Niagara College’s Teaching Winery has added another international accolade to its growing list of achievements, with its Cherry Cider earning a bronze medal at the 2025 U.S. Open Cider Championship, one of the largest hard cider competitions in the world.
The Cherry Cider placed third in the Cherry Cider category, sharing the bronze honour with Yellow Belly Cherry Cider from Minnesota. Gold went to McKenzie’s Black Cherry from New York, while Ciderboys Cherry Jubilee from Wisconsin captured silver.
Marc Nantel, President and Acting General Manager of Niagara College’s Learning Enterprises, said the award reflects the long-standing success of the Teaching Winery and the value of experiential learning for students.
“We’re proud of our Teaching Winery’s continued success as an established leader in wine production over the past 25 years, as well as cider production over the past decade,” Nantel said. “This latest international medal is a tremendous win for not only our staff but our students, who gain hands-on experience producing high-quality products which are recognized among the best in the world.”
The Cherry Cider was crafted by College Winemaker Allison Findlay in collaboration with the Teaching Winery’s production team. Findlay said the international recognition highlights both product quality and the importance of industry benchmarking.
“It is important to showcase the quality of product coming out of the Teaching Winery/cidery,” she said. “It is also important to participate in these competitions to understand where we stand within our industry.”
The cider is made using the Teaching Winery’s flagship Cider 101 as a base, blended with locally sourced Montmorency cherry juice from Cherry Lane in Vineland. Originally introduced as a seasonal release, the Cherry Cider quickly became a permanent offering due to strong consumer demand.
“It is a beautiful pink colour, with notes of fresh cherry on the nose and a hint of apple notes,” Findlay said. “If one person orders it, people turn their heads because of the fun colour. It is a bit of a change from regular cider, and it is a delicious option for those looking to sip a lighter alcohol beverage, and an alternative to beer.”
The 2025 bronze medal marks the first award for Cherry Cider since Findlay became Niagara College’s winemaker in 2022.
While wine education remains a primary focus for students, cider production at the Teaching Winery has expanded steadily. Findlay noted that the Teaching Winery is a member of the Ontario Craft Cider Association and currently produces two core ciders along with four seasonal varieties.
The news was welcomed by staff at the Wine Visitor + Education Centre, where student-made products from Niagara College’s Learning Enterprise, including the Teaching Winery, Teaching Brewery, and Teaching Distiller, are sold.
“We’re excited about the victory as well,” said Amanda Baldinelli, Hospitality Event Manager with the NC Learning Enterprises Corporation. “The Cherry Cider is a very popular product; it’s great that it was awarded this prize.”
Niagara College’s Teaching Winery officially launched in November 2002 as the first commercial teaching winery in Canada and continues to play a leading role in beverage education and production.
The winery entered the hard cider market in 2015 with the introduction of Cider 101, described as a modern, fruit-forward New World pub cider. Since its launch, Cider 101 has earned multiple awards, including four gold medals at the U.S. Open Cider Championship most recently in 2021, a historic first for the competition as well as bronze medals at the U.S. Open in 2022 and the Ontario Cider Awards in 2016.
Cherry Cider is available in 750 ml bottles for $16.75 and by the pint, when available on tap, at the Wine Visitor + Education Centre retail store at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, located at 135 Taylor Rd. Select products are also available online. Proceeds from Learning Enterprises sales support student learning initiatives.
