Ottawa wine enthusiasts may want to savour their favourite Ontario bottles a little more carefully this year — a punishing winter has put the province's grape harvest in jeopardy, threatening everything from your go-to Niagara Riesling to that Cabernet Franc you pick up at the LCBO.
As spring finally takes hold across the region, Ontario grape growers are beginning to take stock of the damage left behind by one of the coldest, most persistent winters in recent memory. The news isn't great.
A Winter That Wouldn't Let Go
This past season was brutal by any measure. Ottawa residents know it well — the city endured weeks of deep freezes, relentless snowfall, and wind chills that felt more like the Arctic than the capital. But while we were cranking up our thermostats, vineyards across Ontario were enduring the same punishment with far less protection.
Grape vines are particularly vulnerable to extreme cold. When temperatures drop sharply and stay low for extended periods, the canes and buds that produce fruit can suffer severe damage or die back entirely. Some grape varieties handle the cold better than others — hardier cultivars like Vidal, commonly used in Ontario's celebrated icewines, tend to be more resilient. Thinner-skinned red varieties used for premium table wines, however, can struggle.
Winemakers in Ontario's major wine regions — including Niagara Peninsula, Prince Edward County, and Lake Erie North Shore — are now walking their rows, assessing bud survival rates and figuring out what they're working with heading into the 2026 growing season.
What This Means for Ottawa Wine Drinkers
Ontario has quietly become a powerhouse wine region over the past two decades. For Ottawa drinkers, that means a rich selection of VQA-designated wines at local LCBOs, wine bars, and independent shops across the city. Restaurants in the Glebe, Westboro, and the ByWard Market have all leaned heavily into Ontario wine programs in recent years.
If the harvest comes in short, the downstream effects are predictable: smaller allocations for retailers and restaurants, potential price increases on popular labels, and in some cases, wines simply not being made at all this vintage.
The good news? Ontario has bounced back from difficult vintages before. Winemakers are resourceful, and the industry has grown sophisticated enough to adapt. Some producers may blend across regions or adjust their release calendars. Others will lean into the story — tough vintages sometimes yield wines with surprising character.
Support Local While You Can
For Ottawa residents, this is a good moment to seek out Ontario wines while supply is stable and prices haven't yet shifted. Local bottle shops and LCBO locations across the city carry a strong rotating selection of VQA wines from Niagara and beyond.
And if you're planning a long weekend trip to wine country this summer, a visit to Ontario's wine regions is a great way to support producers directly during what could be a challenging year.
The vines are resilient. So are Ontario's winemakers. But the 2026 vintage will be one to watch closely — and appreciate fully.
Source: CBC News
