SAQ to cut wine prices

If you're a wine drinker, you'll be smiling the next time you visit an SAQ outlet starting next month.

In a bid to compete with liquor stores in neighbouring provinces and south of the border, the Socit des alcools du Qubecwill lower prices on mostof its wines.

As of Nov. 9, the prices of about 1,600 wines or 80 per cent of those sold byQuebec's liquor board will drop by 50 cents.

Currently, bottles of wine that cost between $10 and $20 in Ontario are about $1 to $2 more expensive in Quebec.

The move to cut prices comes several months after the SAQ announced a price hike for about 200 of its wines.

• SAQ boosts wine prices across Quebec

Back in March, the price of a $15 bottle of wine rose by an average of 65 cents. The spike came in part due to a sluggish Canadian dollar, the SAQ said last spring.

The SAQ says more savings are on the way for customers. It is expected to announce further steps to bring its pricing in line with competitors at a later date.