Local Perspectives - International Grapes make Ontario Wine?

Brooklin Town Crier July 9th Edition - 2010

I have to say that the latest addition of the LCBO to Brooklin has received a warm welcome in our neighbourhood. It is a good place to pick up some local wine or beer, when hosting friends or enjoying a nice meal. However, it is important to check the wine label to ensure that you are actually buying Ontario wine.

Consumers may unknowingly be supporting foreign grape producers or their products because wines labelled “Cellared in Canada” can actually have up to 70 per cent foreign grapes according to Ontario laws. These wines usually sit on the shelf under the Ontario banner, so it is easy for consumers to be confused.

Why is this important? Last year, Environmental Defence reported that the equivalent of more than 10,000 tonnes of grapes were imported, while Ontario farmers with high-quality crops of the same variety were unable to find buyers and were forced to leave the grapes rotting on the vine.

If you want to buy Ontario wine, you must look for the VQA label. This means that the wine is made from 100% Ontario-grown grapes that have meet a high standard for the grape variety. A list of Ontario VQA wineries can be found at: www.vqaontario.ca/wineries. A recent trip to the Brooklin LCBO revealed that they now have VQA wines in their own section, which is very well signed and prominently displayed near the front of the store.

Brooklin is fortunate to be in close proximity to two local wineries, so we are not limited to just the LCBO to find local wine. Ocala Winery in Port Perry boasts a vineyard made up of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Auxerrios, Muscat, Vidal, Seyval, Baco Noir, Marechal Foch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. In addition, Archibald Orchards and Winery in Bomanville offers a selection of 20 different fruit wines to choose from, ranging from very dry to dessert "ice wine” types. My favourite is Spiced Winter Apple, a dessert wine reminiscent of apple pie.

I am hopeful that the recent attempts to bring this issue to light and the efforts by the LCBO to make it easier for consumers to understand what they are purchasing will lead to more informed local purchases.