Labelling guidelines for VQA wines
These are general guidelines to help you and your suppliers with the design of labels for VQA wines. They provide only a summary of detailed and comprehensive rules and are not intended to be relied upon for compliance purposes. If you have any questions regarding VQA label requirements, please contact VQA Ontario.
For VQA requirements, please refer to complete instructions for each wine category in the VQA Regulations (Regulation 406) on our Wine Standards page. For federal requirements, refer to the Guide to Food Labelling published by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Please note that these guidelines are for Ontario only, other jurisdictions will have different requirements.
VQA Label Approvals
VQA Ontario conducts a label review as part of the product approval process. Labels can only be approved in conjunction with the testing and approval of a specific wine. A wine approval will not be issued unless a compliant label is supplied. Wineries are responsible for ensuring the labels applied to all wines are compliant.
If changes are made to a label after approval, the winery must ensure the label remains compliant or may face corrective orders or other enforcement actions. VQA Ontario will review new or revised labels for previously approved wines on request. VQA Ontario will also review labels in advance of the wine approval process and provide feedback, but final label approval can only be issued with the wine approval. It is strongly recommended that final printing and labelling be done after the approval is received.
A review of additional or replacement labels for wine that is already approved may also be requested.
General Requirements
All information on the label must be legible and of sufficient size and contrast to be readily identified by the consumer.
The front label or "principal display panel" is defined as the side which would normally be displayed to the consumer. In cases where there is a question about what surface constitutes the principal display panel, a determination will be made by VQA Ontario based on common practices and perceptions (for example how the wine would be displayed in a retail setting or presented to a consumer in a restaurant). The winery cannot arbitrarily designate which surface is the principal display.
VQA regulated terms must be used in only accordance with an approval issued by VQA Ontario. These terms are not permitted for use in any form on the label of non-VQA wines or on a label or packaging of a VQA wine - including the back label - that is not entitled to the specific term. In addition, unauthorized use is not permitted on the bottle tags, outer containers or boxes, shelf signage, or descriptions related to a specific wine that may appear in any media including websites, printed materials, or promotional materials.
For a complete list of regulated terms see Section 3 of Regulation 406.
Interpretation of the Labelling Regulations
Prohibited items
- Any word, phrase, number or symbol that may mislead the consumer
- Registered or semi-generic terms used without permission
- Phrases including VQA and other words implying superiority such as "VQA guaranteed" or "VQA reserve"
- Any reference to VQA that is printed on the surface of a cork or synthetic cork
- Any use of the words “viticultural area”, “appellation” or “sub-appellation” except to describe a regulated VQA viticultural area
- Geographical indications or traditional expressions that the wine is not entitled to in law. Any use of foreign appellations of origin is prohibited. For example: Descriptions such as "Bordeaux style", "made from Bordeaux varieties", “similar to Australia in character” are not allowed. This prohibition includes all wine region names that are not regulated in Ontario and applies to any description of a particular wine (labels, packaging, signage, electronic and print media). Any and all use of foreign appellations is discouraged in accordance with international agreements. You may search the Trademarks database for geographical indications and other registered marks.
Variations of regulated terms
The use of close variations of VQA regulated terms is not permitted without approval. The alteration, abbreviation or variation of appellation names and regulated terms is not permitted. For example:
- Icewine (no variations such as Ice Wine, Icevine, etc are permitted for VQA or non-VQA wines)
- Late Harvest, Meritage, Blanc de Noirs (no variations permitted)
- Estate Bottled (variations such as "Estate Grown" or “grown, produced and bottled by” are permitted if the wine qualifies for the estate bottled designation, close variations are not permitted for non-VQA wines)
- Niagara Peninsula (any terms containing “Niagara” are not permitted for non-qualifying VQA wines or non-VQA wines)
- Vineyard (any named vineyard indicating origin is not permitted for non-qualifying VQA wines or non-VQA wines, two or more vineyards may not be named but general references to vineyards or multiple but unnamed vineyards are permitted)
- Appellation names (no variations of appellation names are permitted for wines that do not qualify for the stated appellation - see limited exceptions below related to the location of the winery)
Appellation of origin examples:
For a wine qualifying for “Niagara Peninsula”
Permitted
“123 Lakeshore Rd, Niagara on the Lake, ON.“
Not permitted
"Our vineyards benefit from the unique soils and sheltering effects of the Niagara Escarpment" or “123 King Rd, Niagara Escarpment, Vineland, or "Visit our winery in Niagara on the Lake" or "Located on the beautiful Beamsville Bench".
