Wine sales have surpassed spirit sales for the first time, according to a Statistics Canada report, reflecting a sea change in a nation raised on its traditional domestic output of whisky and beer, reports The Globe and Mail.

National wine sales reached C$4.2-billion, compared with C$4-billion for spirits, reports Statscan. Its figures are based on the 12-month period that ended on March 2005.

Among the factors fuelling the grape train: a growing preference among well-heeled Canadians for premium-priced vintages as well as widely hyped research attributing certain health benefits from moderate wine consumption.

The value of sales of wine increased in all provinces in 2004/2005 with noticeable rises in Saskatchewan (16.5%), British Columbia (12.2%) and Ontario (10.6%). Still, Quebec is the only province where wine sales exceed those of spirits. There, wine sales of C$1.4-billion accounted for three times those of spirits, and one-third of total Canadian wine sales.

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