winery agri tourism covid 19 relief initiative

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Winery Agri-Tourism COVID-19 Relief Initiative

The Government of Ontario is providing a one-time $10 million grant in 2021 to help wineries and cideries with on-site stores whose business were impacted by COVID-19 safety measures.  

The new Winery Agri-Tourism COVID-19 Relief Initiative will provide a one-time grant to eligible wineries and cideries with on-site retail stores in September 2021. Eligible businesses will receive a payment this fall based on their sales of wine in 2020-2021 in their on-site store.  

Eligibility 

To be eligible, businesses that were in operation prior to March 17, 2020 will need to attest to either a revenue decline in at least one line item of business, such as decreased tourism, tours, events and tastings or increased expenses to comply with public health safety measures for COVID-19. They must also be licenced to sell wine products at an on-site retail store, be a licenced winery or corporation with a controlling interest in one or more Affiliated Licenced Wineries and comply with tax collection and remittance obligations to the Ministry of Finance.  

Agricorp will send applications directly to eligible wineries/cideries on July 20, with a deadline to apply by August 6, 2021. 

For more information, please visit  Ontario Supporting Wineries, Cideries and Agri-Tourism Industry with Relief Initiative | Ontario Newsroom  

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Winery Agri-Tourism Economic Relief Grant

The Winery Agri-Tourism Economic Relief Grant will help eligible Ontario wineries and cideries continue to grow their operations, create new jobs, and attract more visitors to Rural Ontario.

Eligible wineries and cideries were emailed an application package the week of August 21.

The deadline to submit an application is September 8, 2023 .

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The Drinks Business

Ontario to deliver $10million relief package to wineries and cideries.

A new Winery Agri-Tourism initiative aims to help wine producers in the Canadian province of Ontario to recover from lost sales following the pandemic.

The Ontario government has launched a CA$10million relief programme to support wine and cider businesses that have been impacted by Covid-19.

A one-off grant will be available to eligible wineries and cideries that saw a revenue decline in at least one of their areas of operation – be it decreased tours, tastings or events – or increased costs as a result of having to implement safety measures and social distancing on site.

The support programme is designed to help protect agricultural production and local jobs in rural communities within the Ontario province, which is known for its ice wine, a sweet wine made from frozen grapes, often Reisling or Vidal Blanc.

Many of the 180 or so wineries in Ontario are family-run operations with fewer than 20 employees. They often rely on migrant workers to help harvest the crop, a resource which has also been significantly curbed due to travel restrictions since the start of the pandemic.

“This one-time investment will provide grants to eligible wineries and cideries with on-site stores in 2021, to help them thrive following a tough year,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, minister of finance, in a press release on Monday.

Applications for the programme will be sent out directly to eligible wineries and cideries today.

The appellations of Ontario are overseen by the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) Ontario, a regulatory body established in 1989 to protect the quality and consistency of viticulture in the province. The VQA has already put in place a Wine Support Programme to help with the recovery of local wineries, which will now be extended to 2022-2023.

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New grant program to help wineries

Article content.

Agri-tourism wineries that have struggled during the pandemic can apply for financial assistance through a new government grant program.   

The Ontario government recently announced the $10-million Winery Agri-Tourism COVID-19 Relief Initiative. To be eligible for the one-time grant, winery and cider businesses with on-site retail stores must show a loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the past year.   

New grant program to help wineries Back to video

Nick Vranckx, president of the Ontario South Coast Wineries and Growers Association, said the industry has had to continually adapt to the uncertainties of the pandemic.

“We keep seeing this pandemic ever evolving and when we think we’re out of the woods, we’re going back into a shutdown or something like that,” said Vranckx . “So, it’s really hard to have a crystal ball.”

The Ontario South Coast Wineries and Growers Association represents several wineries and breweries in Norfolk County.

Vranckx, who works at his family-owned Blueberry Hill Estate in the St. Williams area, says the winery has already applied for the grant and expects to receive a response in about a month.

However, he points out that with every bottle of wine sold, 20 per cent of the price goes to the government. Also the grants do not cover what’s paid for wine and wine cooler return.   

