Tariff war could end up boosting New Brunswick wine, says industry group

The New Brunswick wine industry is still waiting to see what affect tariffs will affect have, but the president of N.B. Wines says the biggest impact could be positive. 

"American wine represents 18 to 20 per cent of sales here in New Brunswick. Those are sales that are no longer available," said Michael Lewis, head of the group that represents a number of wineries and grape growers in the province. 

"We represent probably two to three per cent of New Brunswick wine consumption. We're looking to double that."

In February, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said that while U.S. products would remain on N.B. Liquor shelves, the province would not be purchasing any new product.

Lewis said the tourism opportunities that New Brunswick could see from more people buying local are "immense."

An economic analysis done by Wines of Nova Scotia that showed for every bottle of Nova Scotia-produced wine sold, it generated nearly $96 of economic impact, Lewis said.

"Are we quite that high? Maybe not necessarily, but … every bottle that you're buying here in New Brunswick, there is a tourism impact, there's a labour impact."

With people potentially staying closer to home for vacation this year, Lewis said increased vineyard visits are another positive. 

It's too soon to tell if the "buy Canadian" movement will have an additional impact on New Brunswick wine sales, he said, or whether consumers flock to European varieties. 

Ultimately,  it's a wait-and-see game when it comes to tariffs and how consumers will react.

"As we've seen less products on shelves … suddenly there [are] people who are maybe used to a California Merlot or Zinfandel that now are reaching for something that may be more local to us, something that's closer to home."