The 2024 AIDV Canada wine law conference and annual general meeting will be held in Toronto on April 24th. There are options for in-person and virtual attendance. There is a great line-up of speakers covering essential topics such as interprovincial trade barriers, regulatory updates and the effects of Quebec’s language laws on labelling and marketing. If you are able to attend in-person, there will also be a lunch and wine tasting. Full details and registration information is here. The post 2024 Wine Law Conference in April – Toronto first appeared on WineLaw.ca ..read more

I have been involved professionally in the BC wine industry since 2008. Since that time, the industry has grown exponentially and has enjoyed considerable international recognition. While there have been some bumps and challenges along the way, the intervening years have generally been “golden” years of growth and expansion. Unfortunately, and mostly due to Mother Nature, the good times have come to an abrupt end. The industry is now in a state of crisis beyond anything that I could contemplate. I am gravely worried about the near future and almost as concerned about the longer term. Here’s wh ..read more

As the holiday season approaches, most wine lovers will look forward to socializing with friends and family in the days ahead. For many of us, these valuable social interactions will include a glass of wine. Such gatherings have been part of civilization for thousands of years. They provide pleasure and community connection which is vital for individual well-being. Nevertheless, many of us may be thinking twice about drinking during the holidays, even in moderation, due to the recent efforts of anti-alcohol advocates who claim that there is “no safe level” of consumption and that “al ..read more

The mainstream and industry media continues to report that Canada’s “low risk drinking guidelines” have changed and that they have been reduced to “two drinks per week”. If true, this would be a dramatic reduction from the previous guidelines which were 15 drinks per week for men and 10 drinks per week for women. Many stories have reported this, a few of them are here: Wine Enthusiast, and Health Canada Low Risk Drinking Guidelines. Unfortunately, what has happened is that an advisory group has recommended that Health Canada lower the guidelines. Health Canada has neither accepted nor rej ..read more

The short launch message located here that explains what we’re about. CARD’s ..read more

It\’s been a tough year in the Okanagan for multiple reasons (winter freeze, wildfires). Wineries continue to struggle with these and other challenging issues. However, on the positive side, Kelowna will be hosting an international gathering of wine law experts at the end of September. For the first time ever, the see the conference details here. But, there\’s also a related (less legal) seminar at Okanagan College on September 28th which is designed specifically for the BC wine industry. It features some great speakers from the main conference and highlights topics that will likely affect the ..read more

In news that will provide relief to many BC liquor licensees, the BC LCRB announced today that they will extend TESA authorizations until the end of 2024 unless local governments have concerns. This will enable TESAs (temporary expanded service areas which are often outside) to continue for the foreseeable future. This is very good news for wineries as it continues to allow flexibility for tasting areas. Hopefully, a permanent solution will be found prior to the expiry date. The news release is here ..read more

TTGV Advisors web site. This report covers off the 2021 vintage as well as industry developments and insights for 2022 including investment activity, winery/vineyard sales and pricing, growing season conditions, input costs, regulatory changes and market observations.  See: PDF version. The post BC Wine Industry Report Spring 2022 first appeared on WineLaw.ca ..read more

Let me explain. Prohibition was implemented in order to deal with societal problems that stemmed from the over-consumption of alcohol. It was recognized that some people drank too much and that this resulted in harm to family life, social life and work. At the time, some governments (mostly in North America) determined that the most appropriate policy response to this issue was to ban the sale of alcohol to everyone.    While there are some obvious differences between alcohol-related problems and an infectious disease, I am worried that our societal response to Covid has become taint ..read more

As the holiday season approaches, most wine lovers will look forward to socializing with friends and family in the days ahead. For many of us, these valuable social interactions will include a glass of wine. Such gatherings have been part of civilization for thousands of years. They provide pleasure and community connection which is vital for individual well-being. Nevertheless, many of us may be thinking twice about drinking during the holidays, even in moderation, due to the recent efforts of anti-alcohol advocates who claim that there is “no safe level” of consumption and that “a ..read more