Cuvee 2010

Niagara Falls, Friday, February 19, 2010 

I am truly honoured be with you again this year as the Patron of Cuvee, particularly after bearing witness to the presentation of awards to these amazing wines and winemakers. It is inspiring to see such depth in the excellence of this industry and it makes me more convinced than ever of the importance of a national award to celebrate the bounty of the nation’s table.

Many of you may remember that on my first visit to Cuvee in 2006, I proposed this idea of the award. Since then, we have travelled across the country, meeting with people from all aspects of the nation’s table:  farmers, producers, writers, sommeliers, chefs, cheese makers, culinary festival organizers, tea makers, teachers, students, hospitality professionals, fishers, hunters and winemakers. In each of these meetings, professionals from each of these groups joined together in a single voice of support for this idea.

We have listened and worked with these people for the last few years and now, it is becoming a reality. Before the fall harvest arrives, we will present the first Governor General’s Award in celebration of the Nation’s Table. This award will recognize the efforts of individuals and groups in improving the quality, variety and sustainability of our nation’s table. 

Who will receive this award you might ask? It may be presented to someone who has worked to maintain and improve the integrity and quality of our food and wine. It may be presented to someone whose artistic approach has enhanced the culture of food and wine in this country. It may be presented to a young person who shows immense potential and strives even in their short span of life experience to promote Canadian food and wine. It may even be presented to someone whose leadership, passion and fundamental beliefs inspire their fellow citizens to build stronger communities connected to our food and wine. In short, this award will be presented to Canadians who inspire us, who teach us and who delight us with their contributions to the nation’s table. It will not always be presented to a famous chef or winemaker, but it will always be presented to those with a passion for what links us together as Canadians…the cultural exchange that takes place around tables right across this country. 

After all, a table is not simply a place to tantalize the taste buds. Whether it is in Charlottetown, Regina, Uculet, Rankin Inlet or Port Dalhousie, it is a place to meet and share conversation, a place where ideas meld as easily as the flavours. It is where Canadians of all ages, cultural backgrounds and fields of experience gather around to share their hopes, their fears and their dreams; a place where our collective stories are told and passed from one generation to the next.

This award strives to capture and celebrate those stories. It will be based on values rather than sales figures, tasting notes, competition medals or critics’ reviews, and as such, it will reach out to Canadians across the country and inspire them to think differently about what they buy, eat and drink. We hope it will help strengthen the connection from farm to table and reinforce the bonds between all members of our society.

As James Beard so accurately put it, "food is our common ground, a universal experience." In these times where so much focus is on the individual, this award aspires to remind us all of our connection and our duty to each other and to our planet. The Governor General and I look forward to presenting this award later this year and we sincerely hope that it will enjoy the success and devotion that Cuvee has built over the last several decades.

Congratulations to all who work so hard in support of Cuvee, the Niagara Community Foundation and the industry and I look forward to discovering your work over the course of the evening. Thank you.