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Canadians are drinking more wine over beer, domestic wines over imports

It turns out that we are not the beer chuggers we used to be.

A new consumer report reveals that now more than ever, Canadians are opting for wine when it comes time to have an alcoholic beverage, reports the Associated Press.

A Bank of Montreal study on Canadian drinking habits found that an individual consumer bought an average of 22 bottles of wine a year in 2011, up from a rather measly 13 in 1995. It's not that we're drinking all that much more booze than in the '90s, it's just we're more likely to opt for wine over beer or spirits.

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Between 1995 and 2011, wine moved up from 18 per cent of the total alcohol consumption in Canada to 30 per cent, while beer fell from 53 per cent to 45 per cent and spirits from 29 per cent to 25 per cent -- numbers that Molson Canadian and Canadian Club are likely none to pleased about.

The report found that the Canadian wine industry is well-positioned to expand and grow over the next half decade, thanks to an aging population ready to pay more for quality.

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The reputation of Canadian wine is also improving abroad, particularly B.C. wines. Ontario still has a lingering Baby Duck legacy that has yet to completely dissipate.

The good news is that the 35-ish and under crowd grew up on Canadian wine and trust it more than older folks, which bodes well for the future of the industry.

Long story short — wine in Canada is as popular as ever, and it looks like it's going to stay that way, so now's the time to stock up on stem-wear and get that cellar built.