Small wineries have told me that when LCBO audit staff visit them they are required to track the flow of wine down to detailed amounts (sometimes to the exact number of litres). Is this standard of enforcement followed to the same level of detail in the largest wineries? If not, is there an official explanation of why not?
RESPONSE # 207126: Search & Preparation Time 1 hr @ $30.00 = $30.00.
FOI # 207126: THE ANSWER
"The standard of enforcement is followed to the same level of detail at all licenced manufactures of wine in the province of Ontario.
(my thoughts in blue, and italics)
Small wineries often tell me that they are audited in great detail, with the auditors counting them down to the last litre, to the last bottle. It is ludicrous to assume that this standard is applied to, say, Jackson Triggs. Considering that Jackson Triggs products can be found in well over 150 geographically separated stores, and in other locations, it is impossible to conceive of a team of three winery auditors going to this level of detail in more than 150 locations at the same time. In fact, if they tried to do this, it would likely eat up most of their time. As they have way more than 100 producers to audit each year, I am assuming that they (not unreasonably) have accepted certain information from the larger producers, without physically checking it. Accounting double-talk would allow the official answer to be true, but none of it alters the fact that small wineries are audited to much tighter standards than big ones. This is blatantly unfair, and another example of LCBO being too close to their major suppliers. I do not believe this to be related to the three main auditors, whom I respect as individuals, much more highly than other members of LCBO management in fact. It is more an institutionalized benefit conferred on the biggest suppliers. They are simply trusted where the little guys are not. This is costly to the little guys, who have to practically forget doing anything else while an audit is ongoing.
FOI # 207126: I received, for $30 plus the $5 initiation fee, a form letter and one sheet of paper with the above answer. The response to # 207126 was apparently from John Davis, Manager, Winery Audit. The form letter was signed by FOI official Sheetal Bedi.