Shirley-Ann George is the President and Founder of the Alliance of Canadian Wine Consumers — a grassroots, non-partisan, volunteer group of wine lovers whose goal is to change the provincial and federal laws so Canadians can purchase and ship wine from Canadian wineries in other provinces.
– What prompted you to found this group in 2010?
– Last 2 weeks: Bill C-311 has been passed in both the House of Commons and the Senate: tell us what that bill changes
– What’s the difference between in-person transportation of wine versus shipping it directly to a consumer?
– Is this law a hangover from Prohibition?
– Do the provincial laws interfere with this one?
– What do Canadian wine lovers need to do?
Another post on the Free My Grapes Bill C-311 gives more details including whom you can contact about this issue. We’ll have more reports and interviews as this issue unfolds.
Just in case people get the impression that you can’t already ship across Canada (the law notwithstanding): I have found no problem having wine shipped regularly from BC and increasingly from Ontario. Although there are some wineries in Ontario that refuse to ship, many do. So don’t assume you can’t get your favourite – just contact the winery and ask.
Some wineries are willing to ship wine that is not even theirs. Turning up at a BC winery with several cases from different producers, I was delighted to learn that some wineries will ship the lot for you. Popular shipping companies like UPS will also pack it carefully and ship. The only problem I’ve ever had was on an airline whose fork-lift speared a case and broke a bottle of Osoyoos La Rose.
As someone who had to wait until I lived in New York in the 80s to taste my first Moosehead beer, I really support the efforts of anyone trying to change the law. It’s ludicrous in this day and age. And we’re all bored to death reading the same old pleas for change in wine magazines, with little result. Kudos to the Alliance and people working to get it done.
This is very helpful, thanks Diane!