The table is set, the glasses are polished and Niagara College (NC) students have officially thrown down the gauntlet.
Caps, Corks and Forks will return for a sold-out 19th round on Saturday, Feb. 21, bringing 250 guests to the college’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This highly-anticipated event continues a playful rivalry between the college’s wine and beer students, who are vying for beverage pairing supremacy.
As guests enjoy an elegant five-course meal, led by NC’s Benchmark team, students from Team Wine and Team Beer will stand up to defend their carefully selected beverage pairings in a battle of the palates. Following each course, guests cast their votes with a wine cork or a beer cap to indicate their preferred selection. Suspense builds throughout the evening as the tally is updated, until one team claims the trophy and walks away with bragging rights – until the next round.
“Caps, Corks and Forks is more than a competition; it’s a celebration of skill that shows what makes a Niagara College education like no other,” said Craig Youdale, Dean of Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies. “By bringing our culinary, beverage and hospitality programs into one unique event, we create a rare environment where students must perform under the scrutiny of 250 guests who, in turn, get to experience applied learning in action.”
While only one team will end up with a trophy, everybody wins.
Craig Youdale, Dean of Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies
Led by Professor Peter Rod, Team Wine includes seven first-year students who have queued up a selection of Niagara VQA wines under $40 – including an entry from the NC Teaching Winery and several with alumni connections. Students sampled over 30 different wines and narrowed the field to 20 before finalizing their list to ensure a vintage performance alongside the evening’s menu.
“Academically, students spend a lot of time tasting a huge variety of wines which helps them to refine their palates, write better tasting notes and to think critically when analyzing wine qualities and food compatibility,” said Rod. Beyond sensory skills, students benefit from collaboration, teamwork and public speaking experience before an audience of more than 250, including the college president, as well as notable guests and dignitaries, which the event typically draws to campus.
“Students must learn to be diplomatic and supportive when commenting on other’s pairings and ideas,” said Rod. “The sense of satisfaction after doing a good job – and maybe winning the trophy – can be very impactful.” Winery and Viticulture Technician student Donavan Gilroy will present a wine pairing for the fifth course, hoping to sway the vote for Team Wine. “I’m really looking forward to seeing and hearing the audience’s reaction,” said Gilroy. So far, he has found it rewarding to explore different wine styles and learn about the roles they play in industry.
“Coming together with my peers and analyzing critically what we are experiencing ‘in the glass’ was something I have no previous experience with,” he said. “Niagara has some serious world class products in all three industries being displayed in Caps, Corks and Forks, and it is insightful learning how they work together practically and logistically.”
Team Beer, led by Professor Adrian Popowycz and NC alumnus Ian Morrison, who is now Teaching Brewery staff, aims to prove that their craft has hopped to a new level. Their selection features Ontario craft beers, including alumni-connected brews and one selection from the NC Teaching Brewery.
“The Caps, Corks and Forks event offers Brewmaster students a valuable real‑world learning experience,” said Popowycz. “Working alongside culinary and hospitality teams also helps them understand the broader ecosystem their products operate in, from food pairing to event service.”
Fourth-term Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management student Lauchlan Robertson is ready to tap into the audience’s expectations and elevate beer’s status at the dinner table. “The thing I’m most excited about is proving that beer is a valid menu pairing. I’ve bartended for a long time, and recommending a beer to a guest never got the same reaction as suggesting a wine pairing,” said Robertson. “I’m hoping that an event such as this can really cement beer’s place as a legitimate dinner companion and change the way that we appreciate and approach beer in general.”
Robertson valued collaborating with his team as they prepared for the event. “It’s not just about presenting amazing products and trying to win over the crowd; we’ve really come together as a group to share ideas and viewpoints and it’s been an incredible experience,” said Robertson. “Learning about how others approach the concept of pairing beer and food is extremely valuable, not just in presenting the best possible items to our guests, but in learning what makes people gravitate to certain products.”
Second-term student Blake Hunt will also introduce a pairing and assist with the service. “I feel confident in our selections because we took time discussing the different options as a team,” said Hunt. “I believe we have a good chance of winning.”
Since the series launched in 2012, Team Beer and Team Wine have each won nine rounds. The 2026 event will mark a tiebreaker during a milestone year for both areas of study: 25 years for the Winery and Viticulture Technician program and 15 for the Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program.
An educational showcase for the Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies Division, student involvement seeps beyond the School of Wine, Beer and Spirits. The event will be supported by about 40 student volunteers from culinary and hospitality programs who will assist the college’s Benchmark Restaurant team front- and back-of-house, led by catering and special events manager Victor de Oliveira and chef Justin Downes. In addition, a team of baking students will whip up desserts for the evening led by chef Catherine O’Donnell.
“The students have been preparing for the event since the fall. The anticipation, the planning, and the energy is thrilling to them,” said Oliveira. “They observe every step of the way, every detail and every decision. Once the curtains are up, they can show what they are capable of.”
Round 19 of Caps, Corks and Forks will take place at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake (Rankin Student Commons), from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The winner will be revealed at the end of the evening.