For a wine qualifying for “Ontario”
Permitted
"We grow all of our grapes” or “The winery is located near Harrow, ON.
Not permitted
"Come see us at our Prince Edward County property" or “123 Loyalist Pkwy, Prince Edward County, ON”
Appellation of origin
- Appellation names (claims of origin) on the label are restricted to designated viticultural areas set out in the regulations.
- References to the appellation name in addition to the mandatory declaration on the principal display panel with the VQA letters are permitted as long as such references are in accordance with the regulations.
- A label may refer to multiple appellations under certain conditions: 1) if one is a sub-appellation of the other and the wine qualifies for both or 2) to list the components of the wine in addition to the broader appellation that the wine qualifies for (in this case all content must be listed including accurate percentages for each component).
- No references of any kind are permitted to an appellation for which the wine does not qualify except as permitted under the multi-appellation rule. Appellations for which the wine does not qualify are not permitted even if they are used in a context not related to grapes or wine.
- The use of Ontario or city and town names recognized by Canada Post as part of a legal address is permitted in all cases, but must appear as an address (at least as “name”, “city, province”) and not as a stand-alone declaration.
Grape Varieties
- Grape varieties that can be named on the label are restricted to authorized grape varieties and must appear as listed in the regulations. Synonyms, short forms or modified forms of grape variety names may be allowed in addition to the correct name specified in the Regulation as long as the use is not misleading.
- Nothing may be appended to a variety name that may be misleading or confusing. The following descriptors may be used: Old Vines Foch, Fumé Blanc, Gamay Nouveau or Chardonnay musqué. Conventional descriptors that are not likely to confuse the consumer such as unoaked, barrel aged, and reserve may be used with a variety name with VQA approval. Numbers are not permitted to be used on the same line as the grape variety name unless the use is widely accepted and not confusing such as bin, lot or clone number references.
- Using all or part of a grape variety name in a proprietary name may be permitted if the name is clearly not misleading and if the wine qualifies for the varietal claim and if the grape variety appears in accordance with the rules in another location on the label. Caution should be exercised with shortened terms such as Pinot, Sauvignon or Blanc as they are associated with more than one variety and abbreviated use may be confusing.
- Vinifera/hybrid blends are only permitted when the hybrid is declared on the label and in accordance with other requirements for varietal wine. Wines containing hybrid grapes must qualify as a single, dual, triple or multi varietal wine – hybrid blends that do not meet these requirements are not allowed.
- Declared varieties must be listed in descending order of content, in identical type
- Rules for listing grape varieties apply to any declaration of the variety name, including within the back label text and in “off-label” descriptions. For example if two varieties are named in the back label text description, the wine must qualify as a dual varietal wine.
- Wines that do not qualify as dual or triple varietals may list two or three varieties respectively only if actual percentages of the varietal content are disclosed.
- Examples:
A blend of 95% Shiraz, 5% Viognier does not qualify as a dual varietal because the second variety is less than 15%. This wine may not be labelled Shiraz-Viognier but may be labelled 95% Shiraz 5% Viognier.
A blend of 50% Riesling, 42% Gewurztraminer, 8% Chardonnay qualifies as a dual varietal but does not qualify as a triple varietal. It may be labelled Riesling-Gewurztraminer or with all three varieties if the percentage content is declared.
Organic Labelling
Organic or "green" label claims fall under federal labelling guidelines and regulations and are not regulated by VQA Ontario.
Other Label Content
VQA Ontario monitors compliance with federal wine labelling requirements and will advise of non-compliance when noticed, but these requirements are enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Other label content that is not regulated by VQA Ontario includes brand names, generic descriptors such as "reserved", "oaked", "first press" and descriptive back label text that describes wine character (unless it uses regulated terms or it is clearly misleading as to the physical content of the wine).
