VQA Ontario
Label Integrity, Quality Assurance and Wine of Origin
VQA is your assurance that the wine you choose is made from 100% grapes grown in Ontario and its unique viticultural areas. All VQA wines are verified to confirm their origin and tested to ensure they meet a rigorous set of quality standards.
VQA means Wine of Origin
Lake Erie North Shore, Niagara Peninsula, Pelee Island and Prince Edward County
Appellation is about the unique character of grapes grown in a particular region and, most especially, the character that "terroir" imparts to the wine — the combination of climate, soil, and geography that makes a wine unique through its origin.
As Ontario’s appellation authority, VQA ensures that claims of origin are accurate and that VQA labels are truthful and reflect the wine in the bottle.
VQA means Quality
Wine lovers can be assured that VQA wines follow standards throughout the winemaking process that govern content, processes and additives and are independently audited on a regular basis.
The process of quality assurance starts long before a wine can be released for sale bearing the VQA symbol or VQA regulated terms. Standards apply to all aspects of winemaking. All wines are tasted by an independant expert panel and undergo extensive laboratory testing to ensure quality standards are met. Comprehensive label reviews are also conducted before a wine may be sold to ensure consumers can rely on the integrity of a VQA label.
VQA Ontario is Ontario’s wine authority, responsible for administering and enforcing wine legislation governing VQA wines. Our mandate is consumer protection and we are not engaged in the marketing of VQA wines.
VQAO News
March 26, 2008
2007 vintage report now available
Icewine Harvest Update: Approximately 6500 metric tonnes were netted last fall, yielding almost 1.2 million litres of juice eligible for Icewine with an average sugar content of 38.4 degrees Brix. An additional 68,000 litres eligible for Late Harvest wines was recorded. 95% of Late Harvest and Icewine juice originated in the Niagara Peninsula with the remaining 5% from Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island and a small amount from Prince Edward County.
Upcoming Meetings
Board meetings:
Next Meeting - June2
Scheduled meetings for 2008
Did you know?
Here are some of the results of our
2006-07 year:
- A new appellations of origin was established in Prince Edward County in June 2007
- Number of wineries that produce VQA wines - 97
- Number of wines approved for VQA status - 879 (201 were denied)
- Chardonnay was the top production VQA varietal wine, with Riesling and Cabernet Franc close behind
- Total volume of approved wine - 12 million litres
- Total volume of Icewine juice registered for the 2006 vintage - 1.2 million Litres
- Estimated annual grape tonnage used in VQA wines - 16,400 tonnes