Grapeshot: Notley says Alberta will stop importing B.C. wine in pipeline fight
EDMONTON — The fight over Alberta oil coming to British Columbia has now escalated into a wine war.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced Tuesday that the province is banning wine from B.C. wineries effective immediately.
“This is one good step to waking B.C. up to the fact that they can’t attack our industry without a response from us,” Notley said at a legislature news conference. “The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Control Board will put an immediate halt to the import of B.C. wine into Alberta.”
She said in 2017, there were 17.2 million bottles imported — the equivalent of about 1.4 million cases — with an estimated value of $70 million per year for B.C. wineries.