Every glass of wine should taste exactly as the winemaker intended. Wine Industry Leaders Allan and Brian Schmidt in partnership with Cameron West expand wine-on-tap category.
FreshTAP is growing fast. With its newest expansion into Toronto and the Ontario market, British Columbia-based FreshTAP Pouring Systems promises wine lovers across the province a carefully curated range of Smarter, Fresher, Friendlier local VQA wines on tap, by the glass to an ever more discerning community of restaurateurs and wine lovers.
From its 5,000 square foot facility in the Niagara Peninsula, FreshTAP Ontario kegs wines from Creekside Estate Winery, Henry of Pelham Estate Winery, Mike Weir Winery, Stoney Ridge, Reif Estate Winery, and Vineland Estates into 19.5L stainless steel kegs—the equivalent of 26 bottles or 130 five-ounce glasses.
Held under the gentle pressure of an inert gas, each wine is perfectly preserved from oxidation for up to eight months once tapped, ensuring that the last glass is as fresh as the first. FreshTAP is currently featured in Toronto at popular restaurants such as Rock Lobster, Drake 150, Montage and Walhburgers, and ONE Restaurant by Mark McEwan. FreshTAP has also installed seven, five-tap systems and a portable wine-on-tap unit at the new 5,300 seat Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.
Latest trend in wine
“Wine-on-tap is the hottest trend in restaurant wine service across North America right now,” says FreshTAP Ontario’s Cameron West, who, alongside Vineland Estates Winery’s Allan and Brian Schmidt, has brought FreshTAP to Ontario. The sons of a third-generation winemaking family whose father founded B.C.’s Sumac Ridge Winery, the Schmidts have been pioneers and industry leaders in the Niagara wine region for over three decades.
“We knew of the high-quality standards developed and practiced by FreshTAP in B.C. for premium wine kegging and restaurant wine-on-tap installations,” says Allan Schmidt. “That made it easy for us to partner with them to expand the brand and to make that same premium service available to all of Ontario’s wineries.”
From the point-of-sale perspective, FreshTAP ensures the utmost quality in wine-on-tap by-the-glass, with less spoilage and waste, greater efficiency for restaurants, and a more positive environmental impact.
Waste not…want not
Based on current clients and licensees, FreshTAP Ontario estimates it will keg over 100,000 liters of wine in its first year (2014-2015), thereby eliminating more than 15,000 lbs of cardboard waste and diverting some 130,000 bottles, caps and corks from Ontario’s recycling and waste streams. Since launching in British Columbia in 2011, FreshTAP has kegged over 320,000 liters of wine, eliminated 52,201lbs of cardboard waste and kept 429,052 bottles, caps and corks from entering that province.
“It’s been an exciting three years since we launched in B.C., and we couldn’t be happier partnering with such esteemed industry professionals in Ontario to elevate FreshTAP to the national level,” said FreshTAP Co-Founder Mike Macquisten. 
“There is an incredible consumer demand and the momentum keeps building for wine-on-tap. We’re thrilled to be at the vanguard of this category in the Canadian market.”
In addition to its Ontario vendors, FreshTAP is also available at over 150 restaurants and public venues across Western Canada such as Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, Delta Hotels, and 14 of The Keg Steakhouse locations throughout British Columbia and Alberta.
For more information on FreshTAP, visit: www.freshtap.com
ABOUT FRESHTAP
Business partners Mike Macquisten and Steve Thorp founded FreshTAP in February 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Wine-on-tap from stainless steel kegs provides a sustainable, environmentally friendly wine delivery system and FreshTAP enables the wine and hospitality industries access to this uniquely green category. With more than 150 wines now available via FreshTAP stainless steel kegs, this system provides hospitality locations throughout Canada with an easy solution for delivering wine-on-tap to their customers. In 2014, FreshTAP saw a new operational expansion into Ontario making the brand both the pioneer and leader in the wine-on-tap movement in Canada.
MEDIA CONTACT
For interviews, imagery, or more information:
Kate MacDougall
Camber Communications
+1 (604) 862-5191/ kate@cambercomm.com