The Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN-RCCV) held its annual general meeting on April 28, 2026, refreshing its leadership with nearly half of its board along with updates to bylaws. 

The CGCN-RCCV Board of Directors have elected the following officer positions:

• -  Chair - Kevin Watson, Grape Growers of Ontario (GGO)

• -  Vice-Chair - Mike Watson, British Columbia Wine Grape Council (BCWGC)

• -  Treasurer - Mélanie Gore, Conseil des vins du Québec (CVQ)

• -  Secretary – Katarina Vucic, Grape Growers’ Association of Nova Scotia (GGANS)

Kevin Watson has been involved in Ontario’s grape and wine industry since 1978 and currently farms approximately 100 acres of certified sustainable vineyards, including some of Ontario’s earliest plantings of Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Pinots Gris vines. He is also the chair of the Grape Growers of Ontario. 

Mike Watson is the senior viticulturist of Arterra Wines Canada, located in British Columbia. He’s one of the individuals that is responsible for bringing CGCN-RCCV to life more than nine years ago.  

Mélanie Gore is the executive director of the CVQ and previously held the position of vice-chair of CGCN-RCCV since 2022, but has been a director since 2020. Her background is in business intelligence and marketing, but she discovered her passion for the wine industry through a marketing role with Coteau Rougemont vineyard.

Katarina Vucic is the viticulture specialist at Perennia Food and Agriculture Corporation in Nova Scotia. She has been working in the grape and wine industry for nearly 20 years, employed in various roles in British Columbia, Canada, and France. She received her master’s degree in business and science with a focus in Vineyard and Winery Management from the University of Bordeaux Science Agro (2020).

CGCN-RCCV welcomes new directors Andrew Wilson (GGO) and Marc Théberge (CVQ) and is grateful for Peter Jackson’s (GGANS) continued engagement since joining the board in 2025.

Additionally, CGCN-RCCV’s bylaws have been amended to outline maximum consecutive term limits, and criteria for director eligibility. For more information on bylaw changes, please contact CGCN-RCCV.

Source:  Canadian Grapevine Certification Network May 5, 2026 news release