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Labelling and Content Laws

Overview of Content and Labelling Laws for Wine in Canada

This article is currently not comprehensive and will be expanded as time permits me to do so. There is currently a patchwork of content and labelling laws in place in Canada with no consistent national standards (although there is an ongoing initiative to do this).

Relevant Federal Laws

Food and Drugs Act (Canada)

Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act (Canada)

Relevant British Columbia Laws

Wines of Marked Quality Regulation (made under the Agri-Food Choice and Quality Act )

Relevant Ontario Laws

Ontario Wine Content and Labelling Act

Explanation: BC Rules

This article provides a detailed overview of the wine content and labelling laws for BC .

In addition, the BC LDB (and other provincial liquor boards) require that any wine labels distributed in BC are approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The CFIA has an online guide to their wine labelling requirements here (see chapter 10 particularly).

Please also be aware that if you intend to distribute your product outside Canada, there will likely be requirements in the destination country. For example, all wine sold in the U.S. must get label approval from the federal Alcohol Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB).

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