Ontario is helping the province's wineries and grape growers enhance their productivity and competitiveness through increasing supports for activities like marketing, business scaling and innovation.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal was at Sandbanks Estate Winery today to kick off Ontario Wine Week and announce updates to Ontario's Wine and Grape Strategy. These changes will better support Ontario's wine and grape producers so that they can continue to grow, create jobs and meet increasing consumer demand for world-class Ontario Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines.
The province, in consultation with wineries, grape growers and other industry partners, is enhancing programs that help producers to increase their productivity and growth, including:
Helping small and medium-sized wineries scale up and access new retail sales opportunities in the LCBO and grocery stores through the VQA Wine Support Program
Continuing support for the Marketing and Vineyard Improvement Program, which promotes Ontario wines locally and in export markets, as well as wine-related tourism, viticulture improvements, research and innovation and better information on industry performance.
Helping the wine and grape sector grow is part of Ontario's plan to create jobs, grow the economy and help people in their everyday lives.
Source: Ontario.ca