Brewing profits

When I first arrived in Ontario, I was intrigued that beer was purchased only from a Brewer’s Retail. (There seemed to be nary a “Beer Store” in Toronto.) On further investigation I discovered that this ubiquitous entity had been established by an act of the Ontario Government in the 1920s. The law was meant to control beer production in the province by limiting sales to Brewer’s Retail stores operated by beer producers. Both major and minor brewers in the province had a stake in the operation of these stores. They also enjoyed a state-granted monopoly that ensured a constant revenue stream, allowed price fixing and, more importantly, protected us from our more base desires.

The original agreement was that Brewer’s Retail would deal exclusively with Canadianbrewed beer, and the L.C.B.O would sell imported brands. In the 1980s, however, Molson’s began to acquire the smaller breweries, giving monopoly control to basically one company. And then international conglomerates began to buy the major Canadian brewers. Over the last 30 years, the newly named “Beer Store” has come to be owned by major offshore Belgian, American, and Japanese companies. The supposed not-for-profit company now makes in excess of $700 million profit a year, in Ontario alone.

Consider that we in Ontario generally pay $10 more per case than do the citizens of Quebec. We are indeed generous to plump up the corporate profits of this outdated monopoly without fuss or demonstration. Visitors to Ontario— accustomed to picking up all sorts of alcohol from the supermarket or corner store—find the Beer Store a constant source of amusement. Maybe it is time to open a debate here on the sale of beer in corner stores. We should at least support our local, small, and batch-craft breweries like Barley Day’s.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
Some things are well worth the wait. Lighthall Vineyards, 2011 Pinot Noir, makes my case. Glenn Symond’s first 100% Countygrown Pinot Noir confirms the untapped potential of our area.

Glenn extracts an abundance of fruit flavours by producing his reds in the old world style of concrete vat fermentation. He then ages his wine in French oak for one year before bottling. The result is a seductive offering that fills the palate with red fruits, a touch of fresh licorice root and Black Forest cake, with a silky smooth finish. The light garnet hue, spiced pepper and oyster shell nose make this Pinot a treat from beginning to end.

Excellent with turkey and squash, this wine is a steal at $25.00 per bottle. It is well worth a drive to Milford to secure a supply for the upcoming holidays. What a view at this time of year (and what a wine). Lighthall Vineyards is located 308 Lighthall Road, in Milford.