A larger number of fruit growers on Prince Edward Island may now be eligible for a provincial winery license, CBC reported Thursday.
CBC quoted Wayne MacDougall, CEO of the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission, as saying producers of other fruits, or any other crop such as dandelions that can be used to produce wine, will be able to apply for a winery license with just 1.3 hectares (3.2 acres) under production, starting this week.
The previous rule limited winery licenses to farmers who grow their own grapes, and to minimum cultivation of two hectares, CBC said.
About a dozen people had inquired about winery licenses recently, but found the previous rules too restrictive, MacDougall told CBC.
The province currently has just one licensed winery, Rossignol Estate. John Rossignol told CBC the new rules will make it easier for fruit farmers to get into the wine business, but warned that being both a winemaker and a farmer can be a formidable undertaking.
