Every year Ontario's winemakers are invited to submit their best wines for consideration at the Cuvee Awards, one of the more important wine competitions in the province. The hundreds of submissions are tested by two different panels - one of the winemakers themselves, the other of critics and industry professionals.

The short list was presented last week in the beautiful Strathcona Room on the 69th floor of First Canadian Place. About 60 wines made the cut, and the winners in the various categories will be announced at the grand Cuvee Gala on Friday, February 29th.

The gala will also be an opportunity for Niagara's top chefs to strut their stuff, and strut it they do: there's some excellent, innovative cuisine down there. Featured chefs include Tony de Luca of Old Winery Restaurant and Kevin Maniaci of Inn on the Twenty. Newcomers this year include William Brunyansky of the Charles Inn and Christopher Smythe of Riverbend. Fallsview Casino Resort is the sponsor and chef Ray Taylor and his team will be there. The talented students from the Niagara Culinary Institute will also be representing.

The chefs will be cooking "live" at various stations and the wineries will have their wares on offer. It's a big, fun event with lots of buzz. This year it will be in Niagara Falls at the Fallsview Casino Resort. Tickets for the Gala evening are $200 per person.

For more information about the event and the related Cuvee En Route (winery visits program), visit the Cuvee website.

My favourite was a big surprise: a syrah. I don't know how she did it with a grape I consider better suited to warmer climates, but Niagara superstar Ann Sperling did a great job with Southbrook Vineyards' Triomphe Syrah 2006. I thought it "best-in-show" and gave it 91 points.

See my top picks and their tasting notes here.