Strategies for BC's 2024 vintage

Photo: The vineyard at Blasted Church Vineyards

It is interesting to read how different wineries in the Okanagan are approaching the 2024 vintage, given the almost total lack of local grapes, due to January’s killer freeze.

In July, the provincial regulators decreed that the land-based wineries could import grapes or juice this fall and make wine that can be sold over the next three years as if VQA wine. In short, the wine would not attract the brutal markup that is levied on wines made with non-BC grapes. That markup exemption applies just for the 2024 vintage. It is there to help wineries get through a year without BC grapes. Had it not been allowed, there would have been extensive layoffs of winemakers and other staff. Wineries would have started to run out of wine next year, costing lost shelf space, closed tasting rooms and a collapse of wine tourism.

The government would also have been foolish to keep imported grapes out of the valley when Washington State has a big surplus of quality wine grapes. The growers there have varietals similar to what had been planted in the Okanagan and the Similkameen. With those grapes, BC wineries should produce a 2024 vintage comparable to what was being made in the past from BC grapes. Some wineries have jumped at the opportunity to use imported grapes; others have decided not to. Let me quote two recent emails, one from Blasted Church Vineyards which is importing Washington grapes; and one from Howling Bluff Winery, which is not. I can understand and respect the reasons behind either approach.

Blasted Church Vineyards Starts 2024 Harvest – outside of BC!

Prosser, WA, USA: (September 3, 2024) British Columbia’s Blasted Church Vineyards is kicking off September with the 2024 grape harvest, accessing quality grapes from Washington State.

In an inaugural collaboration with Prosser’s Andrews Family Vineyards, located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Blasted Church will be able to produce the quality wines they have been known for since 2002. Blasted Church winemaker Evan Saunders (pictured) made the 6.5 hour drive to Prosser, Washington to work with the Andrews family regarding picking and harvest decisions. The varieties will include Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, Pinot Gris, and then later Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes for the white wines and rosé will be mechanically harvested at night, sorted and pressed, and then the temperature controlled grape juice will be shipped to Okanagan Falls for vinification by the Blasted Church winemaking team. Red wine grapes will be hand harvested and shipped to BC as whole clusters for the team to process in the Blasted Church cellar.

Blasted Church winery, and many neighbouring BC wineries, find themselves in the same situation where they need to purchase Washington fruit due to the deep freeze that damaged the 2024 crop. Saunders has visited Prosser six times in planning, and when making his regular visits to Prosser he has seen several of his industry peers. Saunders notes that it has been excellent working with third generation farmer Jeff Andrews, and he is happy that the grapes are from certified sustainable vineyards. “It is a peculiar feeling to look out the window in Okanagan Falls at this time of year and see no grapes,” he notes. “But it will be magical for me and my team to start from juice,” he says. Saunders has gone through the stress of the paperwork required to bring the juice and grapes in from the US, so it is appreciated to have one easy step.

Lovers of Blasted Church wines can rest assured that delicious, quality wines will continue to be made, and in the meantime the team has ample inventory of current releases to be enjoyed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The opposite approach to the grape shortage this vintage has been taken by Luke Smith (pictured), the founder of Howling Bluff Estate Winery on the Naramata Bench. Here is what he wrote to his wine club.

August 25, 2024 It has been 20 years since we started Howling Bluff. I have learned that I can say with certainty that I can not predict anything at all about farming and the wine industry.

In February we were told that the vineyards in the valley were dead and that our industry would be in recovery for 4-5 years. The caveat on that pronouncement was that if your vineyard was not dead, your harvest would be wiped out. Jen and I sat down this spring and discussed our future and that of Howling Bluff. While I was ready to “do something, anything” to start to fix the results of the winter, Jen suggested I wait a bit and see what the season brings. Here I am now at 6 AM typing this as I look out the window at the Century Block Pinot Noir. What I see is a very healthy canopy of vines. The Three Mile Creek block of Pinot Noir, looks much the same. Our Sauvignon Blanc looks normal and we estimate we may have 1,000 kilograms of fruit there, 1/5th of normal but fruit when none was expected. The Merlot looks the worst; however a majority of plants are doing their best to prepare for next year. The Semillon, in sympathy with the Merlot, is not as good as it has been in the past; however, a majority of the vines are growing.

At this time there is no doubt that our industry has suffered a major loss of vines and the crop will be 10% of normal, at best. However once again the Naramata Bench appears to have suffered the least. What will we do, and what will we not do. We will prepare the vineyard for a harvest next year, and we will not buy grapes or juice from US growers. What this decision means, it means we will have enough wine to be open next year. However, we will close our wine club to new members shortly, so that we can be sure to have enough wine to keep the wine shop open next year. Simply put we will stay a true BC winery and we will survive.