Ontario's Wine Authority

VQA Ontario will recommend to the Ontario government that changes be made to the packaging regulations for VQA wines. The recommendation is subject to a regulatory posting and review process and regulation changes will not take effect unless and until they are approved by the Minister of Consumer Services. A notice will be sent out announcing the effective date, if approved.

VQA Ontario has been discussing expanding packaging options for some time as a result of member requests for change and as part of a long term strategic review of the VQA regulations. We received broad based input from wineries at Annual Meetings in 2010 and 2011 and during a formal request for comment in the fall of 2011. A large majority of wineries support at least a limited expansion of packaging options for VQA wines. This is a significant evolution in the VQA regulations and we are grateful for the feedback and suggestions that many of you provided.

Considering the comments received, and after significant deliberation on the impact of the changes for VQA wines and the appellation system as a whole, the Board of Directors has decided to recommend that a full range of alternative packaging be allowed for wines that are designated with the "Ontario" appellation. No change will be made to glass bottle requirements for wine labelled with a viticultural area, sub-appellation or single vineyard. This will mean any VQA wine could be eligible to use non-glass packages if the wine is labelled only with the Ontario appellation.

This will provide an opportunity for innovation within the VQA framework and the flexibility to participate in markets that may be better served with alternative packaging. At the same time, it recognizes that premium wines of more specific origin are associated with traditional packaging that is more suitable for aging.

The following packages will be allowed after the effective date:

For all VQA wines:

Glass containers

Only for VQA wines that are labelled "VQA Ontario VQA":

PET containers
Aluminum containers (lined with appropriate food grade material)
Multi-layer containers, with or without a box or other outer container (this category includes pouches, bag-in-box, bags enclosed in wood, steel or other outer containers, aseptic packages such as tetra-paks)
Stainless steel containers (kegs or similar with dispensing systems and closures designed to preserve the quality of the wine)

All packaging will be subject to generally accepted good manufacturing practices and require package performance and closures that are appropriate for wine. A legible and easily understood packaging date will be required on the label of all non-glass packages.

Some things to note:

All wines labelled with viticultural area names (Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore, Pelee Island and Prince Edward County), sub-appellations, vineyard names or estate bottled must continue to be packaged in glass bottles. No mention of appellation names other than Ontario will be permitted on the label of a wine in alternative packaging, in any context.

Wines that qualify for a more specific appellation can be declassified to the Ontario appellation. Certain wines, such as Icewine and Traditional Method sparkling wine cannot be declassified to the Ontario appellation so will not be eligible for packages other than glass bottles.

The same wine may be packaged in two different formats, as long as the non-glass format carries the less specific appellation of Ontario on the label.

All packages must comply with VQA labelling regulations and labels must be submitted for approval by VQA Ontario. Packages sold to licensees must be properly labelled.

Federal rules apply to the size of all wine containers. The maximum legal package size for sale to a consumer is 4 litres. For the purpose of sale to a licensee who will resell the wine, sizes up to 20 litres will be permitted for VQA wines.

Events

Winery Sales and Profitability Symposium

Niagara College presents a one-day symposium on February 28, 2012 aimed at increasing sales performance

Program highlights:

Keynote Speaker Mark Chandler from the Lodi Winegrape Commission will speak about enhancing visitor experiences and leveraging regional promotions.

Breakout sessions will address merchandising and social media.

Other sessions cover promoting cool climate viticulture and quality, and using wine and food pairings to increase sales.

Contact Barb Leslie at bleslie@niagaracollege.ca or 905-641-2252 ext. 4471. Registration at www.winerysalesandprofitability.ca.

CCOVI Lecture Series returns to share grape and wine knowledge

It’s a new year, and the 2012 Lecture Series presented by Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) launches this month with a new season of talks from a dozen noted researchers and wine industry experts.

Open to professionals and the public alike, the research presented in these lectures is a valuable resource for grape growers and winemakers, the findings of which are applied to industry use in Niagara, across Canada and internationally.

The lectures take place Wednesday afternoons, starting Jan. 18 and running to mid-April. All sessions start at 3 pm in room H313 of the Mackenzie Chown complex at Brock. Admission is free.

The lectures will also be webcast live on www.brocku.ca/ccovi at the scheduled presentation time. Last year’s series drew web viewers from around North America and as far away as Europe.

