Page 69 - Grapevine NovDec 2020
P. 69
International News
British Columbia Wine Industry
Hit Hard by COVID-19
By: Briana Doyle
C anadian wine consumers are buying more by the British Columbia Wine Institute in collabo-
wine than ever, yet a recent industry sur-
ra-tion with the British Columbia Grapegrowers’
vey in Brit-ish Columbia indicates that the
province’s winemakers are not seeing the benefits. Association and Leger Marketing, 83% of British
Columbia wineries and grape growers have been
negatively impacted by COVID-19.
Early in the pandemic,
British Columbia liquor The survey found one
stores reported a 40% Despite spiking wine in 10 British Columbia
spike in sales. According wineries and grape
to a Capital Daily report, sales, one in ten local growers at risk of closing
in March and April, British due to COVID-19, with
Columbians spent an extra wineries and grape 58% seeing a revenue
$90 million on alcohol, loss and 55% having
about $29 million of that growers say they are reduced access to cus-
spent on wine alone. at risk of closing tomers.
However, according “For growers, access to
to a survey conducted labor is always an issue,
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