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Canada's wineries are backing the creation of an online directory to help raise awareness of their wines and attract more tourists.

The Canadian Vintners Association (CVA) has signed a deal with BlackSquare Inc wine consultancy to produce an online directory of Canada’s 800 wineries before the end of 2014. The directory has been named Wine411.

Tony Stewart, CVA chair and president of the Quails’ Gate Winery, said the directory ‘will help raise the profile of our vibrant Canadian wine industry’.

It is hoped that it will be particularly useful for tourists. Canadian wineries welcome around 3m tourists annually, and their visits are worth C$6.8bn (US$6.3bn) for the country’s economy, according to CVA figures.

The online directory will be updated annually, providing winery contact information, production volumes, varieties planted, awards received and profiles of winemakers, as well as guides to visitor facilities at particular properties.

Canada reached a new high in the Decanter World Wine Awards this year after Inniskillin wine estate’s 2012 vintage Icewine from Ontario province scooped the International Trophy for Best Sweet Wine Over £15 per bottle.

Written by Chris Mercer

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Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.