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Grapes (V. vinifera)
The grape species V. vinifera has been used extensively in hybridization of many important cultivated varieties in Canada (photo by Arne Glassbourg).
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Wine has been made commercially in Canada for over 150 years, but only in the latter part of the 20th century have Canada's vineyards become popular tourist destinations. Before 1974 in Ontario, for instance, Bright's Winery (now part of Vincor) and Barnes (1873-1988) offered tours of their facilities and tasting rooms, but few visitors took advantage of the offers. A tripling of wine-industry employment figures between 1990 and 1995 in Ontario and BC, Canada's two most prolific wine-growing provinces, is partly attributed to the marked growth in wine tourism. The increasing popularity of wine tourism is in response to a number of factors, first among them the striking improvement in the quality of wines produced.
For many years, Canadian wines were made from native grape varieties not capable of producing fine-quality wines. Improved vineyard management techniques, advances in technologies of plant health, and an increased demand for good table wines encouraged growers to replace native varieties with classic European grape varieties. With better quality grapes, winemakers were able to produce high-quality wines.
Financial incentives offered by governments to wine producers have resulted in improved touring and tasting facilities. The signing of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States (1988-90), the Ontario Winery Adjustment Program (1990) and the British Columbia Grape and Wine Adjustment Program (1988) allowed several short-term programs to be put in place to support industry-wide restructuring. No longer protected, Canadian wine was taxed at a rate designed to equal the taxes paid on imported wines. Revenue thus generated for both provincial and federal governments was made available to producers to cover capital infrastructure expenditures. Wineries able to produce matching funds expanded and improved their tasting rooms and visitor facilities, making them comparable to those found in other wine-touring areas of the world.
Wineries, often represented by industry associations and supported by government policies, advertised to promote wine touring. Included in the money provided through winery adjustment programs were allocations for generic (industry-wide) marketing. In Ontario, for instance, the Ontario Wine Council, an association of wineries working together to promote and improve the industry, produced a television promotion entitled "We're ready when you are..." depicting a modern industry with high-quality - but undiscovered - wines. Similar funding in BC prompted the formation of the British Columbia Wine Institute, also a member-driven organization whose mandate is to establish growing and production standards, create a better environment for the promotion of BC wines, and conduct and disseminate research.
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Vineyard at Inniskillin
Vineyard at Inniskillin Winery (courtesy Wine Council of Ontario).
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Tourist market studies show that the contemporary traveller prefers educational travel to a passive sightseeing experience. Wine touring, whether highly organized or self-directed, offers scope for learning about the technical aspects of winemaking and the cultures of wine-producing places. It allows the traveller to encounter a wide variety of landscapes without sacrificing the luxuries of convenient accommodations and good food. Practical consumer benefits include the chance to sample wines before purchase and to buy special lots available only at the winery.
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Pulling Grapes from Hopper
Pulling grapes from hopper (courtesy Wine Council of Ontario).
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