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HILLIER, ON, May 11 /CNW/
- The Ontario government is helping bring more visitors to Ontario's
wine regions by permitting the sale of single servings of wine for
guests to enjoy as they tour a vineyard, announced Government Services
Minister Gerry Phillips today. "Ontario is becoming known around the
world for making top-quality wine," Phillips said at The Grange of
Prince Edward, a winery in Prince Edward County. "Wine makers asked for
the government's help to promote their products and improve tourism in
the wine regions, and we listened."
Regulations that came into effect earlier this month will allow wine and
beer makers to apply for a license from the Alcohol and Gaming
Commission of Ontario to sell individual servings of their products at
their manufacturing sites. The licence is aimed at helping wineries
enhance the tour experience for their visitors and bring more visitors
to Ontario's wine regions. For example, a winery would be able to sell a
glass of wine for guests to enjoy as they tour the vineyard, learning
about the grapes, the wine making process and the finished product.
"Many great wines
are produced in Ontario," said Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Minister Leona Dombrowsky. "This program will better enable people to
appreciate the quality and calibre of Ontario wines." Prince
Edward-Hastings MPP Ernie Parsons added, "World-class wineries are
bringing people to their vineyards, creating new tourism experiences and
helping people learn more about their fantastic products. This program
will do the same for Ontario's wine regions."
"Being able to buy
wine by the glass will further enhance the experience for visitors
touring Ontario's picturesque wine regions. This announcement allows the
public another opportunity to discover why Ontario VQA wines are being
recognized around the world for their excellence," said Wine Council of
Ontario chair, Norm Beal. "Ontario is growing some of the best grapes in
the world," said Grape Growers of Ontario chair Bill George Jr. "They've
earned a reputation for excellence and this new initiative will help
more people experience what's growing in their own backyard."
There are more
than 100 wineries in Ontario located in the Niagara Peninsula, the Lake
Erie north shore, Pelee Island and Prince Edward County. In the past six
years, Ontario wines have been recognized with more than 125
international awards for excellence.
"BY THE GLASS" WINE
AND BEER SALES
New regulations under the Liquor Licence Act allow wineries and
breweries to sell individual servings of their products at their
manufacturing sites. This change was requested by the wine industry
during consultations on reforms to the Act. The regulations allow
manufacturers to sell individual servings of wine and beer for guests to
enjoy as they tour the site, enhancing the Ontario tourism experience
and providing wineries and breweries with an added tool that can be used
to educate guests about their products in an interactive manner. Wine
and beer makers are now being given an opportunity to apply for a
licence to offer "By the Glass" service to their guests. Those that do
would be required to:
•
Ensure alcoholic beverages are not served to, or consumed by, minors or
intoxicated guests
• Provide staff that have received responsible service training
• Sell only their products in quantities equal to or less than 142 ml (5
oz) for Ontario wine and 341 ml (12 oz) for Ontario beer
• Sell only between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• Obtain a municipal resolution in support of "By the Glass" licensing
for their manufacturing site
About the wine
regions of Ontario:
Ontario has four
wine-producing regions:
•
The Niagara Peninsula is recognized globally as an outstanding
wine-producing region. With complex soils and climate similar to
Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Oregon and New Zealand, the region is ideal
for growing grapes. Encompassing Niagara-On-The-Lake, Grimsby,
Beamsville, Jordan and Vineland, the Niagara Peninsula is a short drive
from the Toronto, Buffalo, New York, and Rochester, New York, areas.
•
The Lake Erie North Shore gets the most sunshine in Canada and is close
to warm, shallow waters that create an ideal microclimate for grapes to
grow. The area includes Harrow, Kingsville and Point Pelee, and is only
a short drive from Windsor, Detroit, Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and
Toledo, Ohio.
•
Pelee Island is Canada's most southern point with a longer growing
season than anywhere else in the country. It is Canada's oldest wine
region with grape growing operations dating back to 1866. Pelee Island
is a short ferry ride from Lake Erie North Shore wineries.
•
Prince Edward County has the coolest climate of all Ontario wine regions
and has just recently begun producing wine grape crops. The area
includes Bloomfield, Picton and Wellington and is about half-way between
Toronto and Kingston on the north shore of Lake Ontario. |
