Page 71 - Grapevine NovDec 2020

International News

strengthen the collective and work col-laboratively Only in Canada: Taco Bell launches Jalapeño wine;
to bolster local support and celebrate some of the plus glamping in a wine barrel
finest this province has to offer.”
Now for a couple of quirky Canadian news
Meanwhile, a new website and app, Wines of items to leaven the doom & gloom: Taco Bell has
British Columbia Explorer (https://winebc.com/ launched its own brand of wine, which is only avail-
explorer/), aims to steer “staycationers” and road able in Canada, and an Ontario couple is getting
trippers to explore Brit-ish Columbia wine country media attention for their unique Airbnb listing: a
this fall. converted wine barrel floating in a river.

The website and app include wine route itineraries The well-known fast-food brand introduced its
and detailed information on more than 200 British Jalapeño Noir in September, promoting it as the
Columbia wineries, including new hours and pro- perfect complement to a new menu item: the
tocols to protect customers during the pandemic, Toasted Cheesy Chalupa, a type of taco made with
whether there are picnic spots on-site, curated lists fried bread instead of the typical soft or crunchy
of specialty wines, organic vineyards, and if visitors shell. According to Taco Bell Canada, the wine has
are welcome to bring pets. It also includes a “taste notes of wild strawberry, cherry and beetroot.
test” tool to help customers find British Columbia
wines that suit their palate. The Jalapeño Noir was sold only in Ontario via the
Taco Bell website, and from selected loca-tions in
“This campaign really aims to bring our local wine, Hamilton and Toronto via Uber Eats. The first two
hospitality and tourism partners together to ensure batches of the limited edition red wine, produced
a strong future for all of us,” said Kim Barnes, by Queenston Mile Vineyard in Ontario, quickly
Marketing Director of BCWI. “We know many sold out. A third and final re-stock was released at
British Columbia industries are feeling the effects the beginning of October.
of 2020, and we want to keep the ‘support local’
message top of mind as we head into the winter As for that wine barrel B&B, it’s located in Essex,
season.” Ontario, close to the Detroit border. The unu-sual
one-bedroom houseboat is a converted red cedar
Throughout October, campaign promotional mate- wine barrel and is moored in the heart of wine
rials were distributed via local British Colum-bia country.
wineries, hotels and restaurants, British Columbia
liquor stores and all Wines of British Co-lumbia The Airbnb listing notes the floating cabin is just
stores located in select Save-On-Foods. Digital minutes from several major wineries and fea-tures
and broadcast components include ra-dio spots, a views of lush vineyards as well as an outdoor tiki
YouTube series with cooking demos, ZOOM videos bar-style kitchen, complete with a sink made from
from the vineyard, blogs, har-vest wine pairings and a whisky barrel. The barrel rents for $120 CDN per
curated wine routes, all aimed at promoting local night. The next available book-ings are in spring
wine, food and travel. 2021.

Despite July sales reports showing overall growth
in the wine category at 5.01% (up from 4.73% in
June 2020), British Columbia VQA market share
continues to trend lower than the All Imports mar-
ket share – 18.81% compared to 19.13% last year.

“As winery inventories begin to grow with, by all
early indications, a great 2020 vintage starting to
come in, this trend is worrisome for our industry,”
said Prodan. “It highlights the need for the contin-
ued support of the British Columbia wine industry,
not just from consumers, but in sound policies from
all levels of government.”

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