22 - North Shore News — Wednesday, March 1, 2000 Advocacy group seeks truthful wine label Tim Pawsey Contributing Writer IS there more talking than corking these days in wine country? About 25 of B.C.’s 63 sources are 5.4% of the almost $49 million of VQA wine sold annually. Total sales of wine made from grown in B.C. grapes (VQA and non-VQA) was $58.9 million in 1999, The ABCW's main con- Made up mainty of simall- er wineries that amount to 4 diminutive piece of the grape pic, ABCW offers some differing viewpoints to the established British Columbia Wine Institute. To put things in perspec- (ABCW). The group states it consists of “land-based Wineries ... producing wine solely from 100% B.C. grapes or fruit” and that it is “an organization that will teuly represent the British Columbia wine industry.” grown wine players who have been instrumental in achiev- ing the successes of the last several years under the aus- pices of the British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI) which represents most winer- ies in the province. wineries have formed the Association of British Columbia Winegrowers Notably absent from the current membership are nearly all the key 100% B.C.- Brand new, 8 pass, power group, power driver seat, deep tint glass, remote key- Jess, a/c, tilt, speed control, am/im stereo CD & much more. Was $32 85 tee ase Paes 2 vom differential, wheels, sport suspension package, anim store co play- ae iss eo in, speed control, power wil & much more. Was $28, 339 or 3, 36 mo. low krn tease. $2,000 OP + istsecurity & taxes OAC G%o frase or 25,159 Cash pufchase price 2000 eMic Sonoma 4X4 Extended cab, Highrider off-road rtormance V6, sr dor, ren oes tilt, opued windows, it eed con tral i anvinvcassiCD, lumina wheels & much more: Losded vehicle. Was $33,510. Stk# 20133 399 or 3.9% ere ‘ow km lease. $2,000 BP + tst/secunty & taxes OAC raenee or 29,984 Cash purchase price Although, ABCW director Bob Ferguson says “I believe they were invited to join.” © Vorter 4300 V6 En nO HP ence! alse +. 4 wheel antt- braking system, chrome ing to reliable industry “2000 GMC Sierra wheels, grille & bumper, amyim stereo, tilt wheel, bockin Was $24,735. Stk °298'or 2.9% 36 mo. OP + 1stsecurity & taxes OAC Purchase low km lease. $1,575 finance or 21,188 Cash purchase price a gierentiat. automatic atic headlights & much ‘tive: annual wine sales of non-BCWI members accord- We OVITGVS. © HOINd © JVILNOd: Bl =) = = > o AIIM VAIL av e JINd.2: OY ue cern, says Ferguson, is over wine label regulations. Paramount is advocacy of “truthful labelling so thar ‘Product of Canada” (or of B.C.) means the wine inside the bottle is made totally from Canadian (or B.C.) grapes.” It’s a valid noint. For years, the major wineries: Mission Hill, Calona Wines, Andres and VinCor (which makes Jackson Triggs and other brands) have been allowed to label their imported juice as “Product of Canada” with impunity. Consumers, buoyed by the resurgence of their “homegrown” industry, eagerly buy without realiz- ing that two out of every three bottles of so-called Canadian wine are made with imported grapes or . juice. Today, the only firm guarantee the wine-store consumer has of buying wine actually grown in B.C. is to buy VQA certified wine or purchase directly from the estate winery (although neither origin is closely audited as in Ontario). However, times — and wines — are changing. The major wineries have invested millions in new plantings and infrastructure over the last few years. Their efforts are beginning to bear fruit. Not only that but their names, along with others, appear with increasing fre- quency in the medal fists of domestic and international competitions. Moreover, the majority of wineries working within the VQA system do not use any imported grapes. Behind | the scenes talks among the major wineries are intensify- ing over a phase-out period for the use of the term “Product of Canada” as it currently stands, Discussions are also under way across the coun- try to put regulatory teeth ~ into VQA guidelines to align them with other parts of the wine world. Some producers take issue with this move as the legislation as intended will preclude non-VQA producers from using federally registered Designated Viticultural Areas (DVA) such as “Okanagan Valley”. But is this criticism warranted? “Okanagan Valley” was rarely used on wine fabels before the advent of VQA and B.C. wine standards brought it into industry par- lance and public cachet. In short, some producers would happily trade on the success of VQA when conve- nient without openly endorsing it — and do. Some smaller wineries opt out because they object to the tasting panel which screens VQA wines for flaws, while others cite cost as a factor. However, all . have benefited from the attention (not to mention increased land values and better prices) which the larger winevies (major and estate) and the success of VQA has succeeded in attracting. Had Canadian wines not been poured at Prestigious events such as the London Wine Trade Fair it is improbable that lumi- naries such as Hugh Johnston would have ever visited the Okanagan or that his colleagues in the interna- tionally powerful British wine press would have writ- ten about it. That’s not to say the ABCW's concerns shouldn’t be aired. There is a real need to accommodate every- one at the table. However, neither shouid they be be seen as a need to dilute the efficacy of the VQA pro- gram which has been the singular, most potent device in re-establishing the indus- . try’s confidence with con- sumers. VQA detractors suggest ” that the program is flawed because winemakers judge the wines which are submit- ted. The tastings are carried out‘under controlled condi- See Retain page 37 Whistler's . 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