The new law allowing Ontario VQA wines to be sold at farmers’ markets is our topic of discussion in the CBC Metro Morning clip below. The change affords Ontario VQA wines greater awareness among new customers, access to new markets and new streams of revenue.
Click on the arrow above to listen to the clip. Access to farmers’ markets is especially important for the 100 smaller wineries that currently do not have wines sold in the LCBO liquor stores because they don’t produce enough to meet the requirements of that retail channel. Currently, the can only sell their wines at thew winery or through a direct mail club.
Wineries can also have a direct relationship with new customers, which is vital as small-batch wine is largely a hand sell.
Wine drinkers benefit too in discovering a greater diversity to artisanal wines as it tends to be mostly the larger Ontario brands in LCBO liquor stores. This fits with the movement today that is not only local, bust also artisanal whether it’s cheese, coffee or wine.
Wine is a grocery item and it should be sold as such with other locally made food and drink. It’s been done for centuries in Europe where the wine culture is much stronger as a result, and in Nova Scotia farmers’ market for a decade without a problem.
The Ontario government announcement on December 17 is not just good news for wineries, but also for our provincial economy: there is an average of $31 per bottle of Ontario wine sold of economic impact in terms of more jobs, a 
stronger tourism industry and so on.
If we want healthier and more moderate approaches to wine consumption we should sell it that way: that it’s to be enjoyed with a good meal and family and friends.
Granted this is only the first step on a long road toward open markets both for Ontario VQA wines and all wines in our province and country.
You can listen to a second interview on Ontario VQA Wines at farmers’ markets with CBC Ontario Morning.
Posted with permission of CBC.
