Ontario VQA

Ontario is the largest wine grape producing province in Canada, with 17,000 acres of vines situated in the heart of the world’s fine wine zone: 41-44 North, the same latitude shared by Burgundy and other cool climate wine regions of Europe.

The planting of grape vines and the making of wine in Ontario dates to 1811, when a German-born man named Johann Schiller transplanted Pennsylvania-native labrusca and hybrids on 20 acres on the banks of the Credit River in Cooksville, just north of the current Niagara region. Modern vineyards have planted a variety of grapes which are suited to the cooler climates of Ontario, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Chardonnay can produce all styles in the cool climate from crisp and fresh wines to oaked examples that will age for many years. Red varieties are high in acidity with crunchy tannins and bright fruits with Pinot Noir rivalling wines from anywhere in the world.

The modern era of winemaking in Ontario began in 1974 when Inniskillin was granted the first new winery licence since 1916. In 1983 Inniskillin started experimenting with Icewine, producing their first commercial wine the following year. Varieties most suited to producing Icewine are Riesling and Cabernet Franc which have won many awards over the years with Ontario considered one of the best locations in the world for this unique style of wine. Within a few years, more wineries opened and were integral in establishing a new-born industry through their pioneering efforts.

Committed to quality, in 1988 Ontario wineries created the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) program to set out geographic appellations and introduce strict production standards. The Ontario VQA, however, didn’t become law until 1999 and is still evolving with regions and sub-regions which express a unique terroir being added as recently as 2015.

With a dedicated focus on terroir and quality, Ontario recognises VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) as its provincially regulated appellation of origin system. The province’s three wine-producing regions are the Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore and Prince Edward County. The Niagara Peninsula has the largest planted area of all viticultural areas in Ontario – and indeed in Canada – with 14,600 acres of vines. Characterised by rich, fertile soils and unique climates, the Niagara Peninsula has two regional appellations and 10 sub-appellations.

The industry is growing steadily with 165 VQA Ontario wineries across the province, resulting in an ever-rising number of international awards and accolades for its fine wines.