No worries for B.C. wine
Dustin Godfrey - Feb 07, 2017 - BC Biz

The provincial government is holding its ground on a policy that only allows B.C. wines in grocery stores.

The policy has been the subject of a complaint lodged with the World Trade Organization, targeting it as a protectionist policy.

“I’m sure the province is very comfortable with the direction that they have taken on this and with the legal advice they have had to it,” Penticton MLA Dan Ashton said.

Poplar Grove Winery owner Tony Holler says isn’t too surprised about the complaint, noting that wine and trade organizations are there to protect their region’s businesses.

“It’s their job to look at things and to complain about everything,” Holler said. “I think the important thing for everybody to bear in mind is we have a very strong organization in the BC Wine Institute.”

Along with the provincial government’s own confidence in the policy, vintner John Skinner is confident in the government.

“They’ve shown a real willingness to get out in front of things,” Skinner said. “We’re hoping they have very good counsel; they assure us they do, so we’ve got to respect that.”

Ashton says B.C. needs to highlight local wines where it can, because of its relatively small wine country.

“The land that we have in comparison to what other parts of the world have to grow grapes, we’re very limited,” Ashton said, noting that the average farm size is around eight acres.

“It’s a drop in the bucket to what takes place elsewhere in the world.”


All BC Biz Stories