Unfiltered and Bottled with Lees Wines
Wines may be designated under the categories "Unfiltered" and "Bottled with its Lees". The following rules apply for these categories:
- A wine that is produced and labeled "Bottled with its Lees" shall be exempt from the maximum turbidity limits established under the rules;
- The maximum turbidity limits established under the rules shall be 20 N.T.U. for white wines and 40 N.T.U. for red wines for a wine that is produced and labeled "Unfiltered".
- Wines that show any signs of refermentation or significant microbiological instability may be denied approval, even in the case they test within the maximum limits.
- Only the terms "Unfiltered" and "Bottled with its lees" shall be permitted to be displayed on the principal display panel and declared on the application for approval;
- The category description shall appear on the grading sheet for informational purposes and these attributes will be considered when judging a wine so designated.
These guidelines add distinct wine categories for VQA wines and:
- Recognize that these are quality wines without technical fault;
- Establish terms and conditions for their use;
- Recognize that certain unique characteristics require that they be exempt from specific laboratory testing and tasting guidelines.
Rules for Hybrid Grapes
Wines made with authorized hybrid grapes must carry the geographical indication "Ontario". Wines declaring a viticultural area name, a sub-appellation name, a vineyard name, and/or the designations: estate bottled, traditional method or Icewine, must be made from 100% vitis vinifera grapes. An exception is made for Vidal Icewine.
Blends of hybrid grapes and vinifera grapes are allowed only if:
- the geographical indication declared is Ontario
- the wine is made as a single, dual or triple varietal wine and the name of the hybrid grape variety is declared on the label
- all other applicable VQA requirements are met
Containers and Closures
VQA wines must be packaged in glass bottles subject to the exceptions listed below. Closures must be suitable for wine and preserve the quality of the wine for the expected shelf life of the package.
Sizes for retail sale are regulated by federal legislation and are restricted to: 50, 100, 200, 250, 375, 500, or 750 millilitres, or 1, 1.5, 3 or 4 litres in size.
Non-glass containers
VQA wines may be packaged in containers other than glass bottles.
Permitted alternative containers include stainless steel kegs and containers made of aluminum, plastic (PET), or multi layer containers such as TetraPak or bag-in-box. These containers may be used under the following conditions:
- The date on which the container was filled must appear on the container in plain language format. Examples of acceptable formats: July 1, 2012, 01-07-2012, 01-JL-12. Formats such as 365 day codes are not sufficient.
- The packaging must comply with the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act (Canada).
- The wine shall be packaged in accordance with good manufacturing practices appropriate to the container used. Good manufacturing practices include such things as following the container manufacturers guidelines, setting up equipment properly and using accepted practices related to hygiene and quality control. Where reusable containers are used such as stainless steel kegs, appropriate attention must be paid to cleaning and hygiene of the containers, feed lines and taps.
- The container must be closed with a tamper evident seal that preserves the quality of the wine. Closures could include screwcaps, crown caps, spigots or other closures that have demonstrated suitability for use with wine and that effectively limit the migration of gases at a rate appropriate to the container.
- Reasonable efforts must be made to monitor the shelf life of the wine and manage inventory to ensure that quality is maintained up to the point of sale. Many containers have a finite shelf life that can vary based on the characteristics of the wine, closures used and storage conditions. Wineries are expected to take these factors into consideration and monitor and manage inventory accordingly so that wine spoilage is avoided. VQA Ontario carries out a random monitoring program and can suspend or revoke wine approvals.
As noted above, federal container size restrictions apply to all wine sold directly to consumers. Wine may be packaged for sale to wholesalers (licensees) in any type of container up to a maximum volume of 20 litres if the purpose of the container is for resale in smaller servings. No VQA wine shall be sold in a container greater than 20 litres except for bulk wine sales between licensed VQA wineries. Any bulk sale or transfer to a non-VQA member will immediately invalidate the wine’s VQA status.
For stainless steel kegs supplied to wholesale customers, all of the mandatory VQA labelling information must accompany the container – either on a label, stencil or attached to the individual keg.
