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It was a big weekend in Ontario's wine industry - it was Cuv�e.

Cuv�e is a weekend dedicated to the celebration of VQA wines, the largest of its kind, and is run beautifully by the Brock University Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute.

Throughout the weekend all 48 participating wineries were hosting some pretty interesting tastings, but the culmination of the weekend was the Grand Tasting, which was held on Saturday evening at Scotiabank Centre in Niagara Falls. The Grand Tasting is a unique event; each winery's winemaker selected their favourite two wines to pour, and were there in person to speak to their selections.

The room was filled with professionals from the wine industry, wine lovers, students from both Brock and Niagara College, sponsors and food vendors.

I always enjoy Cuv�e (like many, I consider it the Oscars of the industry), but what caught my attention most this year was that so many wineries demonstrated their ingenuity and innovation. Look out, because our winemakers are pushing the boundaries on what Ontario wine is.

The first and more obvious observation was the use of "rare" grape varieties. Of course, we had our beloved and well-known Chardonnays, Rieslings and Cabernet Francs. To me they're like the Meryl Streeps and Denzel Washingtons in the room. Classic, worthy and established.

But it's the amount of Petit Verdots, Syrahs and Viogniers that were catching my attention. Enter the new members of Hollywood. Petit Verdot is a lesser known grape of Bordeaux, usually just a small component in the famous red blend, but here we see Ontario winemakers create a version on its own. Wineries such as Southbrook, Burning Kiln, and Inniskillin (which blended it with Merlot, also a Bordeaux grape) were showing their best examples.

And then you had grapes from the South of France make their way to our attention. One of my ongoing favourites whites, Viognier, graced the stage with Foreign Affair, Lakeview and Adamo (which had it blended with Roussanne, another southern French grape). But it was Syrah that made the biggest statement. Yes, it's a southern French grape as well, and Australia made it famous years ago with its rebranded name "Shiraz," but Ontario can clearly partake in the party.

Wineries such as Niagara College had carefully crafted versions, and Trius honoured the Northern Rh�ne's C�te Rotie style by co-fermenting its Syrah with a small percentage of that hedonistic Viognier. It seems many winemakers are excited by this big red. Redstone Winery's winemaker, Rene Van Ede, claims that "Syrah is probably my favourite red varietal to work with," and Creekside's Rob Powers honours its Broken Press Syrah as "the finest red wine that Creekside produces."

Another interesting change I'm starting to see is how many winemakers are using traditional grape varieties in unconventional ways. Bruce Nicholson of Inniskillin, a leader in Icewine production (and winner at Cuv�e for winemaker of excellence), created his first Cabernet Sauvignon, for example. A grape that is normally served with a large steak due to its drying tannins and powerful body has now been give a new opportunity to shine in the sweet realm.

Emma Garner, the Riesling guru of Thirty Bench, poured a sparkling version this time. And then there were the oak-treated Sauvignon Blancs. This grape is internationally known for its stainless-steel style which retains the grape's grassy and tropical flavours, but oak integration adds a new level of complexity. Kacaba poured its "Fum� Blanc" (honouring California's term for this style of Sauvignon Blanc) and Peller Estates poured its Signature Series label, which winemaker Katie Dickinson ferments in both oak barrels and their famous concrete egg and says it is "one of my favourite wines to make."

Which leads me to the final observation I noted at Cuv�e; the continuous innovation in winemaking. Concrete eggs at Andrew Peller, concrete tanks and "raw" winemaking at Big Head, wild ferments and biodynamic winemaking at Southbrook, and appassimento examples from Foreign Affair, The Hare Wine Co. and Burning Kiln. Proving Ontario producers are not resting on their laurels and will continue to push the envelope.

And I haven't even mentioned the sparkling. As a self-proclaimed undying supporter for Ontario's sparkling wine, I couldn't be more proud. And again, I saw winemaking shifting outside the box, with some lovely Blanc de Blancs (using only Chardonnay) at 13th Street, Cave Spring and Henry of Pelham, and the pinnacle Blanc de Noirs from new winery Queenston Mile. Winemaker Rob Powers again demonstrates his skill, and I must admit, I had to go back for another taste. Not for research, but for pure enjoyment.

I'm not trying to make a case of which wine was best, or that certain grape varieties are better than others. It's just interesting to take note of where we are in the industry. Again, it was the winemaker's choice on wine selections, and there were just so many innovative styles and varieties that there seemed to be a general agreement in the room that Ontario is charging forward with new ideas while also mastering the classics.

That's a lot of talent in one room, and a lot of talent in our region, all fully committed to delivering the best quality wine Ontario can. It should remind wine lovers to revisit the wineries of the area, as some may still surprise you.

Kristina Inman is a professor of food and beverage in the school of hospitality, tourism and sport at Niagara College and is a certified CAPS sommelier and TAC tea sommelier.

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