When this wine was revealed at the Pinot Noir Challenge, as a people’s favourite there was a gasp from the crowd and someone was heard to say, “So it’s not even made by a real winery?” That’s where you are wrong my friend, my friend, NCT (Niagara College Teaching Winery) is a real winery, as real as the nose on your face; so real in fact that they’ve won many prestigious awards such over the years. The winery and main teaching is handled by Terence Van Rooyen, a South African winemaker who has teaching in his background (winemakers seem to come from all walks of life). He oversees the student’s projects and, when it comes to the wine sold at the winery, it is they (students) who help him so they can gain valuable winemaker knowledge and experience. So au contraire mon frere this is as real as a winery gets. It’s not surprising, that this wine was voted as a people’s choice finalist on night four, it took home best Pinot Noir at the 2009 Cuvee awards. It has a sweet layered nose of cherries, raspberries and a touch of vanilla … the palette is just as pleasing, doling out great fruit taste like cherries and strawberries along with hits of cinnamon and firm silky tannins on a smooth finish. Price: $32.95 – Rating: ****½