Raise a glass to some local wineries.
Nine of them were awarded 16 medals at the 2017 All Canadian Wine Championships.
Thirteen medals were wines made from grapes, two were for wines made with tree fruits or fruits other than grapes and one cider.
Speaking on AM800's the Afternoon News, local sommelier Gary Killops says the awards are validation for a job well done.
"It is a great marketing tool when your wine wins a double gold or a gold, it is always nice to tell everyone about that and of course people will be looking for that wine when they go to the winery," says Killops.
He says while it may the dream job of many, judging the wines isn't as easy as one may think.
"When you taste it, you are just putting a little bit in your mouth and you are swishing it around and you have to spit it out right after, if you consumed all those wines, you maybe judging 30-40 wines in a morning," says Killops.
AM800 file photo
He adds the local winery wins are especially impressive considering the last two winters in the region.
"We had terrible winters and there was very little to no harvest so there wasn't many wines produced locally, 2016 was the first year back making local wines again," says Killops.
The "double gold" award winners were Colchester Ridge Estate Winery in Essex County and Early Acres Estate Winery in Chatham Kent.
The nine award winning wineries were Colchester Ridge Estate Winery, Early Acres Estate Winery, Oxley, Viewpoint, Pelee Island, Mastronardi, Black Bear Farm Estate Winery, Cooper's Hawk and Sprucewood Shores.