Prince Edward County is Ontario’s newest Designated Viticultural Area and is the youngest wine-grape growing region in Ontario.  There are more than a dozen wineries in the County today, with more on the horizon, up from just one in 2000. 

A Designated Viticultural Area is a geographic region that helps identify the origin of a wine and its grapes.  It is part of the appellation of origin system under the VQA Act.  This system helps protect the authenticity of wines from a particular region and provides credibility for the local industry to build on.

The area covered by this new viticultural area includes the municipal boundaries of Prince Edward County plus a small area to the north and northeast, as well as Amherst Island. This area is well known locally and provincially as the Prince Edward County wine region.

Other Designated Viticultural Areas in Ontario:

• Pelee Island
• Lake Erie North Shore (in southwestern Ontario)
• Niagara Peninsula
• • Niagara-On-The-Lake
  • Niagara Escarpment

About VQA Ontario:

The Ontario government gives VQA Ontario the authority to establish, monitor and enforce an appellation of origin system that allows consumers to identify wines based on the area where the grapes are grown, the methods used in making the wine and other quality standards.  It works with the government and other stakeholders on issues related to quality standards and works to promote the value and benefits of VQA-approved wines.  VQA-approved wines assure consumers of the origin and quality of the wines.   They are made only from 100 per cent Ontario-grown grapes and must meet strict production and labelling standards.  For more information about the VQA and Ontario’s appellations, visit www.vqaontario.com.

Contacts:Paul DeZara
Minister’s Office
Office : 416-327-3072
Cell : 647-388-9671

Ciaran Ganley
Ministry of Government Services
416-325-8659