2019 VINTAGE REPORT

For wine regions across , an overall cooler 2019 vintage compared to recent years, punctuated by sunlight and clear skies resulted in wines with juicy and vibrant fruit, crisp acidity, balanced alcohol levels and ripe tannins in the red wines, all with the freshness synonymous with BC wine.

OKANAGAN VALLEY progressing according to schedule to what winter damage were all out of the ordinary appeared to be a slightly warm vintage. for the . It just meant we had to The winter of 2018/2019 started as an work a lot harder and more strategically interesting one in the Okanagan Valley. September started warm and dry with many this year. That hard work has paid off with Winter temperatures never reached levels of the earlier ripening varieties harvested lighter, fresher styles of wine that we are that should cause bud damage, however, in perfect condition and right on schedule happy to embrace.” an unseasonably warm January, with for expected harvest dates. The second temperatures over 10°C, followed by a cold week of September saw the weather change, SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY February caused disruption of flow to the becoming cooler with small amounts of buds resulting in some isolated vine and rainfall slowing ripening and drawing out Conditions in the Similkameen Valley were bud damage lowering the overall yield. This the harvest for later ripening grape varieties. similar, as is usual, to those in the nearby previously unheard of set of conditions This resulted in slightly lower sugar levels south Okanagan. Some vineyards suffered serves as a stark reminder that climate in the grapes than would be expected but similar winter damage but otherwise, the change continues to bring new challenges to allowed plenty of time for the tannins to season was smoke-free with moderate global viticulture. develop. temperatures throughout the season. Overall, it was a cooler vintage, with A cool month of April saw a slow start to Cawston recording 1456 GDD, 72 less the season, but things warmed up towards than the five-year average and 63 less the end of the month. In Osoyoos, May “That hard work has paid off than the 10-year average. The wines have and June were the second hottest of the with lighter, fresher styles of moderate alcohol levels, crisp, refreshing last two decades. As a result, budbreak wine that we are happy to acidity, bright fruit and elegance with many and flowering happened within the usual showing the trademark Similkameen Valley timeframe, providing a favourable start to embrace.” minerality. the season. Heidi Noble JoieFarm Winery “From early on in 2019 we did some Vigour levels in the spring were standard aggressive and persistent green thinning, thanks to reduced amounts of snowmelt, and this was ultimately our best call,” said and the vintage continued to a moderate, The start of October saw the return to Charlie Baessler of Corcelettes Estate smoke-free summer with July and August more typical dry conditions and moderate Winery in the Similkameen Valley. “This seeing average temperatures with none of temperatures continued ripening until gave us low yields of quality fruit that the heat spikes that can temporarily shut Thanksgiving weekend when an early frost maximized the growing season. There was down vine growth. saw many of the vineyards lose their leaves excellent grape chemistry when the early signalling the end of the growing season. frost hit October 8th and 9th so we could Extra judicious vineyard management was Certain sites avoided the frost, allowing the harvest at our leisure in the beautiful sunny required though, as the peculiar winter clusters to hang into late October. weather that followed.” conditions in some vineyards meant that primary, secondary and tertiary buds The 2019 vintage was similar to recent OTHER INTERIOR REGIONS experienced budbreak at different times years in growing degree days (GDD) but felt resulting in the vines being at various stages cooler as many of the GDD came earlier in The rest of the BC interior regions of their annual growth cycle. Significant the season. Osoyoos recorded 1598 GDD experienced similar patterns with a generally green harvesting and additional canopy and Summerland 1348 GDD for 2019. warm start to the season, average budbreak management was required. and flowering before a cooler late summer “2019 was a challenging year for sure,” said making for a moderate to cool vintage. A smoke-free year meant bright sunlight Heidi Noble of JoieFarm Winery. “Cooler and the growing season continued at a weather, September rain and an early frost, The Thompson Valley reported some steady rate with vines in good condition, not to mention the wasps, bears and some winter damage from the cold temperatures