“The way you kind of look at it, the grant is basically providing you back with your money that you provide them (government) in a year,” he said.

Vranckx says that some wineries have fared better than others due to having online stores available for customers to purchase products throughout the pandemic.

Blueberry Hill was among those wineries offering online sales.

“It was something that we were already starting to do before the pandemic, but we pushed on and hopefully on our way out of it (the pandemic), we will still be doing that,” said Vranckx. 

The province is currently under Stage 3 of its Road Map to Reopening plan, which allows greater public access to businesses, including restaurants, wineries and other entertainment venues. 

Prior to the pandemic, Blueberry Hill Estates hosted many events such as concerts and weddings and Vranckx hopes they will be able to get back to doing that in the near future.   

The winery currently welcomes customers inside and on the patio.

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• Jul 21, 2021

Ontario Supporting the Wine Agri-Tourism Sector

CHRISTA ROETTELE , Communications Branch, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

The Ontario government is launching a new Winery Agri-Tourism COVID-19 Relief Initiative to support agri-tourism businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ontario wineries and cideries with on-site stores, whose businesses were impacted by COVID-19 safety measures to stop the spread of the virus, will be eligible for this one-time grant.

Businesses which saw a revenue decline in at least one area of their operations, such as decreased tourism, tours, events and tastings, or have faced increased expenses to comply with public health safety measures for COVID-19, will be eligible to receive support.

“Ontario’s wineries and cideries have told us their businesses are being hit hard by the economic impacts of this pandemic and the cancellation of large events and tours,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “With this announcement, our government is taking the necessary steps to provide these businesses with the support they need to continue operating, recover and to maintain these good jobs in the agri-food sector.”

“Our government recognizes the significant impact of the Agri-Tourism sector on Ontario’s social and economic recovery,” stated Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “The launch of a new Winery Agri-Tourism Relief Initiative will support and maintain the vital jobs of those who continue to fight to ensure this sector is able to come back stronger than before.”

The 2021 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy, committed to providing a one-time $10 million grant to help wineries and cideries impacted by COVID-19 and ensure agricultural production and local jobs are maintained in Ontario’s rural communities. As the delivery agent of the new Winery Agri-Tourism COVID-19 Relief Initiative, Agricorp will send applications for the program directly to eligible wineries and cideries on July 20th, 2021.

This new relief initiative builds on government programs aimed to protect jobs and support local producers. This extends the VQA Wine Support Program and the Small Cidery and Small Distillery Support Program to 2022-23.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact for our rural communities and on Ontario’s agri-tourism community. Which is exactly why our government is committed to helping them get back on their feet,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “This one-time investment will provide grants to eligible wineries and cideries with on-site stores in 2021 to help them thrive following a tough year.”

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Wineries: NAICS 31213

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Ontario is the largest wine producer in Canada making wineries an important part of Ontario’s beverage industry. Ontario wineries account for over 2% of the food and beverage manufacturing sector’s Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) footnote 1 [1] . Products are sold through the LCBO , grocery and winery retail levels.

2020 Key indicators

• the wineries sector was responsible for $288 million in GDP , which is a decrease of $38 million over the last five years footnote 1 [1]
• there were 315 wineries businesses in Ontario, which is a decrease of 3.7% over the last five years  footnote 2 [2]
• there were over 4,000 people employed in the wineries sector. Employment in this sector has increased by 7,373 or 1.5% over the last five years  footnote 3 [3]
• there were $13.1 billion in exports and $21.5 billion of products imported into the province. The United States is our main export market, followed by China and Hong Kong  footnote 5 [5]

Ontario at a glance

Ontario’s appellations of origin are unique and home to many wineries across the province. They are identified as Lake Erie North Shore, Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County which are accompanied by physical land characteristics that influence viticultural practices allowing for wineries to flourish.

Grape Growers of Ontario is the official organization that represents over 500 grape growers of 17,000 acres of vineyards in Ontario. In particular, the organization represents all of Ontario’s processing grape growers in the three designated Viticulture Areas such as Lake Erie North Shore, Niagara Peninsula, Prince Edward County and other emerging areas footnote 107 [107] .

