The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is changing its wine labeling requirements so it will be easier to buy wine that's at least partly domestically produced. Still to come is a decision on whether all domestic wines will have to carry Produced in Canada on their labels.CFIA is introducing new labeling requirements so wines blended in Canada that contain 51 per cent or more domestic wine are to be labeled as international blend from domestic and imported wines. Wines with 51 per cent or more foreign content are to be labeled international blend from imported and domestic wines.That should allow a wine drinker who likes to buy domestic to continue to support the home grown products.Foreign wines being sold in Canada have to state their country of origin. CFIA is studying proposals to require all domestic produced wine to say Product of Canada, now a voluntary option for vintners. This is part of a larger review of Product of Canada labelling, which is currently regarded as generally ineffective.The blended wine labeling change is the result of a consultation conducted last year by CFIA on whether to continue with the existing cellared in Canada label for wines blended from imported and domestic wines.CFIA said the cellared statement was designed to “allow flexibility in cases where wine is blended in Canada using Canadian wines and wines from numerous other countries.” However the consultation found widespread opposition to it from consumers and winemakers because it was misleading.Most of the response to the consultations came from British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta and Quebec and was clearly in favour of the change to the new labels.Dan Paszkowski, President and CEO of the Canadian Vintners Association, said “The new label designation will clearly inform consumers that the wine is a blend of wine from different countries.”During 2016, the CVA worked with the British Columbia Wine Institute, the Winery & Grower Alliance of Ontario and the Wine Association of Nova Scotia to interview 100 per cent Canadian and Canadian blended wine producers in BC, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia as well as major liquor retailers across Canada on the issue.From that interaction came clear support for the new labeling rules for blended wines. “Canadian producers will now begin the process of transitioning to the new label designation as quickly as possible,” said Paszkowski.In the CFIA's consultations, nearly 81 per cent of all respondents supported the change. Among the reasons for supporting the change is that cellared in Canada was unclear and misleading and the new labels are more informative and fair to local growers/producers.The wine associations were 100 per cent behind the change, the wine industry 88 per cent, the general public 76 per cent and wine enthusiast and sommeliers 82 per cent.CFIA said is currently examining country of origin statements in relation to all foods as part of its Food Labelling Modernization initiative and wine would be part of that review.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.