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Ontario expanding wine exports to China

April 20, 2015, Toronto, Ont – Ontario exports of wine into China are significantly expanding with two important agreements that will bring millions in investment to the province’s wineries.

As part of the 2015 Agri-Food Trade Mission to China, Ministers Jeff Leal and Michael Chan participated in ceremonies involving two major Ontario wineries and their international partners:

Ontario’s Pillitteri Estates Winery and China-based Hare Wine Company have signed a $6 million agreement that will bring more Ontario Icewine to China and help meet the growing demand for this signature Ontario product. The investment from Hare Wine Company will establish a new vineyard and build a new winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

“This is a significant new project in the heart of wine country and one we are proud to be associated with,” said Charles Pillitteri, CEO and president of sales with Pillitteri Estate Winery. “We are confident that the Hare Wine Company will be an excellent partner. Long-term, I think we can count on an increase in the production of icewine in the region while Ontario continues to meet an ever-growing demand for authentic Canadian products.”

Ontario’s Vineland Estates Winery will now sell its wines at a retail outlet in Tai’an, a city in China’s Shandong province. The retail outlet is operated by Vineland’s long-term Chinese partner, L’Huillier Wine Company. This will provide Chinese consumers in Tai’an the opportunity to purchase Vineland Estate’s award-winning VQA wines.

“Today we are celebrating not only the opening of a new retail outlet, but we are also celebrating our partnership with L’Huillier Wine Company,” said Allan Schmidt, president of Vineland Estates Winery. “Together we are making sure Chinese consumers in Tai’an can purchase – and enjoy – true Ontario VQA wines.”

The Agri-Food Trade Mission to China is helping to fulfill the Premier’s Agri-Food Growth Challenge, which calls on the sector to double its rate of growth and create 120,000 new jobs by 2020.