The use of alternative packages must be declared as part of the VQA application process and all labels for these packages are subject to approval. If you are using multiple container formats for the same wine, please check off as many container types as apply when applying for a wine approval. All labels must be submitted if different labels are to be used.
VQA Logo
A new VQA logo was adopted on September 5, 2019. Going forward, all new applications of the logo should be compliant with the new graphics standards. Existing inventory of labels and packaging using the older version of the logo will be accepted for a transition period.
If used, the VQA logo must appear on the container of a VQA wine in accordance with the VQA Ontario Graphics Standards Manual, September 5, 2019. The manual provides for minimum and maximum sizes, approved colours and presentations. In brief, the logo must appear gold on black, between 15 and 25 mm square.
VQA Ontario Graphics Standards Manual
(500KB)
A winery may choose to omit the logo from the wine label if the appellation declaration, including the VQA letters, appears on the principal display panel in a font size of at least 3.2 mm, based on the smallest letter in the declaration. An example of the appellation declaration is "VQA Ontario VQA" or "VQA Four Mile Creek VQA".
The use of the VQA logo in association with wine is regulated by law in Ontario. The VQA logo is also protected under federal trademark and intellectual property law in Canada and other countries. It may be used only with the express and written agreement of VQA Ontario or VQA of Canada.
VQA Mandatory Label Content
The following items must appear on the principal display panel (customary front label):
The letters "VQA" and the appellation
- VQA Ontario VQA or
VQA viticultural area VQA
- The appellation declaration and VQA letters must appear in the same font, colour and type size and in a minimum type size of 2.0 mm based on the smallest letter used
- It must appear on the principal display panel (front label as determined by VQAO)
- It must be legible and with sufficient contrast to the background
The following items must appear on the bottle (any surface except the top or bottom):
The vintage year
- Optional for fortified, sparkling or liqueur wines
- It must appear as a full year (four numeric digits) on the same line. Abbreviations, roman numerals or written words are permitted in addition to the standard declaration as long as they are not confusing or contradictory.
The VQA Logo in accordance with the VQA Graphics Standards Manual
VQA Ontario Graphics Standards Manual
(500KB)
- Using approved graphics and colours
- With at least one representation of the VQA logo that is 15 mm or larger
- Bottles sizes up to 250 ml are subject to a 10 mm minimum
- Note: The VQA logo may be omitted from the wine label if the appellation declaration, including the VQA letters, appears on the principal display panel in a font size of at least 3.2 mm, based on the smallest letter in the declaration.
Grape variety name(s) or proprietary name
Other information is required for specific to wine categories, including:
The method of production
- For all sparkling wines with precise options listed in the regulation
Unfiltered
- For wines that declare unfiltered on the approval application and are assessed with regard to this characteristic. If “unfiltered” is declared on the application for approval, it must appear on the bottle label.
Bottled with Lees
- For wines that declare “bottled with lees” on the approval application and are assessed with regard to this characteristic. If “bottled with lees” is declared on the application for approval, it must appear on the bottle label.
Sweetness descriptors
- Optional and regulated only for sparkling wines, fortified wines and Icewines (see Table 3 of Regulation 406)
OVERVIEW OF MANDATORY FEDERAL INFORMATION
The alcohol content, net contents, common name and country of origin must appear together in any single field of vision (where all declarations can be seen simultaneously without turning the bottle).
The alcohol content (% alcohol by volume) to within a tolerance of +/- 1.1% of the tested value
- It may be written as x% alc./vol. (don't forget the periods) or x% alcohol by volume
- It must be at least 1.6 mm in height based on the measurement of the lower case "o".
