| In
the 17th century, early settlers planted Ontario’s first
vineyards using native labrusca grapes. A hundred years later,
French settlers in southwestern Ontario’s Essex County
grew both native and European varieties. The first commercial
winery in Canada was established on Pelee Island in 1866,
starting a trend in winery development that saw as many as
35 enterprises formed in the late 1800’s. However, the
European vines planted by settlers were prone to disease and
damage from the humid weather, while native varieties flourished.
Table wines made from these grapes had a distinctive "foxy"
flavour, and the early Canadian wine industry was based on
varieties like Niagara, Concord and Catawba.
The grape
industry, initially centred in Essex County, shifted to Niagara
by the early 1900s.
When
Prohibition was repealed in 1927, the government placed a
moratorium on issuing new winery licenses. The number of wineries
fell from 61 to six by 1974.
In 1956,
Ontario had six million vines, with 60% being native Concords.
By the 1960s, French hybrids were becoming more common in
Ontario vineyards, and consumer preference was changing from
sweeter table and dessert wines to dryer, lower alchohol table
wines. In the 1970s, this demand continued to increase and
several growers, who already had begun planting vinifera vines,
were beginning to see the future. Advances in viticulture
were beginning to transform the industry.
In 1975,
Inniskillin Wines was granted the first new winery licence
in the province since 1929. This proved to be the turning
point for the Ontario grape and wine industry, and more growers
began responding to the changing market, changing consumer
tastes toward more premium wines and the maturation of the
industry. While public opinion suggested that vinifera grapes
could not be grown in Ontario, several prescient growers thought
otherwise. They proved the nay-sayers wrong.
The subsequent
growth of cottage wineries has reflected the boom in our grape
and wine industry. Today, there are more than 130 wineries
in Ontario producing about 80 per cent of total Canadian wine
volume.
Today,
there are over 17 million vines on 15,000 acres in eastern, southern
and southwestern Ontario. With a focus on growing premium
vinifera and French hybrid crops, viticulture is well established
in Niagara, Pelee Island, Lake Erie North Shore and Prince Edward County. These
are the province’s four designated Viticultural Areas
(VAs), or appellations of origin. The success of the industry
is drawing more people to grape growing and winemaking, and
creating opportunities to showcase our outstanding 100% Ontario
(VQA) wines around the world.
Economic
Impact: The importance of grape growing to Ontario's economy
Ontario
has a rich history of grape production, but the past 25 years
have really seen an amazing evolution of the industry. Today,
the grape growing industry contributes to Ontario's economy
in diverse ways. It creates jobs and activities in manufacturing,
processing, tourism and education. The grape production sector
creates jobs in other sectors that provide it with goods and
services, and it creates jobs in the sectors that use and
merchandise its products. Grape growing and winemaking generate
exports and tax revenues; together, the grape and wine industry
has an enormous impact on the economy of Ontario.
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For the first time in the last 30 years, grapes are the most valuable fruit in Ontario in terms
of farm gate value. Grapes
comprise 35% of the total farm value of Ontario commercial
fruit crops. Over the last few years, grapes have been one
of the few growth areas in Ontario agriculture, and represent
increasing farm revenues. That increase can be directly attributed
to the switch in acreage to higher-valued viniferas, which
are in strong demand by Ontario wineries and consumers.
We estimate
that approximately 1,000 new acres are planted each year.
The majority of these plantings have been with vinifera varieties.
Over the last several years, growers have invested more than $125
million in expanding vineyards to supply wineries’ demands
for more premium grapes. |
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