Niagara winery plans to expand as ‘elbows up’ movement bolsters sales

Ontario wine sales are up 65 per cent since the LCBO removed American product from its shelves.

One winery in Niagara is currently in expansion mode, growing their business as a result of the ‘elbows up’ movement.

Norman Beal is the president of Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery in Beamsville. He says the winery has been surprised with how sales have shot up within a short period of time.

As a by-product, profits are going back into his business in order to create more jobs.

“The good news is that our supply chain doesn’t originate from the United States,” he said. “A lot of it comes from Europe.”

“We’re investing more and more back in the winery, winery equipment, and we’ll be needing more people to help us package it and get it out to market.”

Beal says one thing he is concerned about is how the trade war will affect the tourism industry. Sylvain Charlebois, director of Agrifood Analytics at Dalhousie University seemed to share his concerns.

“The will to implement tariffs affects everyone, not just Canada,” Charlebois said.

Charlebois spoke to CHCH News from a food business conference in Toronto, where agri-food leaders from all over the world are meeting to discuss ways to innovate.

“We are not alone in this,” he said. “When Europe comes, when Brazil comes, when Peru comes, they come in knowing exactly what we are going through.”

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