This year’s grape-growing season a case of all’s well that ends well
Growers challenged by wet spring and smoky skies during August, but say crop back on track
The 2017 Okanagan grape-growing season is one for the record books, to be filed under the wacky weather category.
“It’s been a weird year for sure,” B.C. Grapegrowers’ Association president Mason Spink said Wednesday.
“It started really wet, with bud break about two weeks behind schedule,” he said. “July was awesome, so we caught right up. Then we had smoke in August, which slowed things down again.
“But the crops are looking good now, and harvesting of some varieties is underway,” Spink said.
The approximately 270 wineries in B.C., most of which are located in the Okanagan, produced a crop worth $69 million in 2015. Merlot,
Overall quality is excellent, with lovely acidity.We have nice, clean fruit.
Nikki Callaway
Pinot Gris and Chardonnay were the three most widely planted varieties, accounting for almost onethird of the crop’s total value.
In the Central Okanagan, harvesting of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes has begun at Quails’ Gate Winery in West Kelowna.
“Overall quality is excellent, with lovely acidity,” says Quails’ Gate winemaker Nikki Callaway. “We have nice, clean fruit.”
Steve Dale of Rollingdale Winery, also in West Kelowna, says he expects to harvest around the last week of October, in line with previous years.
“I think all the smoke we had in August and early September thinned out the light and delayed the ripening of the fruit a bit, but we’re back on track now,” he said.
“I still need the sugars to come up a bit, so the hot weather we’re expecting for the next few days is ideal,” Dale said.
Environment Canada says today’s high temperature under sunny skies should be 26 C, which is well above normal for this time of year.
By tonnage, about 41 per cent of the Okanagan’s grape crop comes from the Oliver area, 21 per cent from Osoyoos, 16 per cent from the Central Okanagan and 11 per cent from Penticton.