As an agency, what is your role in the wine industry?
We fill a niche in bringing you fine products that otherwise would be unavailable in Ontario. Along with our sister agency, The Full Wineglass, we personally represent all of the wines that we carry. We have built a business relationship with our suppliers and are consistently in contact with them. We make our very best effort to maintain a steady balance between suppliers' terms and conditions, LCBO and freight-forwarder policies, and clients' needs and requests.

Are the wines you represent available at the LCBO stores?
No they are not. Economy of scale plays a role. The wines at the LCBO stores generally come from wineries that produce large quantities for mass market distribution and consumption. We represent wineries that produce smaller quantities. We mainly sell to restaurants that appreciate the opportunity to carry wines with the quality, great value, and relative exclusivity that smaller producers can offer them. Another reason: The promotional costs involved in having wines placed on the LCBO store shelves and featured in their magazine are quite high, which makes that option economically unfeasible for many smaller wineries.

Do you ship to other provinces within Canada?
No, we are not allowed to do this. The wines may be available through an agency in your province.

Do you ship to the United States?
No we don't. U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations do not allow us to ship wine directly to consumers in the U.S. Anyone shipping wine from any country to the U.S. must have an importing agent. It makes sense for a wine producer to have an agent in the U.S. but not for us as importers to Canada.

How can I obtain the wines sold through your website in my own province/country?
* Find a wine importing agency or wine seller in your country. They may very well carry the wine you are looking for or know where you can purchase it.
* Visit the winery and purchase the wine while you are abroad (first check your country's import regulations for travellers).
* If you have friends or family living in Ontario, you can purchase the wine through us and ask to have it delivered to their address. Then pick it up when you visit them.
* Come to Ontario for a vacation or weekend getaway and enjoy the wine while you are here. (You can contact us for suggestions if you like.)

A wine that you represent is being offered at a lower price in Alberta/U.S./Europe than what you are charging here in Ontario. Why the difference?
Whereas a free market system exists in those places, here the LCBO determines the cost to us of incoming wines. Sometimes this is influenced by the fluctuation of the Canadian dollar. Also, and perhaps more importantly, the taxes and duties as well as freight charges involved in importing wines to Ontario are different from (i.e. often higher than) those involved in importing wines to other places. As far as factors that are within our control are concerned, we try our utmost to keep our prices fair and competitive within Ontario.

How many bottles per case?
This is up to the winery. We receive some of the wines in cases of 12 and some in cases of 6, and one in a case of 3 bottles. Generally, the more expensive wines come in the smaller cases.

Why are some wines discontinued from your portfolio?
A few possible reasons include: 1) The wine may no longer be available from the winery; 2) A new vintage of a previously available wine does not live up to our expectations; 3) Overall client demand is too low to continue bringing the wine; 4) The cost of bringing the wine becomes too high relative to a competitive selling price.

LCBO policy requires us to advise you that as the agent for the wineries listed on this website, Argentum Wine Imports does not sell beverage alcohol. We act as a conduit, arranging for the customer in Ontario, Canada to purchase the products listed on this website from the LCBO.