By The Canadian Press

Alberta ban on B.C. wine could be disastrous for small vintners: spokeswoman

Feb 20, 2018 | 10:19 AM

A spokeswoman for B-C wineries on Vancouver Island fears Alberta’s ban on B.C. wines could be disastrous for this province’s smallest vintners.

Brenda Hetman-Craig is the co-owner of 40 Knots Winery in Comox and head of the Wine Island Vintners Association.

She worries the Alberta ban will force bigger B-C wineries into small markets they have previously ignored, overwhelming tiny, family-run operations such as those on the Island.

Hetman-Craig also says B-C’s plan to support homegrown wineries by declaring April as B-C Wine Month and holding a month-long promotion at all public liquor stores won’t help Island wineries because most are too small to be part of the provincial liquor distribution system.