Buyer’s Guide to Vintages April 27th Release
Bargain French & Curio Finds, Paso Robles, and Ontario’s New Alcohol “Privatization” Model
By Sara d’Amato with notes from David Lawrason, Megha Jandhyala and Michael Godel
It’s a juicy Vintages release this week with a significant number of spring-ready picks, and a great deal of recommendations from the WineAlign team in varying price points and from varying regions.
What piqued our interests? In terms of value this week, Southern France led the charge with wines from the Rhône Valley, the Languedoc and Roussillon. My colleagues are equally aligned, and we have four inviting picks to recommend. Why is Southern France such great value? Of late, France is rarely seen as a land of value given the inflation of prices in Bordeaux, Champagne’s stern holdout on supply to control demand and its resulting prices, a public misconception of stagnant change within appellation regulations and so on. The reality is that outside the realm of great Growths and top Burgundian Crus, there are a wealth of wineries competing at fair prices in an expanding global market. The number of wines and wineries that fall outside of these categories are significant in southern France. We’ve found top buys from the southern foothills of the Massif Central in Saint-Chinian Roquebrun, in the hot, gently sloping plain of Plan de Dieu in the southern Rhône, old vine carignan from Roussillon’s Côtes Catalanes and in the Cru of Vacqueyras. I’m also thrilled that the team has aligned on an obscure “curio” find — an assyrtiko from northern Greece — as well as on recommendations for a muscadet from the Loire, a pecorino from Abruzzo, and a grüner from the Kamptal.
For your daily dose of Italian wine news, be sure to check out Michael Godel’s latest Nebbiolo preview guide: Nebbiolo previews 2024: Roero DOCG 2021, Barbaresco DOCG 2021, Roero Riserva DOCG 2020, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2019 and Retrospectives.
Will we ever see wine privatization in Ontario?
This past week I attended the expansive California show at the Carlu along with David Lawrason. (The current Vintages release showcases the wines of Paso Robles in California’s Central Coast — please see below for more details.) At a trade-packed luncheon, an address was given by George Soleas, CEO of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. He referred to last December’s announcement by Doug Ford that up to 8,500 new stores will be allowed to sell alcohol by 2026 as promised in the election campaign of the Progressive Conservatives. Upon confirming that those retailers would include convenience stores, grocery, supermarkets, and big box stores operating in Ontario as of January 2026, he did not mention the word “privatization.” Soleas said: “We [the LCBO] look forward to the opportunity to be the exclusive wholesaler to these retailers.” The tone was cautionary, a confirmation that the privatization of alcohol sales is not here, nor should we interpret this new step as privatization. LCBO is here to stay, not just as a government agency but the fulfiller of all alcohol sales in the province, without exception.
The LCBO may indeed be wanting to quell the spirit of privatization, especially in the face of OPSEU union concerns about the parceling off of services to private contractors — services such as online order fulfillment, warehousing, specialty orders, and now the looming 8000-plus new points of sales. “Privatizing” has become a controversial term. Yet can we really say that these new points of sales are a step towards privatization? Currently, at grocery stores that can sell wine, the LCBO retains control over the pricing, brands and, to some degree, available selections. Effectively, these new points of sales will become outlets of the LCBO. Without the overhead of staffing, rent and utilities, there is potential for an increase in revenue. Additionally, the change appeases consumers looking for greater purchasing convenience.
So where do bottle shops fit into this model? They are not part of the roughly 8,000 new points of sale. They are their own tier of retail alcohol sales, one which politicians and regulatory bodies seem to have forgotten. If you don’t know what a bottle shop is, you’re not alone. Let’s go back a few years to take a closer look at the “rise” of bottle shops in Ontario. A great deal of public excitement was generated over the past couple years with respect to the potential privatization of wine sales. This excitement stems from the Covid-born legislation of “to-go” alcohol sales from bars and restaurants. This legislation allowed businesses with restaurant licences to sell retail alcohol. Some new businesses forewent the traditional restaurant model, making wine bottle sales their principal product and adding a small, non-perishable food item to a consumers’ order to fulfill the sales-with-food requirement. Despite the anticipation this caused over bottle shops opening across the province, many shop owners feel like they’ve been let down and left hanging without a clear path forward.
Ben Somers and Dan Grant, of Toronto shop Bossanova Wine & Beer, have had their fair share of trials and tribulations, most recently prompting an article by the CBC when the AGCO ordered them to collect names and addresses of customers purchasing alcohol. Shortly after, the AGCO backtracked and said it would conduct a review of the policy. It goes to show that not only are the rules unclear when it comes to playing in the retail alcohol sphere, but small-time bottle shops are at a competitive disadvantage to the LCBO. Bottle shops are required by the AGCO to adhere to a “primary purpose” — that of a bar or restaurant, which means that they must have space for chairs and tables, shelf space for bottle sales is limited, and municipal guidelines for bars and restaurants must be adhered to even if a very limited selection of snacks are being offered. Bottle shops must sell alcohol with a food item and the jury is still out on whether they must also collect personal information from buyers. LCBO retail outlets are subject to none of those conditions. There seems to be an intentional barrier to competitiveness.
