Section 6: Winery Retail Stores

The Registrar may authorize a manufacturer of Ontario wine to operate a store for the retail sale of wine made by that manufacturer.

Generally, all wine sold in a winery retail store must be made by the manufacturer that holds the winery retail store endorsement or licence, as applicable (see below for types of winery retail stores). The wine sold must also comply with specific requirements regarding Ontario content, as set out in the Liquor Licence and Control Act and its regulations. Additional requirements may apply, depending upon the type of retail store or the type of wine to be sold.

Types of Winery Retail Stores

A Winery Retail Store Endorsement to a Winery Licence allows a winery to sell eligible wine at a retail store that is located at the production site of a winery.

An Offsite Winery Retail Store Licence allows a winery to sell eligible wine at a retail store that is not required to be located at the winery’s production site.

A winery with an Offsite Winery Retail Store Licence may be eligible for a Wine Boutique Endorsement to operate a winery retail store located inside the shopping area of an eligible grocery store.

More information about these types of winery retail stores and associated endorsements is provided in Section 7: Winery Retail Store Endorsement and Section 10: Off-Site Winery Retail Stores and Wine Boutiques.