Securing growth in Ontario’s wine industry

A new study on Ontario’s wine industry by Simon Fraser University political science professor Andy Hira and graduate student Matt Pelling points to its “impressive growth” but finds important policy choices need to be made to ensure growth continues.
The study shows the Ontario wine industry grew favorably, with revenues of $613 million in 2011 alone. “This growth can be attributed in part to provincial level policies, such as the development of the VQA quality assurance system and promoting worldwide recognition of its ice wines,” says Hira.
But the researchers also found that the provincial stakeholders lack a long-term strategic vision for the future, with government providing little direction, and that the right policies are needed for the industry to evolve to the next phase of growth.
The study raises questions about the future roles of industry associations, and the process of determining the mix of VQA Ontario wines, international-Canadian blended wines, and imports in Canadian markets – both of which will help determine the future of the industry.
The findings follow a report on B.C.’s wine industry released last July, and is part of a collection of analyses of different wine industries around the world being funded by Genome Canada and Genome BC.
http://www.sfu.ca/pamr/media-releases/2012/securing-growth-in-ontarios-wine-industry.html