Alcohol & Wine Law
Canada’s wine and alcohol industry operates within one of the more heavily regulated commercial frameworks in the country. Layered federal and provincial requirements touching licensing, labelling, production standards, marketing, and interprovincial trade. Getting any one of those wrong can mean enforcement action, lost shelf time, or a stalled product launch.
We act as dedicated regulatory and commercial counsel to wineries, craft beverage producers, and alcohol-sector businesses navigating this landscape. As a member of the Canadian chapter of the International Wine Law Association (AIDV) and a trade member of the Ontario Craft Wineries Association, we bring both legal depth and industry fluency to every file.
Our services include:
- AGCO licensing applications, renewals, transfers, and amendments, including manufacturer’s licences, retail store authorizations, and special occasion permits
- Structuring winery and production operations for compliance with provincial and federal alcohol regulations
- Responding to AGCO compliance inspections, notices, and enforcement actions
- Advising on interprovincial direct-to-consumer sales and evolving free-trade frameworks
- Label review and approval for compliance with CFIA and provincial requirements, including appellation, geographic indications, origin statements, and language obligations
- VQA certification, appellation claims, and designation compliance
- Review of marketing, advertising, and promotional materials against AGCO advertising standards and inducement rules
- Trademark protection, geographic indication enforcement, and brand integrity strategies
- Import/export regulatory compliance and cross-border sales structuring
- Agency, consignment, and distribution arrangements for domestic and international markets