Imported and Domestic Wines

Remember the term "Cellared in Canada" wines. Cellared in Canada is a category of Canadian wine that is produced with varying quantities of foreign bulk wine and Canadian wine. These wines are often sold in government-run liquor stores in sections designated as "Canadian wine". The prices is usually below average.

On March 13th 2018 wine writer Anthony Gismondi wrote the following

After grabbing hundreds of millions of dollars in income for producers while causing even more damage to the image of Canadian wine, the wine that never had anything to do with authentic Canadian wine will no longer be able to use the highly deceptive, and frankly fraudulent Cellared in Canada phrase, on its label. The concept was spawned during the original NAFTA agreements when Canadian wineries, read the large commercial producers, complained that levelling the tax playing field would put them out of business. They negotiated a number of temporary agreements in 1994 (CiC was one of them) to soften the blow and, as it turns out, prevent the field from ever being levelled. Nearly a quarter-century later the temporary agreement establishing the CiC category has been killed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

Beginning April 1, no fooling, blended wines bottled in Canada from both domestic and international product will be required by the CFIA to replace “Cellared in Canada” with two possible monikers. For primarily imported wines it will be labelled as “International blend from imported and domestic wines.” For primarily domestic wines, it will be labelled as “International blend from domestic and imported wines.”

What is the main concern with these wines? Well the key component of all wines is the grape and where it is grown. If the grapes are not grown in Canada how can it be a Canadian wine? Also, it takes away from the local, Canadian grape grower, who can not, due to costs such as labour grow and sell the grapes at a competitive price with imports from counties who pay their workers so little.

In the world today you are asked to support your local business buying International blend from domestic and imported wines.” does not do this. The smaller wineries need your support.

It is companies like Andrew Peller Ltd, Arterra Wines Canada and Iconic Wines that import the grapes into Canada. Common best selling wines like Hochtaler, Domaine D'Or, Schloss Laderheim, Royal and Sommet. Cooper Moon, XoXO, Sawmill Creek, Brights and many others are produced using imported grapes.

If you go to Andrew Peller Ltd and Arterra Wines Canada they do not even list these wines. Are they embarrassed to?

Funny if you go to the websites for the government liquor stores in British Columbia and Ontario they list all “International blend from domestic and imported wines.” as Canada. Wrong!

Dea's Wine & Co

Two words come to mind when you mention Kaiser Icewine and Inniskillin. Karl Kaiser is a Canadian legend when it comes to producing quality wines especially icewine. Today his daughter Andrea Kaiser has entered the winemaking business. Karl J. Kaiser was considered by many to be the pioneer of modern Canadian winemaking.

Andrea states her father's pursuit in creating exceptional wine was equalized by my grandmother Oka’s natural talent in the kitchen.

She writes the following

Perhaps it was this attitude that led me to a life-long career in hospitality which was cemented when my well-laid plans to go to law school were interrupted by my father’s spontaneous decision to buy a local restaurant. After ten years as a restaurateur, the world of wine did call me back when I joined a neighbouring family winery. Along the way, my appetite for learning was satiated by travel abroad and wine education including sommelier training. More recently I have delighted in sharing my passions by teaching and writing articles about what else, but food and wine.

After spending much of her working career in the restaurant business Andrea turned her attention to wine. First travelling and educating herself, then writing about food and wine. She is now Director of Marketing at Reif Estate Winery.

With the help of winemakers Roberto DiDomenico and Fernando Morales along with Klaus W. Reif she has released her own wine. The first release ‘Drea’s Sauvignon Blanc’ is dedicated to my father who, along with my family, affectionately called me ‘Drea’.

The wines are produced at Reif Estate Winery in Niagara on the Lake under the name Dea's Wine & Co

 Karl J. Kaiser 

Women of Wine -- Christine Coletta

Christine Coletta

Christine's long-ranging career started in the hospitality industry where she spent several years holding management roles in Vancouver-based restaurants and hotels. She went on to work in restaurant construction development and oversaw the construction, marketing and management of several successful fine dining establishments.

From there, Christine formed Coletta Consultants Ltd. in 1986 and worked on several provincial and federal government initiatives, notably the creation and marketing of the hospitality industry training program “Serving it Right”. She also worked with the federal government on the Canadian International Conference Task Force.