Ontario Craft Wineries ( OCW ) is the representing voice of the Ontario Vintners Quality Alliance ( VQA ) wine industry. As an industry partner, the OCW leads the growth and profitability of Ontario’s respected VQA wine sector through strategic partnership and authoritative trusted advocacy footnote 108 [108] .

The Vintners Quality Assurance Ontario ( VQA ) is an independent regulatory body that sets the standards for quality grape growing and winemaking in Ontario. The VQA implements a strict quality-assurance and label-integrity program to ensure that the wine is made local from 100% Ontario-grown grapes footnote 109 [109] .

Wine Growers Canada ( WGC ) is an advocacy group that works to create a policy and business environment that support the entire wine industry and their respective wine regions. WGC is dedicated to make valuable economic contributions that allows for continued prosperity in the Canadian wine industry footnote 110 [110] .

Investment activities

The Government of Ontario provided a one-time $10 million grant in 2021 to help wineries that were impacted by COVID‑19 safety measures. The Winery Agri-Tourism COVID‑19 Relief Initiative fulfilled this commitment by providing one-time grants to eligible wineries with on-site retail stores in September 2021 footnote 111 [111] .

Niagara College leveraged $20 million in funding to work on 190 unique projects with industry partners and a total of 240 projects and services were completed during 2020 footnote 112 [112] .

Wineries across all segments invested primarily in new machinery and equipment, facility modifications/upgrades and land acquisitions footnote 113 [113] .

Trends in this sector include:

• alcohol brands experimenting with production processes to create trendy flavours to attract consumers in 2020  footnote 114 [114]
• innovation being derived from consumer demands to recreate the “restaurant experience” at home by offering food pairing ideas along with wine suggestions footnote 114 [114]
• leading VQA growth varietals in 2020 including: Pinot Grigio (22%, $3.1 million), Cab/Merlot (23%, $3.9 million), VQA Rose (44%, $3.7 million)  footnote 115 [115]
• wines being promoted in a “truly better” manner by differentiating themselves into a lifestyle, showcasing food pairings and being celebrated through the use of premium ingredients footnote 114 [114]
• footnote [1] Back to paragraph ^ 2020 Ontario Agri-food GDP
• footnote [2] Back to paragraph ^ Labor market analytics and economic data
• footnote [3] Back to paragraph ^ Ontario employment in agri-food industry, 2000-2021
• footnote [5] Back to paragraph ^ Ontario agri-food trade by region
• footnote [107] Back to paragraph ^ About Us - Grape Growers of Ontario
• footnote [108] Back to paragraph ^ Ontario Craft Wineries
• footnote [109] Back to paragraph ^ VQA Ontario
• footnote [110] Back to paragraph ^ About Us - Wine Growers Canada
• footnote [111] Back to paragraph ^ Ontario Supporting Wineries, Cideries and Agri-Tourism Industry with Relief Initiative
• footnote [112] Back to paragraph ^ Niagara College Research and Innovation: 2020-21 By the Numbers
• footnote [113] Back to paragraph ^ Ontario Wine And Grape Industry Performance Study 2019
• footnote [114] Back to paragraph ^ A year of innovation in RTD , wine and spirits, 2021 - Mintel
• footnote [115] Back to paragraph ^ LCBO Ontario Wines Business Update

Provincial grants available for wineries impacted by COVID-19

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Article content

A new provincial initiative will provide financial relief to wineries and cideries impacted by COVID-19.

The Ontario government has launched the Winery Agri-Tourism COVID-19 Relief Initiative, allowing businesses with on-site stores to receive a one-time grant.

Rick Nicholls, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, said the one-time, $10 million grant fund, part of Ontario’s 2021 budget, is meant to ensure agricultural production and local jobs are maintained in the province’s rural communities.

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Businesses that saw a revenue decline in at least one area of operations, such as decreased tourism, tours, events and tastings, or have faced increased expenses to comply with public health safety measures for COVID-19 will be eligible to receive support.

