Not surprisingly, this is an issue of vital interest to those of us at the Wine Council of Ontario (WCO), makers of Ontario's VQA - wines made with only 100 per cent Ontario-harvested grapes.

Group in southern Okanagan Valley proposes Golden Mile Bench as new viticultural area

Wineries located on the Golden Mile Bench wine growing area near Oliver in British Columbia have submitted a proposal to become the first official sub-DVA "Designated Viticultural Area" of the Okanagan Valley DVA. An in-depth scientific analysis by scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre - Summerland (AAFC-PARC Summerland) has shown the area has a combination of landform, landscape position, mesoclimate, air drainage and soil materials that make it distinct within the Okanagan Valley, contributing to the production of unique wines.

Tinhorn Creek is using a California-based company called Ship at Home to provide direct-to-consumer sales of many of its wines. Everest said the company made it easy for Tinhorn Creek by handling all label and other compliance issues, importing the wine to the United States and handling all shipping and fulfillment

When Cynthia and David Enns started Laughing Stock Vineyards on the Naramata Bench in British Columbia's Okanagan in 2003, they were advised to start small, a strategy that worked for them in several ways. They were new to the business, still working their day jobs in the financial services sector. And they had a lot to learn about growing grapes.

Liberal leader reiterates budget commitment of $400 million over 10 years, emphasizes importance of farming and farmland to economy

The trouble at Saskatoon's first, privately-owned liquor boutique began in May of 2012 when SLGA revoked its liquor license after the shop breached its contract by buying alcohol straight from an Alberta supplier, rather than importing their stock through the authority.

The latest edition of the Wine Country Ontario Travel Guide highlights a record 107 wineries in the province. Among the eight new additions, Karlo Estates in Wellington, Ont., offers what are billed as North America's first vegan-certified wines, and the Ice House Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake is dedicated to producing icewine.

Kismet Estate winery celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, becoming the newest addition to the more than 30 wineries in the Oliver area.

No question in my mind that this was a quality wine, and no question that it was a riesling

Liquor Stores N.A. Ltd. (the "Company" or "Liquor Stores"), North America's largest publicly traded liquor retailer, today reported its results for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Much of Canada's current approach to liquor retailing has its roots in prohibition-era attitudes towards wine, beer and spirits. But anyone who thinks that era ended should consider the anti-competition rhetoric that emanates from government liquor stores across Canada or Ontario's government-approved private sector beer cartel, The Beer Store (owned by international brewers, Molson-Coors, AB InBev and Sapporo).

As the map below from the World Health Organization shows, Russians and their neighbors drink more than almost everyone else in the world. Canadians drink more than Americans, keeping pace with most European countries.

I still run into people who think that Stag's Hollow Winery-one of the woefully underappreciated gems in B.C. wine-is brand-new. I've written about them a number of times-including their rosé in last week's column-but the good folks at Stag's Hollow can't seem to shake their underdog, under-the-radar image.

Wine sales are coming to theSt. Jacobs Farmers' Market starting May 10. Two Niagara Region wineries will have bottles of Ontario-made product for sale at outdoor booths. "We see this as a great opportunity to get access to market and to be able to sell to our consumers," said Paul Pender, at Tawse Wineryin Vineland.

Raise a Glass to Ontario Act 114 aims at cutting red tape for local brewers, cideries, wineries and vineyards by eliminating transportation and warehousing regulations, as well as allowing producers to sell products from other wineries or breweries at their on-site stores. "This bill is now going to end up in the vacuum because of the election that was just called," Smith said. "But it's still a very important piece of legislation that signifies we need serious changes in the way we sell alcohol in the province."

with Trialto Wine Group, Ltd. ("Trialto") based in Vancouver, Canada

In a report to councillors Monday, the city's economic development department said allowing VQA wines at the St. Catharines market "aligns well with the expectations of the visitor experience."

Blacksquare founders Mathew Protti and David Gluzman developed Blackboxx, an online ecommerce platform that, since 2011, has been enabling winemakers to transcend boundaries and government protectionism by selling their products on the Internet. In the process, they have helped create new markets and a surge in sales for small estate wineries in Canada and around the world.

"We've regrouped," said Stewart Creaser, president of the Winery Association of Nova Scotia