An Armful of Award Winning Wines

for Master Winemaker John Rossignol

Rossignol Estate Winery of Little Sands, PEI has won a double gold medal for their Wild Blueberry Wine (vintaged in 2010) at the 2012 All Canadian Wine Championships that take place annually in the City of Windsor, Ontario. Along with the double gold, Rossignol's won gold medals for their Raspberry Festival and Blackberry Mead dessert wines. The Island winery also brought in a silver medal for their Strawberry Wine and a bronze for their Maple Wine. (A Double Gold is awarded when all judges on a particular panel agree that the wine deserves a Gold Medal.) "It was a great year for Rossignol wines; we're really proud of our wins," says owner and vintner John Rossignol.

Little Sands John Rossignol has earned his share of awards over the years, but PEI's only commercial winemaker came home with sore arms recently when his special varieties claimed big wins at the All Canadian Wine championships.

"It's the best we've ever done and I'm really quite pleased," smiles the white-bearded vintner whose winery is tucked away on a sunny southern slope overlooking the Northumberland Strait in Little Sands.

It's the only winery on the Island and he's no stranger to victories, but this time out, Rossignol Estate Winery carted off an assortment of gold, silver and bronze medals for a variety of wines that seems endless.

He produces red wine and white wine, he produces honey, blueberry and even rhubarb wine, and now Rossignol Winery has added blackberries and maple to the roster.

"I like to try all kinds of fruits and products that are grown right here on the Island and see what we can do with them."

And he must be doing something right. At the Canadian wine showdown, Rossignol products won six medals, from best of class medals to gold, silver and bronze classifications. The best he's ever done before is come home with three medals for his efforts.

Rossignol's Island wines picked up best-of-class awards for his maple wine and Isle St. Jean red hybrid blend, gold for Blackberry Mead, silver for Seyval Blanc hybrid white table wine and for Isle St. Jean white hybrid blend and a bronze for his Valient Jubilee.

Rossignol acknowledges that some of the categories are less populated with entries than a Chardonnay or Merlot, but medals aren't a matter of beating out others in a class division, but achieving a certain standard.

"I'm really pleased with these medals especially because it recognizes our ability to meet the standards. There is a move afoot on the Canadian wine-producing scene to almost discriminate against PEI because we don't have at least five wineries," he said. "That's why these medals are so sweet."

Since starting in 1994, Rossignol has turned a hobby into a commercial operation and now has sales of up to 50,000 bottles a year with 90 per cent sold on the Island. The secret is always in the sauce and his own unique recipes. He will only divulge that good raw ingredients are essential.

That's why he grows his own grapes and rhubarb and keeps in touch with his fellow farmers who grow strawberries, apples and blueberries.

"You have to start with good ingredients and then learn from experience."

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Also check out this more recent article also by Steve Sharrat Celebratrating 20 years

article in the Island Guardian link about John's continued success in winemaking.

(Photo: Steve Sharrat)