FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2026 – Ottawa — A new white paper by Deloitte finds that Canada’s wine industry supercluster, contributes $10.1 billion to GDP and supports nearly 100,000 jobs annually, underscoring its role as a key driver of rural economic development, investment, and long-term growth.
The Canadian Wine Supercluster: An Economic Engine, examines the combined impact of Canada’s regional wine clusters across six grape wine producing provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. It highlights the sector’s growing national integration and outlines policy actions that could unlock its full economic potential.
The white paper provides a policy road map to unlocking nearly $4 billion in economic potential; guided by federal priorities on reducing internal trade barriers and rural development
“Wine is more than an agricultural product, it underpins a broad, place-based value chain that supports manufacturing, tourism, transportation, and cultural industries,” said Dan Paszkowski, President and CEO of Wine Growers Canada. “The Canadian wine sector also generates significant strategic spillovers, driving tourism, innovation, domestic and export sales, and sustained growth in rural communities across the country.”
The report estimates that the wine industry directly contributes $3.2 billion to GDP, with an additional $6.9 billion generated through interconnected sectors, reinforcing its role as a stable, high value contributor to the Canadian economy.
The study also highlights the opportunity presented by ongoing interprovincial trade reform. If Canadian wines were to reach a 51 percent domestic wine sales market share, the sector’s total annual GDP contribution could increase by $3.6 billion.
“Despite strong performance and steady growth over the past decade, the report finds that Canada continues to lag leading wine producing countries that benefit from coordinated government industry strategies, long term market development programs, and fewer internal trade barriers.
The white paper identifies four priority policy areas where targeted government action could accelerate growth:
- Domestic and international market development
- Federal leadership in economic development coordination
- Enhancing sector competitiveness and investment conditions
- Capital investment and sustainability programs
Canada’s wine industry is uniquely positioned to grow as a nationally connected supercluster,” said Del Rollo, Chair of Wine Growers Canada. “By strengthening internal trade, supporting investment, and improving market access, governments can help unlock the full economic potential of Canadian wine from coast to coast.”
About the Report
The Canadian Wine Supercluster: An Economic Engine provides a policy-ready framework to strengthen domestic growth, improve competitiveness, and unlock long-term investment in Canada’s wine sector.
(https://www.winegrowerscanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DELOIT1.pdf )
Media Contact:
Rob Taylor: [email protected]
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BACKGROUNDER
Deloitte White Paper: The Canadian Wine Supercluster: An Economic Engine
May X, 2026 — A new Deloitte white paper highlights the significant untapped growth potential of Canada’s wine sector and outlines a policy pathway to strengthen domestic competitiveness, expand market access, and drive long-term economic growth.
“A more open domestic market, fair competition, and coordinated policy alignment can unlock the full economic potential of Canadian wine, delivering jobs, investment, and long-term rural prosperity,” Dan Paszkowski, Wine Growers Canada President and CEO
Canada’s Wine Sector: Key Facts
- Contributes $10.1 billion annually to Canada’s GDP
- Supports approximately 99,300 full-time equivalent jobs
- Anchored in rural regions across British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia and emerging in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
- One of Canada’s most integrated value-added industries, spanning:
- agriculture
- manufacturing
- tourism and hospitality
- transportation and retail
The Opportunity: Growing Domestic Market Share
- Canadian wines currently represent 28.8% of domestic wine sales
- Leading wine-producing countries achieve significantly higher domestic share
- Deloitte projects that increasing Canadian market share to 51% over 10 -15 years could:
- Grow GDP contribution to $13.7 billion annually
- Drive new investment across vineyards, production, and tourism
- Strengthen domestic supply chains and rural economies
Why Growth Is Constrained
The report finds Canada’s wine sector is underperforming due to structural barriers—not demand or product quality.
Key constraints include:
- Inadequate market share to achieve scale
- Fragmented interprovincial market access
- Limited direct-to-consumer (DTC) delivery across provinces
- Higher effective taxation than international competitors
- Lack of long-term policy certainty for investment planning
Competitiveness Gap
Canadian wineries face structural disadvantages relative to global competitors:
- A mid-sized Canadian winery (500,000 litres/year) pays approximately:
- $372,500 CAD in federal excise duty
- A comparable U.S. winery pays approximately:
- $27,000 CAD
This gap directly affects pricing, margins, and the ability to reinvest in growth.
A Turning Point: Internal Trade and DTC
Canada is at a critical inflection point:
- Progress toward direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine delivery
- Momentum toward removal of interprovincial trade barriers
Together, these changes could enable:
- A truly open Canadian wine market
- Canadian wines to move across provinces as freely as consumers
- Increased domestic market share without restricting imports
Economic Impact of Canadian Wine
- Each 750ml bottle of 100% Canadian wine generates approximately $88.50 in economic activity
- Impacts extend across:
- agriculture
- manufacturing
- tourism
- hospitality
- Canadian wine generates nearly 5x the economic impact of imported wine
Because vineyards are long-term, place-based investments, growth in domestic market share leads to durable rural jobs and sustained economic activity.
Federal Wine Strategy: A Coordinated Approach
The Deloitte report identifies the need for a Federal Wine Strategy to align policy tools and unlock growth.
Key elements include:
- Expanding domestic market access through internal trade reform and DTC
- Improving competitiveness through tax and regulatory alignment
- Providing long-term policy certainty to support investment
- Integrating wine into federal priorities on:
- tourism
- manufacturing
- agri-food growth
A Federal Wine Strategy focuses on policy alignment, not new spending, to support a proven domestic industry.
Why It Matters
Wine regions act as economic anchors:
- Sustain value chains of integrated rural and small businesses
- Support family farms and agricultural land use
- Drive tourism and hospitality spending
- Sustain rural employment and small businesses
- Attract long-term private investment
As Canada seeks to strengthen domestic industries, reduce reliance on imports, and build economic resilience, the wine sector represents a ready-made growth opportunity.