Easton named a champion of the wine industry

The Wine Growers of Ontario recently honoured outgoing Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton with the 2026 Wine Champion Award. ~ Luke Edwards photo

By Luke Edwards

Waffling on a subject has meant the death of many political careers. But for Sandra Easton, there’s one topic where she’ll happily announce a regular change of opinion.

“My favourite winery always seems to be the most recent winery I’ve been to,” the Lincoln mayor said last month.

Earlier this summer the Wine Growers of Ontario honoured Easton with the 2026 Wine Champion Award, recognizing her advocacy for one of Lincoln’s and Niagara’s most vital business sectors. The award comes as Easton wraps up her third and final term as Lincoln’s mayor, as she’s said she won’t be seeking re-election.

At that moment, when she was asked about her favourite winery she said it was the recently opened Al Borgo Estates.

“They have some very, very different varieties,” she said, singling out a sparkling that was her new favourite.

“But if you asked me this a few months ago, I would have said my favourite winery is Featherstone,” Easton said.

In announcing Easton as the winner of this year’s Wine Champion award, the Wine Growers of Ontario described her as a leader, a champion of strategic infrastructure investment, and a strong advocate for inter-municipal collaboration.

“Mayor Easton is particularly proud of Lincoln’s thriving and diverse agricultural sector, which remains a cornerstone of the community. From the award-winning vineyards and craft breweries to the innovative greenhouses and farm-to-table ventures, Lincoln’s agricultural industry showcases innovation, resilience, and sustainability,” the announcement said.

“Under her leadership, the town has supported this sector with infrastructure, resources, and partnerships that drive economic growth.”

Easton called it an honour to receive the award, but added it’s a tribute to the hard work of an entire team of staff and councillors at town hall, where she said supporting the local agriculture community has long been a priority.

“It really requires a large number of (people) at all levels in our organization, including council,” she said.

The Town recently completed a process to update its official plan, and once again agriculture was a heavy focus in the plan as it reaffirms their commitment to ensuring Lincoln is a centre for excellence in agriculture.

Easton also referred to the Niagara Wine Supercluster, a model put forward by industry and government officials that envisions the region becoming a wine superpower akin to Napa Valley or Europe’s premier wine regions. To achieve that, Easton said many sectors - from agriculture to tourism, education to government - need to work together.

Looking forward, the mayor sees the sector continuing to innovate as food security takes a more central role in our lives.

“I think there will be huge innovations in farming, and greenhouses. We don’t really grow (greenhouse) vegetables here now, but the whole issue of food security is certainly one we’re hearing a great deal about,” she said.