To determine where a bottle is made, you need to search the label for the wine’s origin, stated in small print as an “International blend from imported and domestic wines.”Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Despite looking like Canadian wines, many of your favourite affordable bottles or bag-in-a-box options may be blends of foreign and domestic wine.
Known in the industry as International Domestic Blends, which can contain up to 75 per cent imported bulk wine, these inexpensive selections are often labelled with the names of Canadian wineries, such as Jackson-Triggs and Peller, hence the surprise for consumers. Critics have long contested such packaging is confusing by design.
You need to search the label for the wine’s origin, stated in small print as an “International blend from imported and domestic wines.” It’s a detail many fail to see or understand as they select wine from the shelf.
Wines produced under Vintners' Quality Alliance regulations, which offer assurance of 100 per cent locally grown grapes, have the option of including the black and gold VQA logo on the bottle's capsule, front or back label. Sometimes only the letters VQA appear on either side of the appellation on the front label.Wine Marketing Association of On/Supplied
Wines produced from 100 per cent local grapes will feature the Vintners’ Quality Alliance (VQA) logo or Product of Canada on its label. Labels made under the VQA regulatory and appellation systems, may also declare more specific details of its origin, including region, sub-appellation or specific vineyard name depending on the sources of grapes.
British Columbia has introduced a temporary measure for wineries to sell bottles under the “Crafted in B.C.” category. Made with imported grapes and grape juice from the U.S. and Ontario, these products are replacements for crop losses that wiped out the 2024 vintage for many wineries in the province.
While inexpensive international blends are typically made with cheaper bulk wine from around the world, winemakers producing Crafted in B.C. wines looked to specific regions in Washington, Oregon and California to find styles and flavours that are similar to what they typically offer consumers and played an active role during the growing season and harvest to obtain the desired quality.
Local wines are often, but not always, shelved separately at liquor stores from foreign blends and other offerings. But international blends produced in this country count as local wines in sales categories captured by the LCBO and BCLDB.
In the Ontario and British Columbia markets, provincially produced non-VQA labels, including in international blends and local wineries opting to work outside of the VQA regulations, outsell locally crafted wines.
According to the Grape Growers of Ontario, the market share for wines sales in Ontario in 2024 was 54.3 per cent international wines, 35.6 per cent International Domestic Blends and other, and 10.1 per cent VQA wines.
Wines of British Columbia figures state that British Columbia made non-VQA wine (mostly international blends) is the best-selling category in the province followed by VQA wine, which accounts for more than 19 per cent of the market (litre sales).
The variety of Canadian and international wine blends on the market attract consumer interest due to their inexpensive prices. That should be their selling opportunity, not that they are camouflaged as local wines.
Now more than ever, Canadians should know what they are buying. If supporting local is important to you, you’ll want to inspect the label before committing to purchase.