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.”
Wasylyshen says overall the association’s numbers are up about 83 per cent.
“That’s sales numbers within the LCBO and some of my members are reporting even higher sales increases than that.”
Producers say they hope even if U.S. bottles return to store shelves, consumers will continue to buy wines made from Ontario grapes.
In early March 2025, the Ontario government told the LCBO to stop selling U.S. products in response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods.
The directive means wine, spirits, cider, beer, ready-to-drink coolers and cocktails, and non-alcoholic products produced in the U.S. have not been available for sale in LCBO retail stores, convenience outlets or through its website and app, according to the LCBO.
The ban also means wholesale customers, including grocery stores, convenience stores, bars and restaurants, have not been able to place orders of U.S. products online through the LCBO.
In a statement on Friday, the Ontario Ministry of Finance said VQA wine sales have experienced an increase of about 79% in the last year. The ministry said sales of Ontario alcohol products have increased by about 33%, while sales of local craft products have increased by about 50%. (Talia Ricci/CBC)
Ontario Craft Wineries represents over 100 wineries that make Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wine.
VQA wines are regulated by and registered with the Ontario Wine Appellation Authority, which sets standards for wine made in the province, the Grape Growers of Ontario says on its website. The VQA symbol or name on the bottle means the wine is made from 100 per cent locally grown grapes and has met specific requirements for quality.
Wasylyshen says when a customer buys a bottle of VQA wine, 100 per cent of the amount spent on the bottle stays within the province.
“People are really understanding that, when they buy that wine, they’re supporting the Ontario economy. And I think what this has done for us, the U.S. products being taken from the shelves, it’s given new consumers an opportunity to try us,” she said.
“Our sales of Ontario VQA wine have really skyrocketed.”
Sales of Ontario alcohol products on the rise: province
In a statement on Friday, the Ontario Ministry of Finance said VQA wine sales have experienced an increase of about 79 per cent in the last year. The ministry said sales of Ontario alcohol products have increased by about 33 per cent, while sales of local craft products have increased by about 50 per cent.
“Ontario is home to a vibrant alcohol sector. Beverage alcohol manufacturers are an important part of the economy, and the government is committed to seeing them grow and thrive,” Scott Blodgett, spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, said in the statement.
Nicole Campbell, managing director and co-founder of Grape Witches, a Toronto natural wine shop that specializes in organic, biodynamic and natural wines from around the world, said Friday that the “wine scene” in Ontario is considered quite young compared to that of other wine-producing regions of the world.
“We love Ontario wine and we love Canadian wine so it’s been amazing to see customers really more open to that. I was looking at the last year of sales and actually four of our top-five selling wines are from Ontario, which is a big change from our first few years,” Campbell said.
“Folks are really curious and interested, and the more they try, they are rebuying those wines because they offer amazing value.”
David Eiberg is a wine maker and founder of Therianthropy, a winery that has been making natural wine from organic Ontario grapes since 2018. (Submitted by Therianthropy Wine)
David Eiberg, a wine maker and founder of Therianthropy, a winery that has been making natural wine from organic Ontario grapes since 2018, said there has been significant growth in sales in the past year. The winery, based in Vineland, Ont., makes 15 different wines every year.
“Showcasing what Ontario can produce is our passion,” Eiberg said.
Eiberg said his winery, a passion project started by a small group of people, has seen a lot of changes since it began.
“In the last year, with the threats of tariffs, the landscape shifted massively, where you now have Ontario consumers asking for Ontarian wines to be on lists and restaurants and wine bars reaching out to us for the first time wanting to list our wines,” he said.
“For a small Ontario winery that isn’t in the LCBO, that growth is huge for us. It’s been a silver linings story for us and a massive paradigm shift.”
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