The Ontario government is supporting grape growers and wineries by adding 24 new grape varieties to Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) certified wine.
These new grapes were officially approved because of the high quality of wines they produce, their resistance to extreme temperatures and their lower dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Find can find the updated list near the end of Regulation 406 here.
“Ontario wineries are producing great-tasting, top-quality wines. They are earning praise around the world and beating out wine-producing giants in international competitions,” said Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. “As we approach Buy Ontario, Buy Canadian Day, we’re proud to support this thriving industry and remind everyone that world-class wine is being made right here at home.”
VQA certified wines are the seal of authenticity by the Ontario Wine Appellation Authority (OWAA), the regulatory agency responsible for the integrity of Ontario wine appellations, enforcing wine composition and labelling standards and ensuring consumers have the information they need to make an informed choice. The OWAA tests and audits each wine and winery before they are allowed to use the VQA label.
“Expanding the list of grape varieties certified by VQA is great news for Ontario’s grape growers and wineries. It opens new opportunities for growth at a time when the market is growing and modernizing and when supporting local agribusinesses has never been more important,” said Trevor Jones, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Whether you’re visiting a winery, dining out or shopping, choose a locally grown and globally acclaimed Ontario wine.”
Quick Facts
• Buy Ontario, Buy Canadian Day is Friday, June 27, 2025
• In 2024, more than $433.6 million in VQA wines were sold worldwide.
Quotes
“We are very pleased the Ontario government has approved this historic expansion of the grape list. The additions reflect both established and new grape varieties, and support a drive to sustainability, more flexibility to adapt to growing conditions and more consumer choice. These changes provide new options for winemakers who are striving to make the best and most authentic wine possible, across all winegrowing regions in Ontario.”
– Derek Cartlidge,
Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Wine Appellation Authority
“Today’s news means more jobs and bigger paycheques in Ontario’s growing grape and wine sector,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West. “Approving these new grape varieties means our local wineries and the farm families behind them can continue to innovate, adapt to changing growing conditions, and bring new, distinctive wines to market. It’s a win for our farmers, a win for sustainability, and a win for everyone who enjoys high-quality Ontario wine. Niagara’s wineries are already some of the best in the world and this announcement helps them stay ahead.”
– Sam Oosterhoff
MPP for Niagara West
Note: From a news release sent to Wines in Niagara
Very happy to see the final amendments being published. I feel that extra variety in VQA wines will always be beneficial.
I was surprised that I couldn’t find a canonical list of new varieties. The relevant amending provision in 85/25 only says that the previous Appendix B is replaced with the new one. A doc compare between the Appendices in the two versions indicates that they added Alicante Bouschet, Barbera, Dolcetto, Moscato Giallo (Gold Muscat), Muscat D’Alsace, Petite Arvine (Arvina), Roussanne, and Saperavi to the Vitis Vinifera list; and Bianca, Cabernet Foch, Cabernet Jura, Cabernet Volos, Crimson Pearl, Itasca, L’Acadie Blanc, Lucie Kuhlmann, Merlot Kanthus, Muscat Osceolo, Petite Pearl, Regent, Rondo, Sauvignon Rytos, Soreli, and Traminette to the list of inter-specific crosses that may be indicated on the label.