Saving Okanagan Wine Country: Industry seeks lasting solutions

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BC’s wine industry has long been celebrated for its quality and innovation, but recent years have brought unprecedented challenges.

Like the rest of the hospitality industry, BC wineries suffered immeasurable losses due to the global pandemic and have yet to see a return to pre-COVID tourism levels. The 2023 vintage was marked by exceptional weather conditions, leading to a mixed bag of outcomes for winemakers across the region.

Now, as the industry looks ahead to the 2024 season, it faces a new and daunting obstacle: a winter deep freeze that is expected to result in no grapes being harvested in the Okanagan Valley.

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The 2023 vintage was characterized by extreme weather events, including heatwaves and wildfires, which impacted grape yields and quality. Some regions experienced record-high temperatures, causing grapes to ripen earlier than usual and challenging winemakers to adapt their harvesting schedules. Many wineries were still able to produce excellent wines, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of the industry.

However, just as winemakers were beginning to recover from the trials of the 2023 vintage, they were confronted with a new crisis in the form of the January 2024 winter deep freeze.

Temperatures plummeted to record lows, causing significant damage to grapevines and effectively destroying the potential harvest for the year. This devastating blow has left many wineries reeling, unsure of how to proceed in the face of such extraordinary circumstances.

BC wine industry veteran and co-founder of Okanagan Crush Pad Christine Coletta explains that this year is particularly tough because it’s not just one area of the Okanagan Valley that has been affected but the entire region, leaving limited options in terms of mitigating losses.

Okanagan Crush Pad co-founder Christine Coletta (Allison Wallace)

The majority of wineries in the Okanagan are smaller family-owned businesses that have been farmed for decades. “We are farmers at the forefront of what we do. We are on land that has numerous restrictions and we’re limited with what we can do with the land that we own.”

“This isn’t a case of bad business management,” Coletta adds. “We’re being hit with extreme events beyond our control and we’re not able to get sufficient insurance like other businesses. The crop insurance program, for example, only covers a fraction of the cost of re-planting and re-training, and typically smaller wineries and independent growers aren’t covered at all.”

Evan Saunders, winemaker at Blasted Church Vineyards, emphasizes that it’s not just wineries that will be affected. “Being faced with a small vintage last year and potentially no fruit this year, the financial reality of a lot of grape growers will be bleak. We still don’t know the extent of the damage from this year’s cold event in regard to vine death. All we know right now is that we have suffered close to 100% bud death, which translates to no fruit this year. In a worst-case scenario, we may find that we have also suffered vine death, which would be catastrophic.”

Blasted Church Winemaker Evan Saunders (Allison Wallace)

In response to the grape shortage, some BC wineries are considering importing grapes from other regions to supplement their production. Those in the industry understand the importance of taking this approach carefully and considering the implications over the long term.

For Saunders, Washington State would make the most sense but there’s no one solution for all. “Everyone will have to determine what is best for them. [Importing grapes] would give us a way to keep our staff employed, keep our businesses viable, and hopefully provide us with enough time to see our vineyards return to health and production in 2025 and 2026.”

But while this option may help to lessen the immediate impact of the freeze, it raises questions about the long-term sustainability and identity of the BC wine industry. Many winemakers take pride in using locally grown grapes, and importing grapes could not only fundamentally change the perception and character of BC wines, but there is added complexity from liquor licensing, which restricts the use of grapes that aren’t grown in BC.

Harvested Viognier Grapes at Black Hills in 2023 (Allison Wallace)

To survive, the industry needs concessions from the government. “We don’t want to change regulations fully and forever, but we’d like to see a temporary reprieve,” says Coletta. “Our ability to work within the parameters of current liquor licensing is severely limited. For example, a land-based winery can only process BC fruit; we would need a relaxing of that rule on an annual basis to process fruit from other regions.”

Coletta accepts that the government didn’t cause the current issues of the last couple of years, but liquor licensing is severely hindering the most viable short-term solution. “We are wrapped in red tape and shackled with these chains. We got into the business knowing this, but now we can’t move or walk forward because of the weight of these shackles – some of these need to be removed until we can get back on our feet again.”

The freeze, coupled with last year’s peak season travel ban due to wildfires, has also had a significant impact on tourism in the region as the wine industry is the #1 tourist draw to the Okanagan Valley. With no grapes to harvest in 2024, wineries are once again bracing for a decrease in tourism and the economic benefits that it brings. This loss of revenue will have ripple effects throughout the local economy, impacting restaurants, hotels, and other businesses that rely on wine tourism.

The good news is there are ways that people can support the BC wine industry during this difficult time. One of the most important is to continue enjoying, and buying, BC wines—specifically wines made with BC-grown grapes. “That alone will help us all get through our inventory, bring in much-needed cash, and help everyone move forward,” says Coletta.

Buy BC Wines! (Allison Wallace)

By supporting local wineries, consumers can help ensure the industry’s long-term viability and sustainability. Visiting wineries, attending events, and participating in wine clubs all help in providing much-needed revenue to wineries facing another challenging year.

“Wineries currently have inventory, our tasting rooms are open, and every winery across the entire Province is ready to welcome visitors,” says Saunders. “Through all of the challenges over the last few years, we have always seen and felt the support of our local market, which has been a lifeline for the industry.”

While winemakers are resilient and resourceful, overcoming the obstacles will require creativity, innovation, and support from consumers and the community.

With about 250 wineries in the Okanagan working together, sharing ideas, and taking a very grassroots approach, the BC wine industry is confident it can weather this storm and emerge stronger and more resilient than ever before.

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