As U.S. wine sales in Canada plummet, local wineries look to capitalize on market gap

HALIFAX — U.S. wine sales to Canada fell by 91 per cent this year, after provinces and territories removed U.S. products from liquor store shelves in retaliation to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to the California-based Wine Institute.

That drop in sales is mirrored by an 85 per cent drop in sales of U.S. liquor and spirits, according to the Distilled Spirits Council, falling from over $63 million in 2024 to just under $10 million in 2025.

Wine Growers British Columbia says this is an opportunity for Canadian wineries.

While the U.S. produces wines at a much higher scale than Canada, Jeff Guignard, president of WGBC, says Canadian wine regions can look to up sales and increase their market share in part by working interprovincially.

Guignard also says most wine regions are also in talks with provincial liquor stores about devoting more shelf space to local products.

Holland Marsh Wineries in Newmarket, Ont., says they saw a roughly 15 per cent uptick in tourists and day trippers this summer, as Canadians look to shop locally and tour their home regions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2025.

Emily Baron Cadloff, The Canadian Press