Niagara wineries receives investment from federal and provincial government

The Governments of Canada and Ontario have invested $75,000 to advance the production of locally grown grapes in the Niagara region.

As part of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the federal and provincial governments are providing the support to develop and implement new products and technologies that will help grape growers increase productivity, access markets, be more competitive in world markets and contribute even more to the economy.

Projects include:

• $67,600 to develop a modern weather network with real-time information incorporated into eGrape, an existing industry database, which will assist growers and researchers to improve efficiency and productivity.
• $8,700 to quantify and analyze wash water used to clean grape harvesters and conduct a survey to better understand water use practices among 500 grape growers.

Ontario is home to the largest wine region in Canada, with more than 200 wineries in Niagara, Prince Edward County, the Lake Erie North Shore and other regions.

Grape production from almost 500 Ontario growers is used to make award-winning Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA wines), made from 100 per cent Ontario grapes. Ontario’s VQA wines have gained an international reputation for quality and had $374 million in sales in Ontario in 2018-19.