- When written out in full it must also appear in French
The common name of the product in both English and French
- For VQA products this would be "wine" and "vin" or white wine and vin blanc or red wine and vin rouge
- It must be at least 1.6 mm in height based on the measurement of the lower case "o"
The quantity in the container
- It must be metric units of volume, either millilitres or litres
- The units may be written out in full or abbreviated to mL, ml, mil or L, l, li with no punctuation (no periods)
- Quantities of 1L or more are to be shown in litres, lesser quantities in millilitres
- It must be at least 1.6 mm in height based on the measurement of the lower case "m". The numeric portion must be at least 3.2 mm in height
The country of origin
- Product of Canada/ Produit du Canada
The name and address of the winery
- Including the legal name of the company, the city or town, province and country
- It must be at least 1.6 mm in height based on the measurement of the lower case "o"
- It may appear on the front or back label
- VQA Ontario will accept labels using “operating as” names or alternate brands on the condition that the name is registered with VQA Ontario. It is the winery’s responsibility to ensure labels meet the federal requirements.
UNFILTERED WINES
Unfiltered wines are bottled without the usual final filtering process to remove microscopic solids. Bottling direct from the barrel or tank reduces the handling of the wine and captures its full character and complexity. Unfiltered wines will often form sediment in the bottle over time. If “unfiltered” is declared on the application for approval, it must appear on the bottle label.
WINES BOTTLED WITH LEES
Lees are the residue that remain in the cask after fermentation. Wines may be bottled directly from the cask without additional filtering ('racking'), a process which adds complexity to the wine, but may result in some cloudiness or sediment in the bottle. If “bottled with lees” is declared on the application for approval, it must appear on the bottle label.
GRAPE SPECIES
Vitis vinifera is a grape species originating in Europe and traditionally used for wine for many hundreds of years. Other species include, among others, vitis riparia, vitis labrusca and vitis amerensis which are native to North America. VQA Ontario maintains a restricted list of permitted variety to manage quality inputs.
VITIS VINIFERA
VQA Ontario permits the use of almost all common vitis vinifera varieties based on the rationale that they are globally recognized as suitable for wine production. Although the list is long, the vast majority of production is represented by approximately 10 varieties. These varieties represent the intersection of consumer preferences and the varieties that perform particularly well in Ontario's appellations. Many wineries continue to produce small or experimental quantities of dozens of vitis vinifera varieties.
HYBRID GRAPES
VQA Ontario allows wine production from a short list of 8 grapes which are hybrids produced from crosses of vitis vinifera and other species. Wines made from hybrid grapes must declare the grape variety on the label. The permitted hybrids have been carefully selected based on a demonstrated record of quality achievement. Of particular note is the success of the Vidal Blanc for making Icewine. Other hybrids have not been included on the list of permitted varieties because of a history of association with an undesirable character described as "foxy". More specifically, hybrids with vitis labrusca parentage are not permitted to be used in any VQA wine. Wineries are free to produce wines from grape varieties that do not appear on the authorized list, however these wines must not be labelled with VQA appellation terms.
Additional Guidelines for closures on glass bottles
Roll on – Pilfer Proof Closures (Screwcaps)
The screwcap shall be an ROPP closure and made of metal or plastic or a combination of the two.
The liner shall include a component layer of either Saran tin (SFE) or Saranex (SAR2F), or other substance with similar properties, such that the permeability of the liner is no more than 1 cc per m² per 24 hours.
Crown Cap Closures
The crown cap shall be made of metal.
The closure shall include a liner and be applied so that a seal is formed, such that the permeability of the liner is no more than 1 cc per m² per 24 hours
Glass Stoppers
The closure shall include a seal that is applied to ensure the permeability of the closure is no more than 1 cc per m² per 24 hours
Corks and Synthetic Corks
Cork closures may be natural or natural pore filled cork, cork composite with natural cork discs, or particle or agglomerate cork composite.
Corks made from 100% synthetic materials are permitted.
All closures must be manufactured and applied in a manner that preserves the quality of the wine.
VQA Logo Graphics
Graphic files are provided below in the following zip files in several formats.
Printing & Packaging Formats:
Digital Formats:
Please use these points as a guide to using the downloaded files:
- Logo Icon to be used on wine packaging
- Either Standard or Reversed logo may be used
- First choice for printing is gold foil, second choice is metallic gold ink
- Process gradient version simulates the look of foil and can be used if foil or metallic inks are not available
- Black and White version to be used in 1-colour print applications only and not on wine packaging
Please refer to the VQA Ontario Graphics Standards Manual for complete guidelines and specifications.