The growing popularity of B.C. wines with the province’s wine drinkers is good news for local winemakers like Chris Tolley of Moon Curser Vineyards. (Richard McGuire file photo)
There’s good news for local wine producers in a recent survey of British Columbia wine drinkers.
The survey, by Insights West in partnership with Will Creative, found more than half of B.C. wine drinkers (58 per cent) prefer wine produced in this province.
And that trend is increasing.
Two-in-five B.C. wine drinkers (41 per cent) say they are drinking a higher percentage of B.C. wine now than five years ago, while only seven per cent say they are drinking less B.C. wine than previously.
The online survey of 613 adult B.C. residents who drink at least a few times a year was statistically weighted to reflect census figures for age, gender and region of residence.
It found the highest proportion of local wine consumption is among men (59 per cent) and those aged 35 to 54 (62 per cent), often known as Generation X.
“Millennials are definitely starting to discover B.C. wine,” said Ute Preusse, founder and director of strategy at Will Creative Inc. “More than half of wine drinkers aged 19 to 34 say they are consuming more wine from the province than they did five years ago.”
B.C.’s wine drinkers express a preference for red wine (36 per cent) ahead of white varietals (26 per cent), although 20 per cent say they like red and white wine equally.
“Red is definitely the preferred choice for B.C.’s wine drinkers aged 35 to 54 and 55 and over,” said Mario Canseco, vice president public affairs at Insights West. “Rose and sparkling wines are more popular among those aged 19 to 34.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Canada recently heard arguments in a case that could open the doors to B.C. wine sales in other provinces.
The case results from an incident in which Gerard Comeau was charged in 2012 for bringing 14 cases of beer into New Brunswick from Quebec.
Comeau has argued that a New Brunswick law setting a limit of just 12 pints of beer that can be imported is unconstitutional.
The constitution says products “shall be admitted free into each of the other provinces.”
Currently interprovincial trade barriers restrict the transportation of wine between provinces to protect the liquor distribution monopolies. This has impeded B.C. wineries from selling directly to residents of other provinces.
The court’s decision, which could still be months away, might strike down laws that limit interprovincial trade in wine.
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