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A.O. Wilson – From Seed to Bottle A successful vineyard requires a winemaker with knowledge, passion and hard work in the fields to create an outstanding and memorable wine. At A.O. Wilson, we have a long history of these same qualities that have made us a trusted source for every winemaker’s processing and packaging needs in the industry.
In 1945, he saw that there was a demand in the brewing industry that needed to be met. The industry was booming, largely due to the fact that Prohibition in the U.S. had come to an end and had been over in Canada since the 1920’s. Since then, we have steadily grown, evolved and transformed into a 100 per cent Canadian business that we continue to be proud of today.
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Just as a winery is born from a single grape seedling, we have been growing for nearly 75 years to where we are today, born from a single idea by the founder, A.O. Wilson himself.
The old AO Wilson warehouse.
ers across the country and A.O. Wilson grew alongside them.
Similar to the attention that winemakers must pay to their vines, by providing plenty of room for growth, pruning and watering their fruit, we have always paid great attention to the needs of the industry.
By building partnerships with key leaders in the area, we were able to assist the growth of small wineries in Canada by offering the same technological advantages possessed by already-established wineries. This edge helped newcomers deal with the various challenges unique to Canada, such as its colder climate and growing conditions.
The 1970s were a huge period of growth for wineries in Canada. It was during this time that A.O. Wilson began to expand into this sector, with the younger A.R. Wilson taking a major role alongside his father. There was a reason for this shift in focus. After prohibition, Canada had issued a moratorium on new winery licenses, but the act was re-pealed in 1974. This led to the sudden rise of winemak-
As technology for the wine industry has advanced, we have stayed with it every step of the way. During the early 1980s, the Canadian brewing industry was almost entirely controlled by its three largest companies: Molson, Labatt and Carling O’Keefe. There was not much variety and, as a result, beer lovers began to get tired of the available styles. Local brewpubs started to open, particularly
in BC and Ontario, selling hoppier beers, stouts and more creative flavours to the public.
A.O. Wilson
A.R. Wilson
Graham Wilson
The rise of craft beer began in the early 1990s and continues to be a trend within the beverage industry today. Buying from micro-breweries is an idea that aligns closely with the values of the modern consumer, who place a premium on Innovation 2019 39