Canada's reputation as a beer guzzling nation is under threat from wine tipplers.According to Statistics Canada, while beer remains the alcoholic beverage of choice, both in volume and dollar value, wine sales are taking a bite out of its market share.

Schneider Packaging Equipment has appointed Garth S. Dangerfield as regional sales manager for the Canadian Field Office in Burlington, Ontario.

As Canadian as a cold ... wine? While beer is still far and away the favourite alcoholic beverage of Canadian drinkers, its popularity is giving way to wine, according to the latest figures from Statistics Canada.

CedarCreek Estate Winery officials announced yesterday that Darryl Brooker has become their new winemaker.

A long-sought grape and wine research network linking eastern and western Canada launched recently with the signing of an agreement between leading research institutions on opposite sides of the country. Brock University's Cool Climate Oenology & Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) in Ontario joined with the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre (PARC) in British Columbia.

Tony Stewart travelled to California recently, and the president of B.C.'s Quails' Gate Estate Winery had more on his mind than golf. He was on an exploratory visit to the vineyard-rich Napa and Sonoma valleys, where Quails' Gate is looking to buy a winery.

By far, the biggest savings came from switching the glass bottles that store wine. The new storage bottles are about 15 per cent lighter. Produced using less raw materials, the lighter bottles are more eco-friendly and less expensive.

Summerhill Pyramid Winery is supporting research at UBC Okanagan that will address a critically important issue in vineyards - water use. A $30,000 donation from Summerhill will fund a project led by biochemist Susan Murch to develop drought-tolerant rootstock genotypes. As part of the project, molecular biologist Steven Lund at the Wine Research Centre at UBC in Vancouver will also create a portable kit for early detection of water stress at the molecular level.

For a second consecutive year, Ontario has ended up with a large grape surplus. Key winery representatives say it's time to change the way grapes are priced.

At issue are millions of dollars the government stands to lose through sales taxes when it harmonizes its provincial sales tax with the 5% federal sales tax known as the GST

The common shares of Magnotta trade on the TSX under the symbol "MGN".

Black Hills Estate Winery set its own record before the Olympics even started. Some 3,300 cases of its Nota Bene wine sold online in 47 minutes with more than 20,000 people vying for the Bordeaux-style blend that sells at $53 a bottle.

On behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Lee Richardson, Member of Parliament (Calgary Centre), today announced funding for Redpoint Media Group, which produces Wine Access magazine.

Cheque presentation takes place last Wednesday afternoon

BCWineries.net, a social media site dedicated to the BC wine industry officially launched in January 2010. The wine site offers an interactive forum for wineries and enthusiasts to chat openly about their passion of wine, read wine blogs, upload photos and videos, as well as search a calendar which lists wine events around our province.

With more than 250,000 people converging on Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics, which begin Feb. 12, wineries are hoping the party that's touted as Vancouver's coming of age will serve them well.

Outcry in Canada over the widespread practice of bottling foreign bulk wine and selling it as "Cellared in Canada" has temporarily subsided, after wineries promised to make changes to misleading labels.

Industry insiders raise questions about origin of grapes used on ALR property

After months of debate over labels used for Canadian-made wines containing a blend of domestic and foreign grapes, a committee has recommended turfing the contentious Cellared in Canada term that many believe misleads consumers.

Niagara residents who are out for a good time would rather see a B-list entertainer for free than pay money to see an A-list act. That's the conclusion reached by organizers of the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival, who cut $100,000 in costs from the 2009 fall bash by booking cheaper entertainment for the events in Montebello Park.