With B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 wine industry facing 香蕉视频直播榗atastrophic香蕉视频直播� crop damage from January香蕉视频直播檚 freeze, Alberta liquor branch香蕉视频直播檚 threats to restrict wine could not be worse timing, say B.C. wine growers and local elected officials.

On Jan. 22, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission issued a letter to numerous B.C. wineries informing them that, if they did not immediately stop shipping wines direct-to-consumers in Alberta, they would stop allowing those wines in their retail stores.

Wines of British Columbia estimates direct-to-consumer counts for less than three per cent of sales, with most involving high-end bottles that aren香蕉视频直播檛 even available through government channels.

The action by Alberta are baffling, said MLA Roly Russell, and the provincial government is working on this problem. He said B.C. officials have been in touch with Alberta counterparts and urged them to stop what they are doing.

香蕉视频直播淭his move doesn香蕉视频直播檛 only affect Albertans香蕉视频直播� freedom to choose what wine they can enjoy, it has serious repercussions on grape growers and winemakers where I live and throughout our province,香蕉视频直播� said Russell.

香蕉视频直播淚 know that this action couldn香蕉视频直播檛 come at a worse time for our growers, given recent climatic events, and it香蕉视频直播檚 baffling that Alberta would decide to do this now.香蕉视频直播�

Summerland香蕉视频直播檚 district council is sending a letter to the Alberta liquor branch to cease and desist.

Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas said the timing of Alberta香蕉视频直播檚 letter is 香蕉视频直播榟ard-hearted香蕉视频直播� considering the duress B.C. wineries have been under over the past few years getting through COVID, wildfires, and unprecedented crop damage due to freezing.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 Alberta香蕉视频直播檚 big liquor monopoly picking on the little B.C. wineries,香蕉视频直播� said Albas. 香蕉视频直播淲e allow Alberta breweries and distilleries to ship to B.C. but Alberta will not give the same reciprocity for our wines.香蕉视频直播�

B.C., Manitoba and Nova Scotia have free trade but Alberta said No

In 2011, Albas put forward a private members bill dubbed 香蕉视频直播榝ree my grapes香蕉视频直播� that would have allowed free trade of wine from Coast to Coast. But the Trudeau government 香蕉视频直播榩unted it,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 easier to ship cannabis than it is wine in Canada,香蕉视频直播� he added.

Along with B.C. wines suffering catastrophic vine damage, wildfires and loss of tourism, come April 1, 2024, the federal government is increasing the excise tax of domestic wine by 4.7 per cent.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 hard for the smaller family-run businesses to survive. I talked to one winery this week and they told me they香蕉视频直播檝e lost over 90 per cent of their crop,香蕉视频直播� said Albas.

There are government supports in place for crop recovery but by the time funds reach a winery, it may be too late, he added.

B.C. wineries willing to pay tax to Alberta

Carl Boucher, founder of Carl香蕉视频直播檚 Wine Club in the South Okanagan said Alberta香蕉视频直播檚 timing is 香蕉视频直播榙isgusting.香蕉视频直播� Boucher spent 17 years living in Calgary and has hundreds of wine members there.

香蕉视频直播淟ast year香蕉视频直播檚 crop damage from the freeze was dramatic. This year could be catastrophic with some worrying they will have zero crops for this year香蕉视频直播檚 harvest,香蕉视频直播� said Boucher.

Damage from the December 2022 freeze was estimated at around 50 per cent of vines that needed replacing mainly in the Similkameen and South Okanagan. The freeze in January, 2023 caused widespread bud damage across the region, said Boucher.

Coupled with Alberta香蕉视频直播檚 new threats, it could cause some wineries to close.

香蕉视频直播淏.C. wineries are willing to pay a tax to ship directly to consumers but Alberta didn香蕉视频直播檛 even give that a chance,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 easier to ship wine to the U.S. and Tokyo than it is to ship to Alberta.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 pure insanity,香蕉视频直播� he added.

Alberta club members not happy

Nancy Teghtmeyer, who lives in Calgary and regularly tours Okanagan wineries, is a wine club member at a few Okanagan wineries. She gets her wine shipped directly and doesn香蕉视频直播檛 understand the motivation behind her government香蕉视频直播檚 move.

香蕉视频直播淚f B.C. wines shipping directly are only three per cent of sales, that香蕉视频直播檚 a drop in the bucket for Alberta liquor branch. The only ones getting hurt here are the little B.C. wineries,香蕉视频直播� she asks. 香蕉视频直播淚f they want to go after someone, go after big guys like Amazon.香蕉视频直播�

Teghtmeyer is a club member at Wine Maker香蕉视频直播檚 Cut and is a big fan of Fairview香蕉视频直播檚 Pinot Noir.

香蕉视频直播淭hese are wines that aren香蕉视频直播檛 sold in our stores.香蕉视频直播�

Teghtmeyer says she loves visiting the smaller tasting rooms in the Okanagan and hearing the winery香蕉视频直播檚 story, often getting to meet the owners directly.

香蕉视频直播淭hese wineries offer a unique experience,香蕉视频直播� said Teghtmeyer. 香蕉视频直播淚 want to support them and I do that by becoming a club member and buying their wine.香蕉视频直播�

Alberta retailers offer very little selection of Canadian wines in their liquor stores as it is, said Boucher. And what Canadian wines they do offer are marked way up.

Not the first time Alberta has banned B.C. wine

Penticton香蕉视频直播檚 TIME Winery general manager Christa-Lee McWatters, daughter of the late Harry McWatters, said the B.C. government is very aware of the issue and as board chair of the BC Wine Growers Association she is headed to Vancouver to meet with the Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Tourism on the issue.

香蕉视频直播淭he last time this happened with Alberta [in 2018] it has nothing to do with wine, it was about pipelines. It香蕉视频直播檚 hard to say what it香蕉视频直播檚 about this time around. We香蕉视频直播檝e talked to a lot of people in Alberta and they think this is ridiculous,香蕉视频直播� said McWatters.

TIME Winery was one of the wineries that received the cease and desist letter from Alberta.

Alberta is the second biggest consumer of B.C. wines.

香蕉视频直播淏.C. is a big supporter of B.C. wines and in these trying times the best way to support us is to buy direct from the wineries, online or become a club member. Your support does make all the difference.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a pretty scary time for wineries. I香蕉视频直播檝e been doing this for 30 years and I香蕉视频直播檝e never seen anything like this. Some will weather this, but not all will,香蕉视频直播� she said, speaking to the difficult last few years B.C. wineries have endured.

Al Hudec is a Kelowna-based lawyer hired by winemakers to push back against the Alberta move.

Hudec said Alberta香蕉视频直播檚 letter could be a case for judicial review.

In 2018, the Alberta government stopped allowing B.C. wine after a spat over the Trans Mountain pipeline.

香蕉视频直播淲hile we are still unclear of the political motivation behind the recent AGLC letter, it is disheartening for our local growers and producers, who have already suffered great financial hardships over this past year. We are concerned about being targeted once again for political gain that has nothing to do with our industry,香蕉视频直播� said BC Wine Growers.