Wineries make 'all-out blitz' during the holidays

From left, wine club manager Kim Doran, hospitality manager Heidi Fielding, general manager Curtis Fielding and winemaker Richie Roberts are surrounded by some of the wine and gift options available at Fielding Estate Winery in Beamsville. QMI Agency

ST. CATHARINES — At Fielding Estate Winery, it's all hands on deck this time of year.

So much so, winery general manager Curtis Fielding jokes that "gift wrapper" was temporarily added to his title.

Like many Niagara wineries, November and December account for a big chunk of annual sales.

At Fielding, it means possibly one-quarter of their annual business, with sales supported by intensive marketing.

"It's a very important time, it's an all-out blitz," said Fielding. "Just this morning, we were running down to our warehouse as we just had a huge order."

And while larger corporate orders for client gifting have downsized a bit, the Beamsville winery found new clients. "A lot of the big companies we had dealt with are basically not doing much, to zero," said Fielding.

"But smaller companies have picked up the difference."

Custom gift packs, with perhaps a chocolate add-on, are especially popular items around Christmas and New Year's, he said.

"It's a big season for corporate gifting and a lot of our wineries are active in soliciting that," said Hillary Dawson, president of the Wine Council of Ontario. "And local wines are becoming quite trendy for that."

She said LCBO sales are also crucial for many wineries that might also sell through their own stores, online, and through licensed establishments.

"We are very hopeful that we sell well (at the LCBO) and a lot of Ontario wineries also do gifting packages there," she said.

Driving tourism to places like Niagara's wine region during the off-season is another holiday time bonus, she added.

"A lot of people this time of year … will support the 'go local' shopping," said LCBO spokesman Chris Layton.

"There seems to be increasing interest in buying local products, be it Ontario VQA wines or craft beers."

Layton said for a number of years, the liquor agency has noticed Niagara VQA wine sales build momentum from traditional fall wine promotions through to December.

"It's a very important period for Ontario (and especially) Niagara wine producers," he said. "And there's a trading up to more premium wines this time of year."

Ontario VQA sparking wines — while still a small segment of the market — are increasingly popular, with sales up more than 20% year over year.

For Andrea Kaiser, of Reif Estate Wines in Niagara-on-the-Lake, this is an ideal month to showcase wine selections on-site.

"It's actually a nice time to do your shopping," said Kaiser, the winery's director of retail and promotion. "Customers have time to taste the wines and find something special."

She said vintages that might go well with heartier holiday meal fare, like a turkey dinner, are among the top sellers. That could include their "nouveau" brands, Rieslings and Gerwurztraminers.

Overall, the higher-end reds and pricier exclusive varieties are especially in demand.

"It all keeps our staff busy doing packaging," Kaiser said. "And we do find people really like the customization. About 90% of the time, we customize their order with a special wine and a different way to package it all."