“We still get at least one person who walks in the store a day that is absolutely flabbergasted and says ‘What is this? Only the LCBO is allowed to do this,” Somers says. So, as a public service announcement, I’m here to highlight the differences between a bottle shop, and the category of the 8,000 or so new points of sale of alcohol. Somers describes his retail space as “an independent bar and bottle shop that represents low volume production from farmers that care about their land and producers that are seeking an artisanal expression of their craft, which is what you just don’t get in a chain environment.” To run a bottle shop, you must have a restaurant or bar license. In addition, bottle shops generally purchase directly from wine importing agents, and some own their own importing agencies. Margins are tight as truly wholesale pricing is still not a reality in Ontario, despite the most recent 10% discount given to applicable businesses by the LCBO. Bottle shops provide curated selections of wines that you aren’t likely to find at the LCBO or at grocery stores.
In contrast, there are 450 grocery stores across Ontario that can currently sell beer and cider and 225 of those can sell wine. Most of the products carried by these retailers have small margins and selections stem from a short list of general list products as well as Ontario wines. Although more specific details are yet to emerge, the new wine and beer sales permits to be issued to convenience stores, grocery stores, big box stores, gas stations, etc. are likely going to follow a similar model.
One more caveat is that retailers will be required to carry at least 40% Ontario wine. This seems like a big win for Ontario wine, but the truth is a little more complex. A vocal supporter of Canadian wine, Somers says that if his shop were to carry 40% Ontario wine, they’d likely go out of business. The requirement may not be in the best interest of Ontario wineries. It would be ideal if, in fact, consumers were buying 40% Ontario wine, but they are not. Inventory is overhead for bottle shops and retail outlets alike.
Price is a factor. Many consumers know that they can buy Ontario wine online, direct from the winery, with delivery, for less. Ontario wineries may sell exclusive products to a bottle shop or restaurant for less than recommended guidelines, but most do not as restaurant mark-ups are generally high. Finally with convenience stores and big box stores largely selling inexpensive international wines, representation of premium Ontario wines is likely to lose out in favour of bulk brands.
Will true privatization of the alcohol sector ever exist in Ontario? It doesn’t now, and it isn’t likely to in 2026 given that the LCBO will continue to be the sole supplier of alcohol in Ontario, controlling prices and sales guidelines to retail outlets.
Paso Robles
Along Central California’s Central Coast, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, lies an up-and-coming region of historic significance. Paso Robles has more than 200 mostly small wineries, California-rare limestone soils, and 11 nested AVAs. On paper, this would give the LCBO a great deal of wine to choose from for its feature on the region for Vintages April 27 release — but this did not come to pass. Instead, the majority of the wines came from large companies such as Hope Family Wines and J. Lohr, with just a couple outliers. That’s not to take away from the contribution of wineries like J. Lohr who played a pioneering role in the region. Yet, after a Central Coast LCBO buyer’s trip last June, one would expect a greater range of selections. In deference to the region, here is an overview of what you can expect from the wines of Paso Robles, followed by our top three picks from the release.
Attracted to its wild-west sensibility, perceived value, and non-traditional grape varieties, consumers and winemakers alike are gravitating to this haven of small winemakers and diverse mesoclimates. Development of Paso’s historic downtown core is thus reviving as enotourism is on the rise. At heart, Paso Robles is cabernet country, with 50% of the grapes planted. But there is so much more to discover, including Rhône-inspired grapes and blends. In fact, founding members of the movement known as the Rhône Rangers — American winemakers promoting Rhône-style wines and grape varieties — call the region home, including Gary Eberle (Estrella River Winery, Meridian Vineyards) and Robert Haas (Tablas Creek). There is also a burgeoning scene for experimental and obscure grape varieties in Paso — such as langerin, picpoul, clairette and blaufränkish. These varieties are being explored by wineries such as Pelletiere, Austin Hope (featured in this Vintages release), Cameron Hughes, Tablas Creek, Paper Street Vineyard, The Fableist Wine Company, and others.
Proximity to mountainous, coastal, and inland terrain are discriminating factors for the 11 nested AVAs of Paso Robles. Warmer and drier areas such as San Miguel and Paso Robles Estrella provide an inviting climate for reds such as zinfandel, sangiovese, cabernet, grenache and others. Mountainous areas close to the Pacific Ocean such as Templeton Gap District, York Mountain (technically a separate but adjacent AVA to Paso Robles) and Adelaida District, where Daou winery is located (see David’s pick below), are home to higher acid red and many of the whites grown in the region such as chardonnay and viognier. If you’d like to continue your discovery of this exciting region and other wines reviewed from this year’s California wine show, please see our reviews here [link to all California wines reviewed].
Paso Robles
Daou Chardonnay 2022, California, Usa
$33.95, SOUTHERN GLAZER’S WINE & SPIRITS CD
David Lawrason – Tasted during the California Wine Fair, I was impressed by the value in a California chardonnay that strives to deliver classic ripeness, creaminess yet some restraint. Only five months in oak here and the malolactic is partial to find balance freshness and complexity. It shows bright peach and light spice in a creamy yet fresh style.
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And that’s a wrap for this edition. John returns in two weeks with our picks from Vintages April 27 release, with its California feature on Paso Robles. And a reminder that the California Wine Fair rolls into the Carlu in Toronto on April 22.
David Lawrason
VP of Wine
Use these quick links for access to all of our Top Picks in the New Release. Non-Premium members can select from all release dates 30 days prior.
Lawrason’s Take
Megha’s Picks
Michael’s Mix
Sara’s Selections
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