—launched initially as the Canadian Wine Awards—in 2001.
Mission Hill transitioned to organic viticulture practices in 2017 and then took home its fifth Winery of the Year award in 2019. The Chief Winemakers during those years, Darryl Brooker (2015-2017) and Ben Bryant (2018-2020), built on the work of John Simes, who guided the winemaking program from 1992 to 2015. In 2020, Corrie Krehbiel was promoted to Chief Winemaker after assisting Brooker and Bryant in the cellar for the previous five years.
This year, Mission Hill entered 11 top-tier wines, earning two Platinum medals, five Golds, and one Silver, with all this year’s winning wines being vintages from 2020 to 2023. They also took home two Golds in the Library Wines category, though these do not count toward the Winery of the Year standing. The winery has introduced an exclusive celebratory set of its award-winning wines, now available for purchase online.
“This landmark win underscores our team’s deep commitment to craftsmanship, innovation, and terroir-driven expressions,” says Taylor Whelan, Chief Winemaker. Whelan joined Mission Hill in 2023 after being at the helm of CedarCreek’s winemaking program when it won winery of the year in 2022.
In addition to its sixth Winery of the Year honour, 2025 has been a landmark year for Mission Hill as it debuts a new collection of Iconic Experiences, expanded to offer a high standard of luxury, exclusivity and personalization.
2024 Winery of the Year and Best Performing Small Winery: SpearHead Winery
Aerial view of SpearHead Winery. Image credit: Shawn Talbot Photography
In 2024, SpearHead Winery was awarded both Winery of the Year and Best Performing Small Winery, described as "an unprecedented and astonishing triumph" in the article announcing its Winery of the Year win.
SpearHead also made history last year by taking home seven medals in a single category (Pinot Noir), including three Platinum, one Gold, a trio of Silvers, and a Bronze. About half of the 5,000-6,000 cases of wine produced by SpearHead each year are Pinot Noir.
Bill and Marina Knutson, along with two partners, launched SpearHead (known initially as SpierHead) in 2008. Things kicked off under the guidance of Bill Pierson, who was the original winemaker. In 2017, experienced winemaker Grant Stanley came on board as SpearHead’s GM and Winemaker, building on the team’s laser focus throughout the years to create award-winning wines.
"We have watched the successes of wineries that have been recognized in the past by the National Wine Awards of Canada, and we are very proud to be associated with that group," said Bill Knutson at the time of SpearHead's win. "This achievement has made SpearHead Winery more determined than ever to play a role in securing for our industry a place on the world’s stage for Canadian premium wines.”
The winery was also named Best Performing Small Winery in 2022, and this year, they took the number 3 spot on the list of Top 10 Small Wineries in Canada.
2022 Winery of the Year: CedarCreek Estate Winery
CedarCreek Estate Winery vineyard wine tasting and tour. Image credit: Ken Hagen
Having previously won the top honour twice in 2002 and 2005, CedarCreek Estate Winery took home its third and most recent win for Winery of the Year in 2022, collecting an unprecedented 19 Medals in that year’s competition.
“It is a testament to the legacy we continue to build at CedarCreek, shattering the world’s perception of this still young and emerging wine region by crafting wines of exceptional quality in the Okanagan that can rival the best in the world," said Owner, Anthony von Mandl, of the winery's 2022 win.
The most recent win was the first since CedarCreek began its transition to organic farming and winemaking in 2017, and the first win for Winemaker Taylor Whelan. He worked as CedarCreek’s Assistant Winemaker from 2013 to 2015 before taking over as Winemaker in mid-2016. After CedarCreek’s Winery of the Year win in 2022, Whelan took the reins at Mission Hill in 2023. Both CedarCreek and Mission Hill are included in the Iconic Wineries of British Columbia, a curated collection of the region’s finest wineries that are part of the von Mandl Family's portfolio.
This year, CedarCreek clinched the number 14 spot on the list of Top 25 Wineries in Canada, climbing from the number 17 spot in 2024.
Other Kelowna area wineries that captured spots on this year’s Top 25 Wineries in Canada list include SpearHead Winery (#4), Quails’ Gate Estate Winery (#6), and Tantalus Vineyards (#10).
About the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada
The National Wine Awards of Canada were founded by David Lawrason and Anthony Gismondi in 2001. During the annual competition, judges from around the country complete blind tastings of wines in numerous categories, ultimately deciding the winners in each category, which leads to the Top 25 Wineries in Canada list, as well as Winery of the Year and Best Performing Small Winery.
