Ont. wine will get clearer labels so consumers know when they're buying local

TORONTO - Consumers wishing to support local wineries will find it easier to find wine made from Ontario grapes as the province moves toward clearer labelling.

The government says it's working with winemakers and the LCBO to make signage and labels differentiate between wine made from 100 per cent Ontario grapes and wine made of a blend of local and foreign grapes.

Grape farmers and their supporters have long complained that the current "Cellared in Canada" label is misleading, because it gives people the impression they are buying local wine when they are in fact only buying wine cellared in the country.

That's different than wine bearing the Vintners Quality Alliance, or VQA, designation - which ensures the wine is made of 100 per cent Ontario grapes.

The government says it will also increase access to VQA wines through the LCBO.

According to the group Environmental Defence, about eight thousand tonnes of Ontario grapes will rot on the vine this year because there's not enough wine purchased to allow those grapes to be harvested.