She held the position of executive director to the then newly formed British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI) from 1990 to 1999. While at the BCWI, Christine's efforts put VQA wines on the map. She defined BC wine country by creating marketing and branding programs that built awareness for BC wines across Canada and in international markets. Years of experience with clients in Canada and around the world followed, and Christine was recognized at the 30th annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival where she was awarded the “Spirited Industry Professional” award for her industry contributions. In 2007 Christine created a partnership called Coletta & Associates Management Ltd. with long-time employees Leeann Froese and Julian Scholefield.

In 2011 Christine and her husband Steve Leonie established Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland British Columbia A one stop shop for the wine industry in British Columbia. Their goal is to provide assistance every step of the way from the field to the marketplace.

In 2011 they also founded Haywire Winery. On occasion Christine can be found driving her tractor and tending the Pinot Gris at the family's 10 acre Switchback Vineyard.

2013 inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame (BCRHOF)

2018 named one of Western Living Top Ten Foodies

September 2018, Christine Coletta has been presented the Founders Award at the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival. Coletta has been presented the award in recognition of her contributions to the BC wine industry.

Each year, as part of the LOVE HER gala in Vancouver, the Virginia Greene Award recognizes an individual whose outstanding contribution has led to the advancement of knowledge and research pertaining to ovarian cancer. The family ( Christine's) was present with the award 2019.

Christine has been honoured with the 2019 Trailblazer Award by the BC Chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier during the Where to Dine Awards celebration.

Beamsville, Ontario

Beamsville is in the heart of Ontario's wine country and contributes greatly to the wine industry in the Niagara Peninsula. Ontario is the largest wine grape producing province in Canada, in terms of acreage, tonnage and wine grape salespersons 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 vinifera, which are in strong demand by Ontario wineries and consumers.

The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Golden Horseshoe, Southern Ontario, Canada, lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie. Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula, it stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario, in the west. The most prestigious wine region in Ontario.

When entering from the west Grimsby is the first community along the route. The next community is Beamsville. It is about a 65 minute drive from Toronto. Over twenty wineries call Beamsville home.

The Beamsville sub-appellation runs from the creek gully just west of Cherry Avenue to Park Road west of Beamsville, is the narrow plateau sloping gradually from the cliff of the Niagara Escarpment northwards to Regional Road 81, marking the bottom of the crescent-shaped Lake Iroquois Shore Bluff. To the west, the Bench rises into the moderate slopes of the Bell Terrace, where many of the area's vineyards are located, on steep slopes above deep, wooded ravines and on the sides of small ridges and slopes of the numerous streams that cut through the landscape.

This appellation reaps the benefits of the bench topography which provides the continuous air circulation that moderates temperature and results in consistent growing conditions. Soils are generally deep and well-drained and numerous streams provide seasonal water supply. Although a relatively small appellation, the Beamsville Bench exhibits a unique set of conditions that provide a natural complexity to the wines that are grown there.

Cave Spring was perhaps the first of today's current wineries to plant a vineyard on the Beamsville Bench.

Among the wineries located in Beamsville are Angels Gate, CornerStone Estate, Fielding Estate Winery, Hidden Bench Estate Winery, Malivoire Wine Company, The Organized Crime Winery, Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery and Thirty Bench Wine Makers

Larger area map


All the Wineries

Thank You!

The East Kelowna Wineries

There are now 9 wineries and one meadery on Kelowna's eastside. Its a country community with single family homes, historical buildings and orchards along with vineyards.

House of Rose Winery is situated in an area known as "the Belgo Bench" with both soil type and microclimate contributing to an excellent site for grape growing. The winery is nestled among apple orchards with a view of the mountains in all directions. Established in 1993. Founded by Vern Rose the winery is now run by his daughter Aura and her husband Wouter van der Hall.

The winery was established through the vision and partnership of Ann and Susan Sperling, along with their husbands, Peter Gamble and Paul Richardson, the family lands and vines have become a vinous reality producing elegant wines of character. The Sperling family ancestors first purchased the land in the 1860s. Vines were first planted in the 1920s.

