Section 10: Off-Site Winery Retail Stores and Wine Boutiques

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An Offsite Winery Retail Store Licence allows a winery to sell eligible wine at a retail store that is not on the winery’s production premises. To obtain this licence, the winery must hold a Manufacturer’s Licence – Winery. 

In accordance with Ontario Regulation 746/21: Licensing under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019, no new Offsite Winery Retail Store Licences may be issued. This guide provides information for current licensees on how to maintain their Offsite Winery Retail Store Licence.

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 a grocery store.

Wine Boutique Endorsement

A wine boutique is a winery retail store that is located inside the shopping area of a grocery store that holds a Grocery Store Licence. 

An eligible winery that holds an Offsite Winery Retail Store Licence may apply for a Wine Boutique Endorsement. This allows the winery to sell VQA wine made by another winery that either doesn’t have any offsite Winery Retail Store Licences or has no more than two such licences. The licensee may only purchase VQA wine produced by a different licensee from the LCBO.

The space in which the wine boutique is located must be readily distinguishable from the grocery store. The name of the wine boutique must be prominently displayed in the boutique and must be distinct from the name of the grocery store.

To be eligible for a Wine Boutique Endorsement:

  • The applicant must be a winery with a valid Manufacturer’s Licence – Winery and hold at least three Offsite Winery Retail Store Licences.
  • The applicant must have entered into a wine boutique agreement with the holder of a Grocery Store Licence with a Wine Boutique Sales Agent Endorsement, under which:
    • The winery agrees to lease or license space in the shopping area of the grocery store to sell wine. 
    • The operator of the grocery store agrees to act as the winery’s agent to sell wine to the public in the leased or licensed space.

Off-site Winery Retail Stores located at host stores

In addition to the general requirements for an Offsite Winery Retail Store Licence, the following additional requirements apply if the winery retail store is located in a host store (e.g., a grocery store) that isn’t classified as a wine boutique under Ontario Regulation 746/21 under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019.

  • The winery retail store must be self-contained and must be operated independently from the business of the host store and any other businesses leasing space from the host.  
  • The winery which holds the Offsite Winery Retail Store Licence for the winery retail store must either own or lease the space occupied by that store at all times.
  • The winery retail store must have a separate sales transaction system (e.g. cash register, point of sale terminal) from the host store and any other businesses that lease space from the host store.
  • The location and construction of the winery retail store must comply with the following:
    • The licensed premises of the winery retail store must be readily distinguishable from the host store and any other businesses that lease space from the host store.
    • If the host store has controlled entrances and exits (i.e. turnstiles and check-out counters) then the winery retail store can only be situated in an area outside those controlled entrances and exits of the host store and not within the main shopping area of the host store.
    • If customers aren't required to pass through controlled entrances and exits of the host store, the winery retail store must be located near the entrance of the host store. This ensures customers do not need to pass through the main shopping area of the host store to reach the winery retail store.

Moving an off-site winery retail store into a host store

  • If a winery with an Offsite Winery Retail Store Licence wishes to move its winery retail store to a different location, it must apply to the AGCO Registrar to transfer the Offsite Winery Retail Store Licence to the new location.
  • If a winery with an Offsite Winery Retail Store License wishes to move its winery retail store inside the shopping area of a grocery store (i.e., to become a wine boutique as defined in Ontario Regulation 746/21), it must apply to the Registrar for a Wine Boutique Endorsement. Please contact the AGCO’s Licensing and Registration branch for more information on this process.