| British Columbia is perhaps the most beautiful province in Canada – I know this because it says so on its licence plates. People in B.C. have majestic mountain ranges, a gorgeous coastline and a climate mild enough to grow some grapes here and there. It seems B.C. has just about everything going for it – except that is, when it comes to wine.
As a wine enthusiast, I’m a whole lot more comfortable right here in wild-rose country. While Vancouver is undoubtedly a world-class city in every sense – food, culture, the arts – trying to find a decent bottle of wine in a restaurant for under $100 is a feat not easily accomplished. For a city that’s brimming with amazing places to eat, it’s a shame one has to compromise when it comes to finding something to drink.
It may be that we are a little spoiled here in Alberta, with our high density of fine wine shops and strong nucleus of wine-friendly restaurants; and despite our comparatively modest population base, we still boast a far larger selection of wine than B.C. and even Ontario. So why is it that we enjoy such a diverse and vibrant wine scene, while a progressive city like Vancouver remains listless and stagnant? With a lack of government interference, Alberta’s burgeoning wine importers are free to travel the world and import just about anything they can get their hands on, no matter how big or small. But sadly, in B.C., an affluent and wine-thirsty population is handcuffed by government regulations of the kind that were happily abandoned in Alberta back in the early 1990s.
The alcohol trade in B.C. is regulated by the provincial government and controlled by the unions, leaving a small number of people at the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB) dictating to the entire province what they will be drinking each year. So larger producers with the volumes to sustain the market tend to dominate, while the smaller, more interesting producers find it difficult to break through the red tape. Although a few specialty stores work outside the system and offer more unique wines, they are still bound by the tax-heavy regulations levied by the B.C. government.
A couple of years ago, B.C. decided to take a look at the Alberta system and decide if our model would be an appropriate change for them. But reports conducted by special interest groups labelled Albertans alcohol abusers, drunken drivers and essentially a province that was self-destructing under the current lack of government controls. According to the reports, our very social fabric was being violently shredded and alcohol was holding the scissors.
So instead of a full move to the private sector, B.C. elected to go with a half-assed approach – one that would keep the unions more or less happy and employed, but allow the private-sector licence holders (those with restaurants or hotels) a chance to open up separate liquor outlets. Of course, the retail price was still controlled by the government, as was the product they sold, so aside from the absence of employees with spiffy BCLDB uniforms, the stores essentially remained the same. With a lack of competition and innovation, shopping for wine in B.C. remains about as much fun as taking a trip to the Harry Hayes building to renew your passport.
Vancouver has one of the most interesting and diverse restaurant scenes in North America, so it is a shame that restaurateurs are forced to charge such outrageous prices for wine. Instead of having access to wholesale pricing, restaurants in B.C. are offered about a 10 per cent discount – so once the necessary margin is added in, the price of the wine has shot well beyond most people’s reach. You either end up paying way too much for a good bottle of wine or drinking really ordinary stuff with your otherwise extraordinary cuisine. Sad. But until the government chooses to step aside and allow the private sector full rule of wine importing and sales, the situation in Vancouver will remain the same. So the next time you visit this fantastic culinary destination, make sure to leave some room in your suitcase for a couple of your favourite bottles. |
Copyright ©2005 FFWD. All rights reserved.