The Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN) brings together grape growers from all across Canada. This is a non-profit organization comprised of different grape grower associations from Ontario (Grape Growers of Ontario), British Columbia (British Columbia Wine Grape Council), Québec (Conseil des Vins du Québec) and Nova Scotia (Grape Growers Association of Nova Scotia), that work together to make Canadian wine growing better and more earth-friendly.
Since 2018, the Canadian Grapevine Certification Network has been running a big research program with help from the Canadian government's farming department. Under the Grape & Wine Science Cluster, administered through the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)'s AgriScience Program, they focus on:
This group takes their research work very seriously:
These programs help make sure nurseries are growing pathogen-free grapevines through different certification programs.
This program helps nurseries check their plants and keep them healthy. It works like this:
This program uses special testing machines to ensure the health of grape plants. Plants that pass these tests receive a special mark indicating their quality.
This is their highest-level program. Nurseries in this program get to use special starter plants from CGCN's collection:
The CGCN helps ensure that Canada's grapes are healthy and grown properly to make amazing wine now and in the future. By developing a clean plant network, the Canadian wine industry can have a sustainable domestic supply of hybrid cultivars.