Canada: The Wine Market in the Province of Quebec
Quebec is the largest wine importing province in Canada, with 2016 imports valued at $640 million (158 million liters of imported wine). Consumers in Quebec prefer wine by far over other types of alcoholic beverages – in 2015, they spent C$ 2.3 billion on wine sold in retail outlets, or 43 percent of total alcoholic beverage spending. Per capita wine consumption in the province reached 23 liters in 2015, up 31 percent over the past decade. Most wine in Quebec is distributed via the retail outlets owned by the provincial liquor authority (the SAQ - Société des alcools du Québec); however two growing distribution channels are via groceries and convenience stores (for bulk wine) and via private orders – trends that are likely to pick up pace in the future. The United States is the third largest wine supplier to Quebec by value ($75 million) and the fifth by volume (19 million liters). U.S. wine has access to the three major distribution channels listed above: SAQ stores, groceries (for bulk wine) and private orders. U.S. wines bottled outside Quebec do not have direct access to grocery stores, unlike locally produced Quebec wines.
