Ontario wine sales surge after U.S. products pulled

Robyn Miller · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 04, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Sales of Ontario vino person accrued by implicit 60 per cent since the LCBO pulled American products disconnected its shelves earlier this year, signalling a displacement successful buying habits among consumers successful the province, the retailer says.

"Ontarians are progressively committed to buying section and Canadian products," an LCBO spokesperson said successful a statement.

"VQA vino (made from 100% Ontario-grown grapes) has seen a income summation of implicit 60%, with VQA reds and whites seeing maturation of 71% and 67% respectively, and VQA sparkling vino increasing by +28%."

From the opening of March until aboriginal June, full vino income dropped by 13 per cent, the LCBO added.

In response to U.S. tariffs, the Ontario authorities directed the LCBO in March to instrumentality restrictions connected each U.S. beverage intoxicant income and related imports.

• Provinces respond to Trump tariffs by pulling U.S. liquor from shelves
• Ontario pulls U.S. intoxicant from LCBO shelves successful effect to tariffs

Spirits, wine, cider, beer, ready-to-drink coolers/cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks produced successful the U.S. were promptly pulled from the shelves of LCBO retail stores and convenience outlets.

The determination has been an "opportunity" for section vino makers, according to Del Rollo, erstwhile seat and existent committee member of Wine Growers Ontario. Rollo said Canadians person ne'er been much passionate astir supporting section and buying Canadian. 

"We're capitalizing connected that arsenic an manufacture and making definite that the shelves are full, and they're tasting the wines and they're loving them," Rollo said. 

Restaurants, wineries besides seeing boost

The displacement toward sipping Ontario vino has besides fixed a boost to local restaurants and wineries. 

At Kin Vineyards successful Carp, income person summation by astir 25 per cent since the commercialized warfare began, according to retail manager Liam Mastersmith.  

Mastersmith's household owns the vineyard that helium says is location to the northernmost Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes successful the province. The institution sells astir of its vino astatine the vineyard and through restaurants, and it's besides available in prime LCBO stores.

"The Ottawa Valley has ever been large astatine supporting section anyway, and truthful what we've seen is that much radical from extracurricular of the Ottawa Valley are coming successful and trying our wines," Mastersmith said. 

Customer William Hordyk grew up near Ontario's renowned Niagara vino portion and says supporting section producers has ever been important, but present he's paying adjacent much attention. 

"I'm much conscious astir it present and decidedly looking much intimately astatine it to marque definite I'm supporting the section Canadian and Ontario wineries," helium said. 

Ontario vino income besides look to person legs successful section restaurants. Stephen Beckta, proprietor of Beckta Dining & Wine, Gezellig and Play Food & Wine successful Ottawa, got a batch of attraction erstwhile helium publically announced the removal of each American wines from his menus earlier this year.  

Since then, helium said sales of Ontario wines successful his restaurants have jumped astir 30 per cent. Beckta said he wants the commercialized warfare to end, but customers person been precise receptive to trying caller Canadian and Ontario wines. 

"What we've seen is simply a greater assurance astir supporting our ain industries, and that is the fantastic byproduct that volition beryllium present careless of erstwhile the commercialized warfare really ends," helium said. 

The LCBO said in addition to VQA wine, different Ontario-made vino categories specified arsenic international-domestic blends are experiencing humble growth, portion Canadian vino has experienced beardown maturation successful effect to demand, up about 18 per cent.