1 in February and then a cool to moderate yet we still managed to hit 24 brix in the ICEWINE season, colder than recent averages. Overall Pinot Noir. We’ve focused a few winemaking GDD was 1308 in Kamloops, 87 less than techniques to build more texture with the The highly coveted and sometimes elusive the five-year average of 1395. lower alcohol, but the wines show lovely Icewine had a brief harvesting window of fresh fruit flavours and crisp acidity.” the required -8°C in November, which “We’re pleased with the wines we made,” allowed some cooler sites to harvest a said Galen Barnhardt, Winemaker, Monte COASTAL REGIONS small number of Icewine grapes. That Creek Ranch Winery. “We focused on temperature did not occur again until a aromatic whites and produced a lot of With the substantial moderating influence heavy freeze on January 13 and 14, 2020. bubble this year, which is well-suited for a of the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of cool 2019 vintage. Riesling and Chardonnay Georgia, the coastal vineyards always In 2019, 19 wineries registered an estimated seem to be the standouts of the vintage at experience very different growing conditions 478 metric tonnes of Icewine grapes off this stage.” than the interior regions. approximately 130 acres. The BC Wine and GDD were both slightly Authority reported that 15 wineries had cooler than the recent average with 1054 in picked an approximate 205 metric tonnes the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island making 2019 the second smallest harvest “Wines with intense and lovely and 996 on Saturna Island in the Gulf on record since the turn of the century. fruit flavours, good acidity and Islands. The saw its coolest vintage since 2012 with 932 GDD recorded moderate levels of alcohol.” at the Langley Central weather station. SUMMARY Haleen Pannekoek Fort Berens Estate Winery A relatively dry March led to an early budbreak with flowering following along Overall, the 2019 vintage was a moderately slightly early as well. June and July were a cool vintage with wines showing juicy and In the Lillooet region, GDD was 1537, cooler little wetter but warm enough for ripening to vibrant fruit, crisp acidity, moderate alcohol than recent years but comparable to 2018. progress at a rate similar to recent vintages. levels and ripe tannins in the red wines, all Growing conditions followed similar to the Around the second week of September, with the freshness synonymous with BC Okanagan Valley with a moderate growing frequent rain events began, increasing wine. season, an early frost on October 9th, disease pressure. Still, early October saw and, as Heleen Pannekoek of Fort Berens drier conditions return with most fruit Estate Winery reports, “wines with intense harvested from the end of September and lovely fruit flavours, good acidity and through to the middle of October. moderate levels of alcohol.”

The Shuswap was close to the long-term average of 1107 GDD in Salmon Arm with “Sparkling base wine is a 2019 reporting 1069 GDD. Winter was said to be quite mild without winter damage, definite standout…” and while there was a little more rain in Chris Turyk the summer, it was a reasonably average Marketing Director, vintage in terms of vine growth. “With a Unsworth Vineyards slightly cooler summer we expected we might have some challenges regarding sugar levels,” said Graydon Ratzlaff of Recline The coastal regions are building a reputation Ridge Vineyards & Winery in Tappen. “In for sparkling wines and Pinot Noir, and the end harvest dates were right on average conditions were excellent for both in 2019. with many varietals coming in slightly riper than usual.” “Sparkling base wine is a definite standout, and we look forward to continuing our quest The weather station in Creston in the for remarkable sparkling wine,” said Chris Kootenay region showed 1234 GDD, right Turyk, Marketing Director at Unsworth on the long-term average of 1229, but Vineyards. “A relatively early budbreak and reportedly feeling like a cooler vintage high GDD resulted in good ripeness in Pinot according to Bob Johnson of Baillie- Noir but not quite the ripeness or structure Grohman Estate Winery in Creston. “The of 2018. The 2019s should be the classic, style of wine produced is lighter in 2019 light, delicate, fruit-forward Pinot Noir that with lower brix levels in most of the wines, Vancouver Island has come to exhibit.”

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