Ontario liquor board denies tampering with Gretzky wine labels

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario has denied a store altered labels to say that a wine from Trump supporter and ice hockey star Wayne Gretzky is "as weak as its namesake's moral fibre" and "should be paired with boiled racoon". Former ice hockey sensation Wayne Gretzky played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for teams including the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and St Louis Blues. His record as the top-scoring NHL player of all time earned him the nickname 'The Great One', and Gretzky also went on to represent national team Canada and coach the Phoenix Cayotes during a career spanning more than 30 years. But it's not his sporting legacy that's currently making headlines, as the Canadian-American's wine bottles are at the heart of a dispute in Ontario. Images of Wayne Gretzky Estates wine bottes went viral after appearing on social media platform Reddit with some unusual descriptions, leading to accusations that a Toronto store had tampered with them. Gretzky, who founded his wine business in 2007 in west Niagara, is an outspoken Trump supporter and has been photographed wearing a MAGA baseball cap. Trump has declared him "a good friend" and "a fantastic guy" on his media channel Truth Social, and some Canadians feel Gretzky hasn't done enough to oppose Trump's goal of making Canada the "51st state of America".

Notes of elitism and affluence

At least one liquor store in Canada may have used Gretzky's wines as a way to respond to the hockey player's politics. On-shelf placards showing the price and information underneath Gretzky's Pinot Grigio describe the wine as “Weak & backstabbery,” while claiming it “delights with notes of elitism, and affluence." "Terry Fox would not have used this swill to put out a fire,” the printed label shown in the Reddit snaps concluded. A Cabernet Merlot in Gretzky's range also bore a shelf-description claiming that the “sad & two-faced” wine is as “weak as its namesake's moral fibre” and should be paired with “boiled raccoon.” His Chardonnay was said to "reek of betrayal", with "acrid" hints of "treasonry".

No evidence

After conducting an investigation, The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) announced that “we have found no evidence to suggest that any product label was altered in our stores”, and suggested that the images on Reddit had been photoshopped. The images in question have since been removed by Reddit moderators. The manager of the store in question, located in the Manulife Centre on Bloor Street, has so far declined to comment. In early February, the LCBO ceased sales of American alcoholic beverages in response to President Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian imports. “Every year, LCBO sells nearly US$1 billion worth of American wine, beer, spirits and seltzers. Not anymore,” said Premier Doug Ford in a statement made on Sunday 2 February. “There’s never been a better time to choose an amazing Ontario-made or Canadian-made product.” Since then, some industry insiders have questioned the wisdom of such retaliation, with Brown Forman's CEO Lawson Whiting calling LCBO's move a "disproportionate response" and "worse than a tariff".

Gretzky petition

With anti-Trump sentiment running high in Canada, many are boycotting businesses seen to support the US President. According to toronto.com, residents in Niagara-on-the-Lake have called for a boycott of Wayne Gretzky Estates winery and distillery, and urged its operator, Andrew Peller Ltd., to remove Gretzky’s name from all branding. “Gretzky has clearly decided he loves Trump more than Canada,” posted a Google reviewer after visiting Gretzky Wine Estates and awarding it one star out of five. “I can no longer support him or anything with his name on it.” A petition to rename Wayne Gretzky Drive in Edmonton, Alberta, has also reportedly gathered more than 13,300 signatures.