Tariff war could end up boosting New Brunswick wine, says industry group

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 04, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 22 minutes ago

The New Brunswick vino manufacture is inactive waiting to spot what affect tariffs volition impact have, but the president of N.B. Wines says the biggest interaction could be positive. 

"American vino represents 18 to 20 per cent of income present successful New Brunswick. Those are income that are nary longer available," said Michael Lewis, caput of the radical that represents a fig of wineries and grape growers successful the province. 

"We correspond astir apt 2 to 3 per cent of New Brunswick vino consumption. We're looking to treble that."

In February, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said that portion U.S. products would stay connected N.B. Liquor shelves, the state would not beryllium purchasing immoderate caller product.

Lewis said the tourism opportunities that New Brunswick could spot from much radical buying section are "immense."

An economical investigation done by Wines of Nova Scotia that showed for each vessel of Nova Scotia-produced vino sold, it generated astir $96 of economical impact, Lewis said.

"Are we rather that high? Maybe not necessarily, but … each vessel that you're buying present successful New Brunswick, determination is simply a tourism impact, there's a labour impact."

With radical potentially staying closer to location for abrogation this year, Lewis said increased vineyard visits are different positive. 

It's excessively soon to archer if the "buy Canadian" question volition person an further interaction connected New Brunswick vino sales, helium said, oregon whether consumers flock to European varieties. 

Ultimately,  it's a wait-and-see crippled erstwhile it comes to tariffs and however consumers volition react.

"As we've seen little products connected shelves … abruptly determination [are] radical who are possibly utilized to a California Merlot oregon Zinfandel that present are reaching for thing that whitethorn beryllium much section to us, thing that's person to home."