Small and mid-size wineries want equal representation in British Columbia Wine Institute

It takes two hands to count all the research projects the BC Wine and Grape Council will support thanks to an influx of funding from the Canadian government announced on Earth Day. Kelowna-Lake Country MP Ron Cannan visited Grey Monk Estate Winery, Tuesday, for a press conference trumpeting a $2 million dedication from the five-year Growing Forward 2 initiative, fostering innovation in agriculture.

"The research is very clear: allowing convenience stores to sell beer, wine and hard liquor would lead to harmful consequences in our community," said Jeff Newton, President of Canada's National Brewers.

This investment builds on previous support of $2 million provided to BCWGC under the Developing Innovative Agri-Products (DIAP) initiative, for a project to help improve irrigation and nutrient management to achieve the highest vine and fruit quality

For Fort Berens, this spring brings new growth to their team, the blossoming of their winery construction project and a bountiful spring release of their favourite and new varietals.

Some growers lower prices, consider replanting with different types

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre scientist Bernard Goyette has invented a chamber that allows winemakers to dry grapes appassimento style while controlling climate, air flow and humidity using a unique method.

While Washington growers continue to expand their acreage, many B.C. growers are landlocked and disenchanted by the high costs of apple production coupled with variable returns. In the last 25 years, the area planted to apples in British Columbia has shrunk from 22,000 acres to 8,420 acres today. B.C. Tree Fruits Cooperative, which handles most of the province's wholesale apples, packs about 4 million boxes annually.

process is one where grapes grown in cool climates with shorter growing seasons are harvested before they suffer frost bite, but are allowed to ripen further indoors

"When our current structure was put in place there were 131 grape wineries in BC, today there are 235. While that growth has propelled the BC wine industry to contribute $2 billion a year to the BC economy, the current board of directors believes now is the time to give pause and ensure the BCWI is structured properly for our continued success in the future."

an Ontario-born vintner with a master's degree in enology from Adelaide University in Australia

Statistics Canada has released a report about the year ending March 2013, and says Canadians spent $21.4 billion on alcoholic beverages, up 2.2 percent. Beer still has the biggest part of the market at $9.1 billion, little changed from a year earlier. Wine sales of $6.8 billion, on the other hand, were up 4.9 percent.

A group of community-based organizations came to Queen's Park today to tell MPPs from all three political parties that when it comes to alcohol sales deregulation, it's just not worth the risk. "Our stand against privatization/deregulation goes back to 1994; we strongly oppose the retailing of beer, wine and alcohol at convenience stores or gas stations," said arrive alive DRIVE SOBER Executive Director Anne Leonard.

The Tasty Grape Wine Store and owner Cindy Holland are suing the British Columbia Wine Institute for allegedly unreasonably denying an application to sell the BC Vintner's Quality Wine Store to Liquor Barn.

The Beer Store is trying to turn Ontarians against the idea of alcohol sales at the province's convenience stores and gas stations, warning it could increase the risk of sale to minors. "I think we all have a responsibility to look out for Ontario's kids and to protect our communities," The Beer Store manager and world curling champion Glenn Howard says in a new ad launched Monday. "At The Beer Store, it's a commitment we take to heart." The 30-second spot is the latest step in in an ongoing battle between The Beer Store and the Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA), which has been lobbying MPPs to bring beer and wine into corner stores.

The Essex Pelee Island Coast, known as EPIC, Winegrower's Association announced the election of Steve Mitchell, President, Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery, as the association's new President during the recent Annual General Meeting.

Currently, the price for a pack of 24 of popular beer brands are $10 less at Ontario Beer Stores than average prices at private retailers in Alberta or B.C. Statistics Canada data also shows that alcohol prices increased by 16.9 per cent in B.C. and 28.2 per cent in Alberta more than Ontario between 2002 and 2013.

A Canadian company that recently scooped up a fifth of the remaining prime land in Washington's smallest wine grape growing area is the new owner of two vineyards in the state's largest. Aquilini Brands bought almost 700 acres of vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills for almost $7 million earlier this week.

Another grape-growing and wine-producing season is on us in British Columbia and there is little to suggest the vast Okanagan Valley will be carved into a number of smaller, sensible sub-regions that relate to the origin of where grapes and wines are produced before the next harvest. A small band of estate winery owners are indignant that the word Canada or the term Canadian appears on an enormous number of wine bottles sold in Canada that contain little or no Canadian-grown fruit.

On Tuesday, big grocery chains heralded the news: LCBO Express kiosks were coming to select grocery stores. On Wednesday, they were equally enthusiastic, but mum as to which of their locations - if any - fit the explicit terms and geographic limits outlined in the Request for Proposal document on the LCBO's website: