Feasibility study of online BC VQA wine sales in British Columbia

British Columbia (BC) is relatively new to the world stage as a producer of quality wines, with both quality and quantity of BC wines having developed dramatically in the past 15 years. The BC wine industry is now in a position where growing consumer demand for BC wine outweighs local production capacity. The ultimate success of BC wine market will depend on how the BC wine industry addresses this supply issue and recaptures the loyalty of local consumers who have become more acquainted with high quality wines from all over the world. This paper will make use of a literature review and consumer questionnaire to look at BC wine industry trends and the potential for the development of a new online trade channel to engage BC consumers in supporting local BC wines and bolster the success of the BC wine market and, in particular, BC Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines.