Grape Growers of Ontario and Farm Credit Canada have announced that vineyard manager Augusta Van Muyen for Tawse Winery has been chosen by her peers as the 2025-2026 Grape King. 

She is the fourth female Grape King to be honoured since the award’s inception in 1956. The award recognizes exemplary vineyard management and understanding of the industry. 

The Grape King carries the distinction of being nominated by their peers and selected by industry judges who visit each of the nominated vineyards. The Grape King serves as a representative for Ontario’s grape and wine industry at events across the country. 

Currently vineyard manager at Tawse Winery, Van Muyen has taken a path across Ontario and the world. She grew up on a Prince Edward County farm that built ploughs for the region’s newly developing vineyards, instilling an interest in grapes and wine. She studied for a time at Brock University before transferring to Niagara College to learn the ropes of grape-growing. She started with Tawse in 2009-2010 then worked oversees in Germany’s Rhine-Hessen region. 

Upon her return to Canada, she worked at a winery in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley then came back to Tawse in 2013, serving as assistant winemaker. In 2019, she transitioned to the vineyard.  Since 2021, she has served as vineyard manager.  

She places great importance on sustainability and leaving the land better than she found it. For her, the most important aspect of grape-growing is being present on the farm, dedicating time to scouting the vineyard to keep ahead of problems. 

“There’s nothing better,” she says, “than walking through the farm on a gorgeous sunny morning – the birds are singing, the bugs are out, everything feels alive and vibrant.”  

Van Muyen is a valued member of the Grape Growers of Ontario’s Next Generation Committee and serves on the board of directors of Farm & Food Care Ontario. 

Source:  Grape Growers of Ontario September 16, 2025 news release