PEC wine industry at a crossroads

Not long ago, this paper ran a story about the possible decline of the wine industry in Prince Edward County—the quiet backbone of our hospitality and service economy. It’s a real concern, and it deserves a closer look.

PEC is a small region. Tiny, really, compared to Niagara. We have roughly 400 acres of grapes planted. Each year, a few more acres disappear—vines are pulled out or vineyards are abandoned because owners can’t sell land that comes with the obligation of tending grapes.

Niagara, by contrast, has about 15,000 acres under vine. So why the massive difference?

The answer is simple: cost.
Growing grapes in PEC is expensive. Our winters are colder than Niagara’s, so farmers here must bury—or “hill up”—their vines every fall. Some operations use geotextile blankets instead, but both approaches require significant labour and equipment.

The grapes used to make fine wine belong to a species called Vitis vinifera—chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot gris, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and so on. And vinifera hates the cold. Around –25°C, the vines die. Burying them isn’t optional. It’s survival.

That extra labour makes PEC wine more expensive to produce. And the cold reduces yield as well. A high-quality vineyard in Niagara might pull in 3–5 tonnes per acre. In PEC, 2 tonnes is considered a good year. Yet despite smaller yields and higher costs, PEC wines still hold their own in quality—stacked up against Niagara or any region, for that matter.

All of this places PEC firmly in the “premium” price category. Great wine, but not always your Tuesday-night bottle. And with global alcohol consumption declining, wineries here are feeling the pressure.

The early pioneers of PEC wine—those who planted vines as a second career—are now ready to retire. Many have no succession plan. A growing number of vineyards are on the market, waiting for buyers. Some parcels may simply be converted back to soy, wheat, or corn. Important crops, yes—but tourists don’t flock here to admire cornfields.

With the holiday season approaching, now is the time to support the people who built this industry. Stop in at a winery you know and buy the latest release. Or visit one you’ve never been to and discover something new. We have remarkable wines in our own backyard—made by neighbours, not corporations.

And the truth is simple: if we want this industry to survive, we need to show up to support it.