▻ The Canadian Wine Industry Post Tariffs
In conversation with Donald Ziraldo
Episode Summary:-
There is one topic dominating the news in the wine world at the moment: tariffs. Sarah Kemp talks to Donald Ziraldo, co-founder of Inniskillin winery, a pioneer of the Canadian wine industry, and the man who was instrumental in creating the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA). Canada and Mexico were the first two countries Donald Trump put tariffs on. The Canadians have retaliated--in Ontario, for example, US wine and spirits have been cleared from the store shelves. He admits, “We’re not normally this aggressive as Canadians, but this has really riled us up.”
In this episode, Donald Ziraldo explains how the news has propelled the Canadian wine industry to create a VQA Canada, something which had been discussed for years. The unified VQA Canada label would signify that grapes are 100% Canadian, and would give a trustworthy guarantee that they are purchasing wine made entirely from 100% Canadian-grown grapes. At a time when Canadians are looking to back their own wine industry, it is an important step, and Donald relates how they hope that the VDQ Canada will go into effect by this summer.
Running Order:-
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0.00 – 14.04
“We’re not normally this aggressive as Canadians, but this has really riled us up.” – Don Ziraldo’s reaction to US tariffs
– How the Canadian wine scene is regulated.
– The different provinces’ rules and regulations.
– Canadians’ reaction to the tariffs.
– How a VDQ Canada should be up and running in a few months.
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