Rouge et Blanc Ltd. operates in Toronto, Canada. Toronto is Canada’s biggest city, with five million inhabitants, and is located in the province of Ontario, which has a population of 14 million. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is owned by the provincial government and is the only importer of alcoholic beverages in the province. As a monopoly, it is the only organization that is allowed to supply imported alcohol directly to the public via its 600 stores, located all around the province. The local production of wine can be sold through agency stores - which do not belong to the LCBO - and also at the wineries.
2004 marked the first time in Canadian history where the sales of wine exceeded that of beer. There is definitely a growing interest in wine throughout the country, even if the consumption of wine is still very low (13 litres per inhabitant, per year) compared to most industrialized countries (e.g. France: 55 litres per inhabitant, per year).