A message from the Chair, Norm Beal. After one year as Chair of Ontario Craft Wineries, I am incredibly proud of the momentum we’ve built together and the position our industry is in today. This has been a year of real progress, one where change created opportunity, and where Ontario’s VQA wine sector stepped forward with confidence. See the full report here.
Thank you to everyone who registered for the 2026 Spring Wine Forum. The event is currently SOLD OUT, if you would like to join the waitlist for tickets, please email helena@ontariocraftwineries.ca. The 2026 Spring Wine Forum will bring together leaders from across the province’s wine, hospitality, and tourism sectors. LCBO’s newly appointed interim President & CEO, Aaron Campbell, will also join us to talk about his new role along
Producers of beer, wine and spirits can start applying Tuesday to the province’s liquor corporation for authorizations to do the direct-to-consumer sales, a process the premiers say will only take a matter of days. Read more here.
Ford told LCBO to stop selling American products after U.S. tariffs imposed on Canadian goods in March. Sales of wines made from Ontario-grown grapes have soared since the Doug Ford government directed the LCBO to pull U.S. booze from store shelves nearly a year ago, officials say. “It’s been huge,” said Michelle Wasylyshen, president and CEO of Ontario Craft Wineries, a non-profit trade association. “We call this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“Clearly this limits consumer choice and runs counter to the spirit of a truly open Canadian market, which we are all striving for in today’s trade-centric environment,” said Michelle Wasylyshen, president and CEO of Ontario Craft Wineries. See more here.
OCW Member Harald Thiel owner of Hidden Bench Vineyards & Winery did an interview with Radio-Canada this week sharing the growth of the VQA Ontario wine industry in response to the US tariffs. See the full interview here.
According to the LCBO, sales of Ontario VQA wines – which are made entirely from local grapes – are up 67 per cent year over year, while red wines have jumped 80 per cent. At Westcott Vineyards in Lincoln, Ont., the story is similar. Co-owner Carolyn Hurst says the boycott has allowed her to get more attention from consumers. “With those U.S. wines coming off, we’ve had some really significant,
Wasylyshen, president and CEO of Ontario Craft Wineries, which represents more than 100 producers, said wine sales across all retail channels — from grocery and convenience stores to restaurants — have jumped by 78 per cent. She said the boost in sales has led wineries to hire more staff, invest in new machinery and expand their offerings, such as adding a restaurant component. Read more here.
Ontario Craft Wineries chief executive Michelle Wasylyshen said the “Buy Canadian” movement has given Ontario VQA wine producers an opportunity to get their products into the hands of new consumers, who are “tuning in like never before.” Read more here.
Canadian wine producers are seeing a boost in sales as more people choose to ‘Buy Canadian’ in the face of a U.S. trade war. Provincial bans on U.S. alcohol imposed earlier this year also gave homegrown vintages a bump. Read more here.