Tantalus Vineyards is situated on the eastern slopes of the Okanagan Valley overlooking the shores of Lake Okanagan and the city of Kelowna. Tantalus is dedicated to growing and vinifying limited quantities of exceptional Riesling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Winery Proprietor Eric Savics liked the origin of the word Tantalus - to be Tantalized. The vineyard was first planted to grapes in 1927 and was called Pioneer Vineyards. Tantalus was established in 2004 on this site.

The vineyard consists of 50 acres of undulating topography. Each block demonstrates its own particular aspect and slope. The soils are varied, their origins dating back to the last ice age and the formation of an ancient lake whose depth rose 250 meters above the current level of Lake Okanagan.

The Vineyard having old plantings of Riesling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Today, Riesling vines planted in 1978 and Pinot Noir planted in 1983 make up the backbone of the vineyard.

The winery opened in 2010 and is owned by Bill and Marina Knutson along with Bruce Hirtle/Vancouver; William Knutson/Vancouver.

The winery has now planted 14 acres of its 20-acre property, which was an apple orchard before Bill and his partners began planting grapes in 2008 on the ironically named Gentleman Farmer Vineyard,

The winery is owned by Rob Young and Denise Brass, two Air Canada flight attendants who have lived on an East Kelowna apple orchard for several years..Rob and Denise took over the orchard after Bob Young passed away in 1996. They planted the vines in June 2007 and built the winery in August of the same year. Opened the tasting room in June 2008

They have 4.5 acres of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer.Current production is 1500 cases with the goal been 2500.

The winery reflects the Camelot and the Knights of the round table. Every year they host a unique wine country festival: the day-long Medieval Fair, celebrating European history and culture of the 11th to 16th Centuries. It is a colourful spectacle, including jousts by armour-clad individuals who belong to a Kelowna historical group calling itself the Duchy of Connaught. Yes, they have a  sword embedded in a stone greets visitors

The View Winery is on a piece of property that has been in the Turton/Ward family for 5 generations. Historically, apples were grown on the property. In the mid 1990s a transition began and orchard rows were replaced with vines. The winery currently is in the heritage packing house that also doubles as a cidery.

In recent years new wineries have opened the largest been Kitsch Wines. The remaining two are Frequency and Vibrant Vines. All three are excellent wineries to visit.

The meadery is Meadow Vista Honey Wines producing top of the line mead.

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A few months ago I received an e-mail with a question about Brights wine. A question I have often received.

The e-mail came with the above photograph. The Ontario resident wrote " I came across this Champagne in my mother's attic. Is the wine worth anything, is it drinkable what should I do with it?"

The answer is no do not drink it and no its has no special value.

An even more common e-mail I use to receive was " I like Brights Manor St David I have been drinking it for years why can I not find it in the stores."

First, let me tell you that Brights Winery is long gone It no longer exists. Most Brights products have been discontinued. However, some products are ben released under the Brights label.

The T.G. Bright & Company Ltd can trace its roots back to 1874 when Thomas Bright and F.A. Shirriff founded the Niagara Falls Wine Company in Toronto. In 1911 they moved to Niagara Falls and incorporated as T.G. Bright & Company Ltd. In 1993 Cartier and Inniskillin merged with T.G. Bright to form Vincor.

In June 2006 more than 95 per cent of Vincor International Inc. shareholders overwhelmingly vote in favour of the arrangement transaction in which Constellation Brands acquired all of the shares of Canada 's premier wine company.

In 2011 numerous brand names were discontinued by Vincor including Brights and London wines. The London label is completely gone, a few Brights products remain such as Brights 74 Tawny, Brights Classic Cream, Brights Maria Christina Red and the very popular Brights President's sparkling wine. The Brights label is easier found in eastern Canada than where I live in BC. One of the popular labels to be discontinued was Brights Manor St David.

2016 Nov. Constellation's Canadian interests were bought by Ontario's Teachers Pension Plan. New name Arterra Wines Canada.

So today the Brights label is owned by Aterra Wines Canada. When you check their website and find the page titled Brands you will NOT find the BRIGHTS label mentioned.

Brights wines were popular from the late '50s into the '70s and perhaps that generation wishes to buy what they know. The wines are mostly cellared in Canada wines are considered to be table wines.

Aterra never answers any information requests regarding Brights