1. VQA Ontario Niagara Peninsula Lake Erie North Shore Prince Edward County

2. Ontario’s appellation system
Sets and enforces standards, including labelling standards, for wines made from Ontario grapes
Administered by VQA Ontario under the VQA Act and regulations
Purpose is to verify origin and provide a quality assurance mechanism easily identifiable by consumers
VQAO is a consumer protection agency not a marketing collective

3. VQA Regulations Protects certain terms by restricting their use
Label integrity for consumers
Protects/enhances reputation of regions and industry-at-large
Level playing field for wineries

4. Winery Obligations Making good quality wines
Knowing and following the regulations
Internal process control
Record keeping
Fees

5. Regulated terms What terms do we regulate?
Niagara Peninsula Prince Edward County
Lake Erie North Shore Ontario
Sub-appellation terms Blanc De Noirs
Meritage Late Harvest Wine
Select/ Special Select Late Harvest Wine
Vin Du Cure Icewine
Icewine Dosage Dosage of Icewine
Sparkling Icewine Estate Bottled
Vineyard Botrytized
Botrytis Affected (B.A.) Totally Botrytized
Totally Botrytis Affected (T.B.A)
What does this mean in practice?
No use without approval, no variations, passing off

6. Labelling Rules

7. Scope of regulations
The “labelling” rules apply to all use of descriptors in association with the wine
This includes your shelf talker, neck tag, signage, advertising and website descriptions – that refer to a specific wine or wines
Allows a general “we sell Icewine here” sticker at your cash but definitely not an Icewine sign in front of a display shelf with only table wines on it

8. Mandatory Content Federal information: VQA information:
alc./vol. - net contents - wine - Product of Canada - legal name, address of dealer – allergens (sulphites)
VQA information:
Name of appellation with VQA letters
Vintage (except Sparkling, Fortified)
Others depend on wine category

9. Optional Content (category dependent)
Grape varieties
Wine category (Late Harvest, Meritage, Blanc de Noirs, Nouveau)
Proprietary Name (your brand)
Estate Bottled
Vineyard Name
Method of Production (Mandatory for Trad/Charmat, prohibited for others)
VQA Logo (font size conditions next slide)

10. Principal Display Panel and Single Field of Vision
Appellation must appear on principal display panel at least 2 mm OR 3.2 mm if you leave the VQA logo off
Other info can appear anywhere (except top/bottom of container)
Federal rules require alc/vol, wine, product of Canada and net contents all in a “single field of vision”
VQA decides which panel is the PDP, the winery cannot choose to make the back label the PDP

11. Labelling - Origin The appellation on the front label must appear as:
VQA appellation name VQA
(same font, colour, typeface)
No unregulated claim of origin can be made (e.g. you can’t create your own appellation)
No appellation terms can be used in back label copy or elsewhere unless the wine qualifies NOT AT ALL - no matter what the context
No reference to location of winery using appellation name unless wine qualifies – postal address only in the form of an address
Component appellations can be described if exact percentage content is included – eg. 55% Lake Erie North Shore, 45% Prince Edward County

12. Labelling - Origin Content rules for appellation declaration:
Ontario (100% Ontario)
Viticultural areas – Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore, Prince Edward County (85% from stated area, rest from anywhere in Ontario)
Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Escarpment (85% from stated area, rest from Niagara)
Sub-appellations (100%)
Vineyard designation (100%)
Estate Bottled (100% grown, made, bottled)

13. Labelling - origin
Certain wines are not entitled to any origin claim except Ontario
Wines made from grapes grown outside of defined viticultural areas
Wines containing hybrid grapes (Vidal Icewine exception)
Charmat or Cuve Close sparkling wines
Wines that do not meet required Brix
Do not refer to appellations on the labels of these wines
Do not use brand names that contain restricted terms

14. Varietal wines
If a grape variety is mentioned anywhere on the label, it is considered a varietal wine
Varieties must be listed in order of descending content
If it does not meet single, dual, triple or multi rules, percentages are required
Acceptable variety names are specified
No abbreviations, number descriptors
Descriptors generally allowed if they are not confusing (oaked, reserve etc)

15. Icewine Icewine must appear on the label Vinifera or Vidal only
Cannot blend Vidal into vinifera unless declared (eg. must be > 15% and labelled as a varietal wine)
Cannot mention Icewine on label of table wines if it is used as a blending component

16. The Approval Process

17. Wine Approvals
3 components: blind taste test, laboratory analysis and packaging review
Approx 2000 applications annually, overall success rate approximately 96%

18. Process
Approvals – online application, samples to LCBO, payment to VQAO, 2 – 3 weeks turnaround
Wine is approved only when entire process is complete and you see a checkmark under final status (Don’t release or sell if it is not approved)
Approval will not be processed without fee and label, mock ups and/or proofs are acceptable
If the labels are changed post approval, it is the wineries responsibility to ensure they comply
No need for two approvals for same wine with two labels (but all labels should be uploaded)
Virtual wineries need to be registered with VQAO as an additional brand (they are your responsibility under your manuf. licence and your VQA membership)

