Quebec is the largest wine importing province in Canada, with 2016 imports valued at $640 million (158 million litres of imported wine). Consumers in Quebec prefer wine by far over other types of alcoholic beverages – in 2015, they spent C$ 2.3 billion on wine sold in retail outlets, or 43 per cent of total alcoholic beverage spending. Per capita, wine consumption in the province reached 23 litres in 2015, up 31 per cent over the past decade. Most wine in Quebec is distributed via the retail outlets owned by the provincial liquor authority (the SAQ – Société des alcools du Québec); however, two growing distribution channels are via groceries and convenience stores (for bulk wine) and via private orders – trends that are likely to pick up pace in the future. The United States is the third largest wine supplier to Quebec by value ($75 million) and the fifth by volume (19 million litres). U.S. wine has access to the three major distribution channels listed above: SAQ stores, groceries (for bulk wine) and private orders. U.S. wines bottled outside Quebec do not have direct access to grocery stores, unlike locally produced Quebec wines.
