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HILLIER – A Prince Edward County winery is expanding its customer base and potential for export sales thanks to a boost from Canada’s Economic Action Plan. MP Daryl Kramp (Prince Edward-Hastings), on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, announced an investment of $42,000 to Hinterland Wine Company Ltd. April 17 for new sparkling wine processing equipment at its facility in Hillier, Ont. in this rapidly expanding wine producing region.

"Our government is helping Canadian winemakers become more competitive by cutting production costs, increasing efficiencies, and expanding export markets," said MP Kramp. "This investment is expected to increase Hinterland’s domestic sales and result in increased demand for domestically sourced grapes, strengthening our regional economy."

 The new equipment will provide Hinterland, whose wines are produced in a former dairy barn on Closson Road, with greater product quality control, enhanced wine flavour, and shorter production times, helping the company increase its sales and better meet customer demand. This in turn will boost the demand for Canadian-sourced grapes, supporting local farmers.

 "We are thrilled to have received the API investment, enabling us to purchase highly specialized sparkling wine equipment," said Vicki Samaras, President, Hinterland Wine. "As a small family-run business, this program allows us to focus on growth while continuing to specialize in what we believe to be a world-class product."

 This repayable contribution is being delivered by the Agricultural Flexibility Fund (AgriFlexibility) through the AgriProcessing Initiative, a five-year, up to $50-million initiative designed to enhance the competitiveness of the agri-processing sector in Canada. It provides support to existing companies for projects that involve the adoption of innovative and new-to-company manufacturing technologies and processes that are essential to sustaining and improving the sector’s position in today’s global marketplace. For more information on this program, visit www.agr.gc.ca/api.

Hinterland advertises itself as the only winery in Canada whose production is given over entirely to sparkling wines and its Champagne-style products can be found in some of the most exclusive restaurants in Toronto and Ottawa. The winery’s products have received high praise from wine reviewers in the Toronto Globe and Mail, National Post and from CBC wine commentator Konrad Ejbich.

"We have found the soil and climate in Prince Edward County produces grapes with the kind of ripeness suited to making balanced and elegant sparkling wines," says Samaras.

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