19. VQA Services - Wine Approvals /Transfers Icewine /Membership application and renewal
Key services accessed from the home page
To update your company information:
Address/ s
Create/delete users
Annual renewal
News and reference information

20. VQA Services - Wine Approvals System “WAS”
Filters – normally check all
Use filters and rows per page to manage what is displayed to you
Start a new application

21. Wine Approval Application - adding varietal components
Entering the components of your final blend
Confirm total quantity is correct

22. Wine Approval Application Upload your labels
PDF or JPEG formats acceptable
Get the proofs electronically from your designer/printer
Store them on your computer. Follow the easy wizard instructions.
Because of the volume – we do not upload labels for you. If you can them to us then you have an electronic version to upload!
You can upload your labels later if they are not ready when you make the application.

23. Wine Approval Applications – checking status
Status information
Active applications – not approved
Approved
Waiting for winery to upload corrected labels
Not approved – needs to be resubmitted with corrected labels
This is the wine ID

24. More information about your application
Taste and lab results added when completed
Label review usually last to be completed just before approval result finalized
Can edit only up to shipment received date
(call VQAO if changes needed after)
Forms&Reports:
Reprint shipping form/invoice
Cert of analysis once approved
Cert of origin

25. Application in progress - check tasting result
If the wine did not pass, the reason for failure will be stated here.

26. Application in progress - check lab result
Typically only 3 tests are reported – alcohol, Free SO2, RS
If the wine did not pass, the failing analyte will be reported.

27. Application - label review result
Federal violations are noted but do not cause a failure.
Routine conditions are noted but do not cause a failure
No scale (font size not verified)
VQA logo not submitted or shown in a black and white scan
THESE STILL NEED TO BE COMPLIANT on the final label.
This label failed.
In this case this is the reason.

28. Everything is done - Why is my application not complete?
Not yet approved
Usually because
payment not received
If all 3 stages complete and the wine is not approved
– please call us to find out why!

29. Wine is now approved
The winery (primary contact) will get an notification telling you to logon and view completed application results
It is the same pass or fail so don’t assume the wine is approved
Don’t forget to look at the label review page to see if there are any comments

30. Pre approval label review
VQAO will review labels before the wine is submitted as advice only
Labels will not be “approved” before wine is approved since this is contingent upon the label matching the wine, the alcohol, sweetness descriptors being correct, etc.

31. Common approval delays and label problems
No labels have been uploaded or fee is not paid
Samples sent to LCBO are not properly labelled and have been sent to another department
Label does not match application or wine eg.
Alcohol inaccurate
Appellation on label different than on application
Varieties not in descending order
Back label text refers to different appellation or to a foreign appellation

32. Tips for approvals Make sure applications include:
Uploaded labels
Payment
Complete and correct information
“Rush” lab service can be arranged ($)
Plan with VQAO in advance if there is time pressure (such as Nouveau) or a large number of samples
Tastings are twice weekly, none in December or on statutory holidays (dates posted on VQA Services)
Lab lineup is set weekly (no later than Wed pm) so have your samples delivered by noon Wednesday
If your wine arrives Thursday it will not have lab results until two weeks following

33. Other things to know
Applications are purged after 12 months if not completed
Approvals expire after 12 months if not bottled
Independent brix test and e-grape record required for all content in VQA wines
Transfer and supplementary rules for finished wine that is purchased from another winery
Late Harvest registration by Nov 15
You must get at least one VQA approval every 18 month or your membership will lapse

34. Questions? Call us If in doubt - call or email the VQA Ontario office
Do not rely on label designers or others in industry – they may be mistaken or the rules may have changed
Best practice – don’t print your labels before approval
Read over the VQA regulations (reg. 406)

35. Failure to Comply

36. Inspection and Compliance
VQA Ontario is required to enforce compliance with the regulations
Compliance issues typically related to label issues, selling without approval
Infractions noted through inspections conducted by VQAO, through audit or by complaint
VQAO has police powers - right to enter, right to collect and compel information

37. Penalties Approval suspension/revocation
Product removal from all channels (LCBO acts on our removal orders – this can be very expensive)
Compliance orders
Charges (fines up to $100,000 per count)
Membership suspension/revocation
It is far easier and cheaper to comply

38. Avoid Violations Don’t sell before approval -check the website
Check advertising, website, store signage using VQA terms to make sure they are compliant and not misleading
File your reports and be prepared for your audit
Use a checklist to check label compliance
Read the comments offered on labels – check the website!

39. Where to look it up Website www.vqaontario.ca/regulations/standards
Contact us