In its first stage, this joint venture will take on the representation of Concha y Toro brands, among them Casillero del Diablo, Frontera, Marques de Casa Concha, Don Melchor and its Californian brands Fetzer and Bonterra.

But the problem is being perpetuated by some players more than others. While B.C. has encouraged open exchange with Ontario and other provinces, allowing B.C. residents to purchase Ontario wine, Ontario hasn't been so quick to reciprocate, even though Ontario wineries have gone on the record in support of opening provincial borders for wine sales.

"I thought the message behind it was very condescending and that it implied if you have a glass of wine, it meant you didn't love your body, and it meant you didn't love your baby which is really what I take issue with - it's the way that this is put forward," she told Global News on Tuesday.

B.C.'s advantage under the agreement between Christy Clark and Brad Wall is that instead of only being able to order wines and spirits through the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, the market will be opened up to direct sales from wineries and distilleries.

Visitors to the 63rd annual Niagara Wine Festival will learn about the region's winemaking history through gourmet food, cheese and wine pairings, live entertainment, grape stomping competitions, and individual events hosted at wineries across the region.

While the removal of barriers for shipping wine across B.C. and Saskatchewan is a step in the right direction, involvement is needed by other Canadian provinces, says the co-owner of a Naramata Bench Winery.

Ontario's wineries aren't the ones keeping the corks in free trade between the provinces. Though British Columbians can order a case of Ontario ice wine or gamay, Ontarians still can't get a pinot noir shipped in from the West.

Visitors to the 63rd annual Niagara Wine Festival will learn about the region's winemaking history through gourmet food, cheese and wine pairings, live entertainment, grape stomping competitions, and individual events hosted at wineries across the region.

Craft beer now accounts for 6% of the Canadian beer market as the craft brewing boom takes further chunks out of "big beer".

Since opening his store three years ago, the Brockville, Ont., native has been working to raise the profile of Canadian wine in Japan

Canada's premiers are in Charlottetown for their annual Council of the Federation meeting and once again the apparently catastrophic issue of interprovincial trade barriers ranks high on the agenda. Most premiers would rather talk about a real problem, like lack of infrastructure money, but western provinces and the federal government see their moment to change the conversation for reasons no one is being honest about.

Economic Development and Infrastructure Minister Brad Duguid extended an olive branch to the Prairie province, which is threatening to impose retaliatory trade barriers on Ontario if it doesn't scrap rules that give local companies a head start when bidding on infrastructure projects.

The Nova Scotia Wine Development Board will highlight opportunities, identify barriers and provide advice on legislation, regulation and policy development. Agriculture Minister Keith Colwell will lead the board, which will also include representatives of the province's farm wineries, grape growers and support services.

Ontario's governing Liberals are shrugging off a new report claiming consumers could pay less for booze and the province could brew more profit from alcohol sales if the government opened up the business to more retailers.

A new C.D. Howe report released Wednesday revived the debate over the oligopoly that controls booze sales in Ontario. But what would a liberalized regime actually look like for the consumer? Ontario could look to other provinces - or its own (ignored) expert report - for a few ideas.

The recently released report by the C.D. Howe Institute calling for major change in Ontario's alcohol retailing system agrees with the Wine Council of Ontario's position that lack of competition is resulting in less choice for consumers and reduced government revenues.

Professors at Okanagan College have conducted extensive research to find out what motivates wine visitors to come to the valley, and what is needed to ensure they return. Along with the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society and the British Columbia Wine Institute the team discovered the "greatest influence on visitor motivation."

A provincial pilot project to sell VQA wines at farmers' markets may need more flexibility to be beneficial, local wineries say. "Everybody, all the members are committed to it, and we're sticking with it, but I think it's going to take some time," said Ann Wilson, president and general manager of Oxley Estate Winery.

A new Harris Decima poll shows that Canadians want the federal government to remove the limitation on importing wine from other provinces. About half of Canadians say they drink wine at least occasionally and nationally 17 per cent say they drink wine regularly, while 36 per cent say they drink wine occasionally.

The fallout from this year's harsh winter may allow a Lambton County winery to sell wine next year at farmers' markets.