Lake Erie North Shore Niagara Peninsula Prince Edward County
VQA Ontario Wine Appellation Authority is a regulatory agency responsible for maintaining the integrity of local wine appellations and enforcing winemaking and labelling standards. It does not represent the wine industry in Ontario and is not a marketing agency.

Creating Sense of Place with Ontario Wines

Lincoln Lakeshore Sub-Appellation

Ontario's wine industry has grown and matured for nearly two hundred years. Stretching mostly across the southern part of the province, Ontario wineries take advantage of a temperate climate, enhanced by the diversity of glacial soils and the moderating effect of the Great Lakes, to produce mature fruit and complex wines.

Beamsville Bench Sub-Appellation

VQA denotes quality and label integrity for Ontario wines of origin. To appreciate a VQA wine, however, is to appreciate more than these important standards, for the inherent quality of these wines lies in a deep sense of place. Appellation of origin is an important marker of quality in the best of wine regions, reminding us of a wine's inherent tie to the earth, nature, our ecology, the hands that produce it, and the time and heart involved in making it. Wines that draw attention to these unique qualities - to a sense of place - resonate with wine lovers on a deep, emotional level. The VQA appellation system supports this experience and promises unique quality and diversity for Ontario wines of origin.

VQA Ontario Information Package

Learn about the benefits of membership, VQA milestones, and find out how VQA Ontario has been supporting 15 years of growth in the Ontario Wine Industry.

VQA Booklet

VQA Means Wines of Origin

Appellation defines Ontario's viticulture. As steward of Ontario's appellation system, VQA Ontario is responsible for building appreciation and maintaining the integrity of Ontario's wines of origin by ensuring claims of origin are accurate and meaningful. As viticulture in Ontario continues to evolve, industry stakeholders and wine lovers alike can rely on the VQA Ontario as the comprehensive and trusted source on Ontario's appellation character and culture.

Discover VQA Ontario appellations

VQA Means Quality Assurance

Ontario’s VQA wines of origin represent a promise of quality and authenticity. Through origin verification, extensive laboratory testing and tasting by an independent expert panel, as well as comprehensive label reviews, VQA Ontario ensures precise adherence to rigorous winemaking standards and label integrity that consumers can trust.

Learn about VQA Ontario quality standards

Quality Wines of Origin

VQA wines are crafted from grapes grown in Ontario's unique and diverse appellations. Dedicated to producing wines that typify grape character and the distinctive imprint of origin, Ontario winemakers are immersed in the cultivation, interpretation and communication of terroir as it is reflected in their wines, from vineyard to bottle. Clearly, the best wines are a unique reflection of a winemaker's passion inspired and challenged by a sense of place and these qualities of origin. Choosing VQA means choosing quality wines of origin.

Ontario's Wineries

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VQA Rack Card
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VQA: Supporting 15 Years of Ontario Wine Industry Growth
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2020 Tasting Data Report here

2020 Vintage Report here

2019 Industry Performance Study here

2020 Annual Report and Production Statistics here

Facts, maps, features and reports Browse Library

Consumer Protection

VQA ensures truth-in-labelling for consumers of Ontario's wines of origin. 100% Ontario and 100% integrity. Find out how the Ontario Government protects consumers here