A petition calling on the Premier to reverse a new policy on bottling wine.

The online petition was started by Kings-Hants MP Kody Blois.

In January, the province announced a subsidy for the bottling industry.

Blois says the new policy puts local farm wineries and commercial bottlers on equal footing.

He says the bottlers can use imported grape juice, and that will undermine the local industry.

The petition gathered hundreds of signatures in the first few hours.

Premier Houston has defended the policy in the legislature, calling it a trade compliance issue, and says they’ll continue to look for ways to support the industry.

About 1,100 people are employed in the wine industry in Nova Scotia.

Blois says the industry makes $245 million a year, and it needs to be protected.