Weirdly, Niagara-on-the-Lake is dropping “wine county” from its tagline

Niagara-on-the-Lake town council recently voted to remove the term “wine county” from its official tourism strategy, and people are pissed (as in angry, not drunk—although in the town formerly known as wine county, it may be a bit of both). If you, like many locals, are questioning the rebrand, we have answers. Here, a breakdown of the boozy brouhaha and why, unofficially speaking, you can still call it “wine county.”

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Hasn’t Niagara-on-the-Lake always been wine county? The region was once a key battleground in the War of 1812, but yes, for the past fifty years or so, city folk have decamped to the idyllic county for rest, relaxation and the chance to sample as many wines as possible while still maintaining control of a two-wheel transport vehicle. Beyond that, NOTL is a globally recognized mecca for oenophiles and home to the renowned Shaw Festival (also: an almost alarming concentration of kitschy boutiques). But the area’s 100-plus vineyards have always been key in terms of its identity and economy (to the tune of $2.5 billion annually).

So why the change? The rebrand is part of a more sweeping overhaul to the region’s tourism strategy. As more Canadians opt for domestic travel amid a trade war, the thinking goes that putting “wine county” front and centre is too narrow and perhaps limiting in terms of conveying the breadth of NOTL’s appeal. “In any marketing strategy, you need to identify who your customer is and what message will entice them to come and visit,” said Niagara’s mayor, Gary Zalepa, who is in favour of the controversial new tagline because, apparently, wine has been hogging the spotlight over other key selling points like orchards and national parks.

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What’s the new tagline? It’s actually called a “vision statement,” and you may want to be sitting down for this. After much deliberation and spending on consultancy fees, the city has replaced the words “wine county” with “food and wine,” so that the new version reads: “Niagara-on-the-Lake is an extraordinary destination, known for its natural beauty, food and wine, and unrivalled cultural experiences.”

Isn’t that kind of the same? Not according to those invested in the region’s oenocentric identity, who say “wine county” is the opposite of constraining—it’s a competitive advantage that distinguishes NOTL from thousands of other cute towns with great restaurants and parks. Council’s new plan, opponents say, is like promoting Collingwood without the ski slopes or Toronto without, er—What is it we do here when we’re not sitting in traffic? “Words matter,” said Andrew Niven, a NOTL councillor who is pushing to get “wine county” reinstated. Tim Jennings, executive director of the Shaw Festival, also views council’s decision as a misstep (like pairing an oaky chardonnay with a delicate white fish). “Great theatre in the heart of wine country” is Shaw’s current tagline.

Can we still call it wine county if we like? Yes. This isn’t a Voldemort situation. At least for now, businesses and anyone else who cares to may continue to use the term “wine county” with impunity. What’s really wild is that CBRE, the fancy tourism consultancy firm hired by NOTL, was also in favour of maintaining the original wording in the official branding. So this is just a random flex from a bunch of killjoy city councillors. Could a Footloose-style dance ban be far off?