OTTAWA, ON – September 22, 2016 – One year since its launch, the Canadian Vintners Association and BlackSquare Inc. celebrate the success of the online directory Wine411.ca. The comprehensive directory catalogues over 650 wineries, cideries and meaderies in Canada in an easy-to-use, searchable and visually compelling format.
The resource was created as a joint initiative between the Canadian Vintners Association (CVA) and BlackSquare Inc., who identified the need for an inclusive Canadian wine industry resource.
Since the website went live in September 2015, it has had over 46,000 page views from over 7,000 users, with Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary being home to the top Canadian users. International users comprise almost 30% of Wine411.ca users, reflective of the growing global interest in Canadian wine and accolades for wine tourism in Canada.
“We’re always looking at new and innovative ways to increase consumer awareness of Canadian wine,” said Dan Paszkowski, CVA President and CEO. “Wine411 .ca is a fantastic way to connect
Canadian and international audiences with Canada’s world-class, cool climate wine and wine regions.”
The online directory provides winery contact information, as well as information on touring, tasting, visitor facilities and wine clubs. Wine411.ca has organized wineries by province and sub-region, making it a valuable tool for travellers, day trippers and wine enthusiasts alike. “We are thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive feedback we’ve had on Wine411 .ca,” said David Gluzman, President of BlackSquare Inc. “With the number of Canadian wineries having doubled in the last decade, there was, without a doubt, a need for a resource like this to support the rapidly growing industry.”
Initially created with the intent to help raise the public profile of the Canadian wine industry and stimulate winery tourism, the founders also see the directory being used to encourage more direct wine sales. With over three million winery tourists annually in Canada, consumers are increasingly seeking to purchase wines directly from the wineries they have visited, join their wine clubs and generally support local wineries.
About the joint project partners:
The Canadian Vintners Association (CVA) is the national voice of the Canadian wine industry, representing more than 90% of annual wine production. It is responsible for the trademark protection of Wines of Canada, Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) and Icewine. CVA members are engaged in the entire wine value chain from grape growing, farm management, grape harvesting, research, wine production, bottling, retail sales and tourism. www.canadianvintners.com
BlackSquare Inc. developed the Global Wine Database which powers Wine411.ca and Blackboxx, the most powerful ecommerce technology tailor made for direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales in the global wine and spirits industry. BlackSquare powers efficient, cost-effective DTC sales for wine-producing clients on four continents. BlackSquare is based in Calgary, Alberta, with a subsidiary office in Sydney, Australia.
