Quebec wine sales surge after U.S alcohol boycott

Wine sales from Quebec producers have jumped since the SAQ removed American alcohol from stores, with vineyards working to meet growing demand.

Quebec wine sales have gone up since the removal of American alcohol products from the shelves of the SAQ last March and local producers are working hard to fill demand.

Quebec vineyards have a lot to offer, like unique grape varieties, says Mike Lacroix of Les Douceurs du Marche at the Atwater Market. He carries a selection of spirits from Quebec.

“Some of them are hybrids for this climate, so you won’t find these types of grapes in other places,” Lacroix said.

Matthieu Beauchemin, president of the Québec Wine Council, says when the SAQ pulled American products from its shelves, they increased their list of local wines.

“For the last few months, we’ve seen a 60 per cent increase in wine sales in Quebec, wine sales at the SAQ, compared to the same period a year before, which is significant, especially considering that wine sales in general are down by about one or two per cent.”

Pascal Thériault, an economist at McGill University, says producers shouldn’t bank on this boycott for long.

“Boycotts don’t tend to last and that’s why they don’t work in this case. What it gave us as an opportunity is to explore new products,” said Theriault, whose research includes agricultural economics and marketing.

“In this case, there was a willingness to change to try something new. And I think in many cases consumers were quite impressed by what they discovered as far as Quebec wines are concerned.”

Beauchemin says Québec vineyards are working hard to keep up with the new demand and are currently producing 3.5 million bottles of wine a year.

“It’s growing fast, but we’re still a small industry, a drop in the ocean of all the wine consumption in Québec,” Beauchemin said.

He added that 30 per cent of Quebec wine sales are through the SAQ and 70 per cent are through restaurants and smaller shops like Les Douceurs du Marché. Lacroix says his clients were buying local even before the boycott.

“They’re looking for local products that are harder to find. And I’m not sure it’s changed all that much for us,” he said.

All agree that if American wines reappear on store shelves, then space should always be made for local producers.