VIDEO: Wine Growers of BC responds to Alberta ultimatum on BC wine sales

The organization that represents wine producers in BC is firing back against Alberta's Liquor control agency in what has all the trappings of a new trade war between the two provinces.

The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission is accepting no more wine from any BC wineries which sell directly to Albertans.

"Shocking is the right term for it," said Wine Growers of BC CEO Miles Prodan.

"To be denied access to the Alberta market," he said, "is going to be catastrophic."

Wineries received the letters last week, and already the ALGC is following through with its threat.

'We've heard there's trucks being turned back today," said Prodan.

"The impact has been immediate."

The ALGC letter accuses BC wineries of breaking both federal and provincial legislation with its habit of selling directly to Albertans.

The Wine Growers of BC argues they're wrong on both counts.

The federal legislation, he points out, is particularly clear.

Prodan points out the legislation was amended in 2019 and "prohibits only importing or causing to be imported alcohol into a province from a
place outside Canada."

He added that there is a willingness to talk about tax collection if that's the issue.

"We've long proposed to Alberta that we're willing to submit whatever tax is owed," said Prodan.

"If that's an issue we can work that through."

Meanwhile, wineries are forced to make a difficult choice.

They have to either give up all of their sales through the commission, which means all sales in Alberta liquor stores and restaurants, or give up their direct-to-customer sales there.

Prodan said giving up those direct sales, much of it going to wine club members and other fans of BC wine, would be difficult.

And with two seasons with damaging freezing events, there will be less wine to sell anyway.

"It's probably easier to maintain that relationship with their wine club member," said Prodan.

The net result will likely mean a lot less BC wine sold in Alberta, more harm to BC wineries, and new damage to interprovincial relations between BC and our neighbours to the east.

The Wine Growers of BC Response letter has been copied to BC Premier David Eby with the hope that the issue might be resolved politically.