Ontario wine sales have surged by more than 60 per cent since the LCBO removed U.S. wines from its shelves in March, a shift Brock University experts link to growing support for Canadian-made products.
Brock marketing and consumer psychology professor Antonia Mantonakis says this boost is not just about fewer choices — it’s also emotional.
Movements like “elbows up,” which promote Canadian identity and distinction from the U.S., are playing a role in influencing consumer behaviour.
Mantonakis, a Fellow at Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, says consumers are more likely to buy products that reflect their national identity.