Agricorp will deliver the relief initiative.

“Our government recognizes the significant impact of the Agri-Tourism sector on Ontario’s social and economy recovery,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, in a news statement.

“The launch of a new Winery Agri-Tourism Relief Initiative will support and maintain the vital jobs of those who continue to fight to ensure this sector is able to come back stronger than before.”

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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

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Growing Wine Tourism for Inclusion And Sustainability

• All Regions
• 24 Nov 2023

The UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism has been held for the first time in La Rioja, one of the world’s leading wine tourism destinations, with the focus placed firmly on inclusion and sustainability for local communities and territories.

Paving the way towards inclusive growth, especially in rural areas, requires clear policies and a commitment to embracing digital transformation and innovation. Recognizing this, the Conference brought together key stakeholders and leaders from across the growing wine tourism sector to address priorities including education, skills development and the effective use of data.  

Unlocking Excellence in Wine Tourism

The 7th edition of the UNWTO conference welcomed thought-leaders from both emerging and established wine destinations, including Argentina, Armenia, Chile, France, Germany, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and the United States of America. As well as celebrating the growing interest in wine tourism, the event made clear the challenges for building more competitive destinations and transforming demand into economic growth and social inclusion. Over two days, workshops and masterclasses focused on:  

Skills development and a better understanding of the impacts and trends of wine tourism were identified as crucial elements to create value and promote wine regions, ultimately enhancing their competitiveness. 

With the impact of climate change affecting the sector, experts debated how to progress sustainability in wine tourism as well and progress digitalization for better processes. Participants discussed the need to harmonise data collection, the use of new data sources and innovative strategies for expanding new products, outreach on social media, utilizing cutting-edge digital tools, and leveraging new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, to create knowledge and a seamless experience.  

Inclusion and sustainability: Creating partnerships for growth 

Navigating the complex network of stakeholders in wine tourism, the event also put the spotlight on the importance of having national and local wine tourism strategies while fostering the debate on new, innovative forms of collaboration. A series of masterclasses allowed participants from over 40 countries to exchange and expand their knowledge on the links of wine tourism with gastronomy, arts and culture, communication and branding, new technologies, product development and sustainability. 

During the closing ceremony, La Rioja handed over the symbolic amphora to Armenia, marking the country’s status as the next host for the 8th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism in 2024. 

Wine Tourism

Wine tourism for inclusion and sustainability, related links:.

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• UNWTO Wine Tourism
• 7th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism

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News Release

Ontario Cutting Wholesale Alcohol Prices to Support Restaurants and Bars

Province continues to improve convenience and choice while supporting hospitality sector

December 15, 2021

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Quick facts, additional resources.

TORONTO — The Ontario government is supporting businesses impacted by the pandemic and continuing to provide choice and convenience for consumers by cutting LCBO wholesale prices for bars and restaurants, enabling curbside pickup of beer, wine and cider from licensed grocery stores, and freezing the basic beer tax rate.

The government is supporting bars, restaurants and other businesses with a licence to operate a liquor consumption premises by cutting wholesale prices for the alcohol they purchase from the LCBO, saving these businesses an effective 20 per cent when compared to retail prices. This change will provide approximately $60 million in annual support to restaurants, bars and other businesses.

“Our government knows that local restaurants and bars across Ontario have done their part to keep people safe by following public health measures. We’ve committed to helping these businesses, and that’s exactly what we’re doing today,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “A permanent wholesale discount will put about $60 million a year back into these important businesses, so they can invest in themselves and their workers.”

This action builds on other recent changes to improve alcohol choice and convenience for consumers, create more opportunities for businesses, and strengthen social responsibility standards, including enabling curbside pickup of beer, wine and cider at licensed grocery stores as part of the new modernized legal framework that simplifies rules for the alcohol sector.

The government has also frozen the basic beer tax rates that were set to be indexed to inflation on March 1, 2022 to support beer and craft beer brewers to recover and grow, and to save consumers money. The beer basic tax rates are prescribed amounts of tax added to beer sold in Ontario. The rates adjust annually based on the Consumer Price Index. The government is freezing the beer tax rates until March 1, 2023.

