Grape protest in Toronto urges Ontario wine buying
Last Updated: Thursday, July 30, 2009 | 4:01 PM ET
The Canadian Press
Consumers are being asked to buy "true" Ontario wine as they stock up for the holiday weekend — a move grape farmers and their supporters say will help give the industry a much-needed boost.
Grape grower David Wiley says he has $500,000 worth of grapes on his vines that may not find a home because Ontario law allows wine to be labelled as "cellared in Canada" if it contains up to 70 per cent foreign grapes or grape product.
He wants labelling at the LCBO to be more clear so people understand when they're really buying local product.
Rick Smith of the group Environmental Defence says the province must to make some changes to wine regulations to help Ontario grape growers.
Smith, along with the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance, stomped grapes outside a flagship LCBO store in Toronto while urging consumers to make sure any Ontario wine they buy displays a VQA label on the bottle.
That's a marking that ensures the wine is made of 100 per cent Ontario grapes.
LCBO spokesman says the store has been doing all it can to educate consumers, noting sales of VQA wines have risen by 25 per cent.
Share Tools
Latest Ottawa News Headlines
- New mom among dead in Aylmer triple stabbing

- A young mother, her mother and another man, who all lived together in the Gatineau, Que., suburb of Aylmer, were found stabbed to death in their home, police say. more »
- Canadian woman continues tweeting her way to the top of Everest
- Sandra Leduc is taking a second run at Mount Everest's summit after a deadly storm forced her back down the mountain and killed four others on Sunday. The Canadian lawyer and government worker is tweeting her progress along the way. more »
- Teens share bullying tales in confession booth
- Raw stories about bullying emerged when a video booth was set up inside a Quebec high school. more »
- Memorial held at Eric Leighton's high school
- A memorial is being held today at Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School where Grade 12 student Eric Leighton was killed in a shop class explosion one year ago. more »
Top News Headlines
- Quebec students to challenge Bill 78 in court
- A collective of student associations, unions and environmental groups is holding a news conference Friday morning to announce their plans to mount a legal challenge against Bill 78. more »
- Teens share bullying tales in confession booth
- Raw stories about bullying emerged when a video booth was set up inside a Quebec high school. more »
- Reclaiming the dead on Mt. Everest

- The difficulty, danger and expense of removing the bodies of climbers who died in Mount Everest's "death zone" mean most of the dead remain on the mountain as a stark reminder to other climbers of the risks. more »
- Foreign investment review threshold rising to $1 billion
- The federal government is raising to $1 billion the amount of foreign money that can go into a Canadian company before the investment is reviewed. more »
Most Viewed/Commented
- New mom among dead in Aylmer triple stabbing
- Gatineau police to question suspect in multiple homicides
- Birds attack Ottawa joggers
- Woman pinned between forklifts in Ottawa warehouse
- Teens share bullying tales in confession booth
- Ottawa race weekend road closures
- Double-lung recipient Hélène Campbell dances for joy
- Victim named in Queensway rollover crash
- G20 police illegally arrested journalists, used gay slur

