[Growwine] a letter to the editor from Mountain Ridge winery

[Phil Ryan]

Hi Steve;
This is a well developed proposal.

In our area, there is discussion of retail outlets for local produce. I will forward this to our local OFA.

Phil Ryan
Simcoe


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Larry Paterson 
  To: Growwine List 
  Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 6:11 AM
  Subject: [Growwine] a letter to the editor from Mountain Ridge winery


  Here is some food for thought...

  Lardy

  Larry Paterson, lfw, rd, adcc
  (Little Fat Wino, Roving Drunk, Alcohol Distribution Channels Critic)

  http://www.littlefatwino.com/

  with permission from Steve Kocsis, Mountain Ridge Winery

  *************************************
  To the Editor.   Re:  Wine Stores.

   

        New wine store licenses should be tied to the land that produces the fruit from which the 100% Ontario wine is made.

        Those growers that choose to make wine could be issued a license to open a store in the urban centre of their choice to reach a broader customer base.  Growers who choose to sell their fruit to other wineries could grant that winery the use of the license that accrues to the land that grows the fruit.

        Each 10 or 20 acres of vineyard or orchard would be entitled to one license.  This would give back the value of the land that the Greenbelt Plan expropriated without compensation.

        The AGCO and LCBO could continue to collect the taxes and enforce the regulations as they do now over alcohol sales at on-farm wineries, Beer Store Outlets, the foreign owned grandfathered stores, the LCBO outlets, restaurants and special occasion permits at banquet halls. 

        There would be no trade consequences since foreign individuals and corporations would be free to buy vineyards to gain entitlement to the new store licenses.  It would also make it more difficult for them to accumulate and hoard licenses as they have in past. Perhaps this go around the government would have the guts to enforce the intent of the licenses, the marketing of exclusively 100 % Ontario wine.

        A chance to market local wine to the Ontario customer would invigorate the rural economy.  There would be no need to use the current greenwashing propaganda to convince customers that shipping foreign subsidized wine half way around the globe is somehow ecologically sound, that somehow it does not create a devastatingly large carbon footprint.

        Customers could be given broader choice, better service and greater convenience.  The LCBO would have to lose its arrogance and sense of entitlement.  Let  prove they are entitled to their Sunshine Law salaries by competing to serve their customers and dealing fairly with their suppliers.

        Any improvement in access to our own markets would be welcome. Land based licenses would be a full loaf. A loaf of bread and a glass of wine shared with our fellow Ontarians would be poetry.





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