"Despite the significant increase in the number of Canadian wineries and total wine production, profitability in the sector continues to be suppressed by increased operating costs and lower sales prices established by heavily-subsidized imported wines that comprise approximately 70% of all wine sales in Canada."
Since taking on the role of CEO for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario in 2016, Soleas has sought to embed innovation in the organization. Part of this was overhauling the corporate culture, which was rooted in a bygone era of being "the only game in town", he tells The CEO Magazine. "That's not the culture and the philosophy that this organization has today. It's now one of customer-centricity," he says.
Brock's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) has received approval from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for two continuing education offerings, Foundations in Winemaking and Cider and Perry Production: A Foundation, that will be eligible for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding beginning this fall. These represent the first OSAP-eligible micro-credentials at Brock.
"Niagara College instructors and students are right on their game within the Canadian wine community," says judge. The college's teaching winery collected two silver medlas and a bronze at the Ontario Wine Awards presented at the Daniel J. Patterson campus on June 16.
Fewer regular wine drinkers trying 'mainstream' white grapes in the past six months -- Albarino, Torrontes and Viognier saw popularity increase. Merlot, Pinot Noir and Shiraz saw a dip, while Garnacha seems to be undergoing a renaissance.
Despite job losses, reduced winery visits and sales during the pandemic, not to mention extreme weather events that have cut production, Wine Growers Canada chair Kelly Brown, executive vice-president of Arterra Wines Canada, struck a positive note. "We're Canadian, so our businesses have been resilient."
Christine Colletta, one of the founders of Okanagan Crush Pad, says the winery has been working toward sustainable farming since it opened 11 years ago.
On June 30, the federal government repealed the excise duty exemption for 100 per cent Canadian wine, after Australia and Canada settled a dispute at the World Trade Organization.
"Phantom Creek Vineyard has always been planted with the aim to produce the highest quality fruit possible, and we're proud to continue that tradition today at Phantom Creek Estates," said Mark Beringer, director of winemaking at Phantom Creek Estates.