Schedule for the 2012 CCOVI Lecture Series:

Jan. 18: George Kotseridis, CCOVI Staff Scientist, Oenologist, Brock University
“Targeting wine balance using biological deacidification methods and by monitoring polyphenolic maturity”
Jan. 25: Karl Kaiser, CCOVI Professional Affiliate, Co-founder Iniskillin wines, Winemaker and Consultant
“Chemical deacidifications in winemaking”
Feb. 8: Antonia Mantonakis, CCOVI Fellow, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Brock University
“Does a wine’s name influence consumer taste perception?”
Feb. 15: Don Cyr, CCOVI Fellow, Associate Professor of Finance, Brock University,
“A cost-benefit analysis of entering and exiting vineyard operations in Niagara: 1997-2010
Feb. 29: Kevin Ker, CCOVI Professional Affiliate, Industry Consultant in vineyard management, KCMS Applied Research and Consulting
“How growing season weather patterns affect vine hardiness”
March 7: Vincenzo DeLuca, CCOVI Fellow, Professor of Biological Sciences, Brock University
“Icewine grapes are biochemically active between September and Harvest”
March 14: Wendy McFadden-Smith, CCOVI Professional Affiliate, Tender Fruit and Grape Integrated Pest Management Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
“What we’ve learned about sour rot: an update on research”
March 21: Ralph Brown, CCOVI Fellow, Professor, School of Engineering, University of Guelph
“New tools to fine-tune quality harvests”
March 28: Jim Willwerth, CCOVI Staff Scientist, Viticulturist, Brock University
“Beating the cold: Best viticulture practices to maximize hardiness”
April 4: George van der Merwe, CCOVI Fellow, Professor of Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of Guelph
“Getting started: Adaptation of wine yeast to early fermentation stress”
April 11: Andy Reynolds, CCOVI Researcher, Professor of Biological Sciences, Brock University
“New adventures in vineyard geomatics”
April 18: Jeffrey Stuart, CCOVI Fellow, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Brock University
“Investigating resveratrol’s anti-cancer and neuroprotective effects”

For more information, go to www.brocku.ca/ccovi, then click on "2012 Annual CCOVI Lecture Series".

Winemaker's Forums

Winemakers' forums are held several times per year in each of the main viticultural regions. They are informal gatherings facilitated by VQA Ontario to promote informal discussions among VQA winemakers about best practices in winemaking, vintage specific issues and techniques suitable for Ontario’s conditions.

Expertise is contributed by CCOVI viticultural and oenology staff and specific topics raised by winemakers may be chosen as a focus at some Forums.

A series of winemakers’ forums to discuss winemaking strategies for the 2011 vintage was completed in November and December 2011 and the next forums will be held in late Spring 2012.

Regulations & Changes

Winemaking Regulations – Effective July 1, 2011

The following amendments to VQA Regulation 406 (winemaking standards) are in effect as of July 1, 2011.

New wine category for Effervescent Wines under pressure of 200-300 KPa
Additional grape varieties approved for VQA wines use – Corvina, Molinara, Rondinella
Increased minimum brix requirements for grapes used in VQA wines
New varietal labelling rules for wines declaring 4 or more grape varieties on the label
Technical changes to production rules for Sparkling Icewine

For more information please see the full text of Regulation 406.

If you have any questions regarding implementation of these changes, please contact the VQA Ontario office at 416-367-2002 or email us at info@vqaontario.ca.

Notice from LCBO Quality Assurance Laboratory

Independent Analytical Services

The LCBO Laboratory offers analytical services directly to VQA wineries for purposes outside of the VQA approval process. This might include additional testing for VQA wines that is not covered in the VQA process or testing at stages before or after the wine is in the approval phase. LCBO provides a full analytical service as well as sensory analysis and label review services.

For those using this service, or who may use it in future, please note that LCBO now requires samples be accompanied by a submission form that specifies the client needs for analysis. More information is available at the LCBO Trade webpage.

A special note on Total Acidity tests for the purpose of completing the VI-1 form (export certification for European destinations)

TA tests to be used for export certification should be requested through VQA Ontario so that the test results can be linked to the appropriate VQA wine ID. VI-1 certificates are issued by VQA Ontario and the process requires testing data to be drawn from the VQA Wine Approvals database. Ideally, wineries should request Total Acidity testing at the time of the approval application if the wine is intended for export to Europe. Online requests can also be made after the approval is completed by logging into the general information page for the particular wine.