“The speed and efficiency of our support for Ontario’s vibrant hospitality sector was recognized this year by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’ Golden Scissors Award, and we are just getting started,” said Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario. “Making it easier for businesses to create and extend patios, permitting the sale of alcohol with food takeout and allowing local beer sales at farmers’ markets are examples of the ground-breaking actions we are taking to support local alcohol producers and the province’s more than 18,000 bars and restaurants.”

Highlights of the new legal framework for the sale, service and delivery of beverage alcohol include:

• Allowing licensed grocery stores to offer curbside pickup of beer, wine and cider
• Streamlining licensing and renewals for businesses through a single primary licence with endorsements for additional activities, such as on-site retail stores or brew pubs
• Reducing red tape by streamlining reporting requirements for manufacturers
• Increasing flexibility for grocers to cross-promote beer, cider and wine with non-alcohol products
• Enhancing social responsibility in the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s Registrar’s Standards by requiring individuals who sell, serve or handle alcohol to recertify their Smart Serve training
• Making permanent the extension of retail sale hours to 7am to 11pm for alcohol that were put in place in March 2020 in response to COVID-19.

These initiatives build on the government’s actions to date to offer greater choice and convenience for consumers, and more opportunities for businesses, including:

• Expanding sales of beverage alcohol to more than 270 new retail outlets across Ontario since 2018, including 191 LCBO Convenience Outlets and 87 grocery stores
• Permanently allowing licensed restaurants and bars to include alcohol with food as part of a takeout or delivery order
• Making it easier for businesses to create and extend patios
• Allowing manufacturers with an on-site store to sell eligible beer, cider, wine and spirits products at farmers’ markets
• Supporting alcohol producers by creating more flexible delivery rules, including allowing eligible alcohol manufacturers to deliver their own products and charge a delivery fee
• Reducing the minimum price of spirits consumed at licensed establishments
• Permitting alcohol service on docked boats with a liquor sales licence
• Giving licensed restaurants and bars and retailers more flexibility in using liquor delivery services
• Delivering a Winery Agri-Tourism COVID-19 Relief Initiative that provided a one-time $10 million grant in 2021 to support wineries and cideries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The new LCBO wholesale prices for businesses with a licence to operate a liquor consumption premises from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission will come into effect on January 1, 2022.
• This price cut will be achieved by increasing the discount on liquor consumption premise licensees’ alcohol purchases from the LCBO to 10 per cent* and eliminating the 6 per cent mark-up on cider, wine and spirits. When combined with HST recovery and container deposit fees, these licensees will effectively pay 20 per cent less than retail prices for alcohol purchased wholesale from the LCBO. *The 10 per cent discount will not apply to kegs of beer or cider.
• The beer basic tax rates are prescribed amounts of tax added to beer sold in Ontario. The rates adjust annually based on the Consumer Price Index. The government has frozen the beer tax rates until March 1, 2023. This is the third year in a row the government has frozen these rates. Similarly, LCBO beer mark-ups will not increase until March 1, 2023.
• Prior to the modernized legal framework, which came into force November 29, 2021, Ontario’s liquor legislation had not been comprehensively updated in over 40 years. In 2018, the government announced a comprehensive review of the beverage alcohol sector, including modernizing the rules for the retail and consumption of beverage alcohol.

Ontario’s Modernized Legal Framework for Alcohol

• Ontario Regulation 745/21 General
• Ontario Regulation 746/21 Licensing
• Ontario Regulation 747/21 Permits
• Ontario Regulation 750/21 Minimum Pricing of Liquor and Other Pricing Matters

Ontario Supporting the Wine Agri-Tourism Sector

Ontario Permitting Sale of Locally Made Craft Beer at Farmers’ Markets

Ontario Permanently Allowing Alcohol with Food Takeout and Delivery

Media Contacts

Emily Hogeveen Minister’s Office 647-294-6166 [email protected]

Scott Blodgett Communications Branch 416-728-9791 [email protected]

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