A B.C. winery managed to escape the worst of a bad winter, but it is still feeling the impact of plunging temperatures elsewhere in the province.

Cody Karman, manager of the in south Langley, said they were B次元官网网址渞elatively unscathedB次元官网网址� by the unseasonably cold weather last year.

B次元官网网址淲e did have some damage to the Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon [grapes] but no mass damage to any of our vineyards,B次元官网网址� Karman told the Langley Advance Times.

It was a different story in the Okanagan, where temperatures fell below minus 30 C at one point in December.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the vineyards we sourced from, they grow our Syrah [grapes], and they unfortunately were completely decimated,B次元官网网址� Karman said.

B次元官网网址淭hey are going to replant the Syrah, so we might miss a few vintages, or have to source from elsewhere,B次元官网网址� Karman predicted.

B次元官网网址淚t was an absolute blow to the wine industry.B次元官网网址�

Writer and wine columnist , author of The World of Canadian Wine, The Wineries of British Columbia, and British Columbia Wine Country, and 12 other books on wine, described last yearB次元官网网址檚 weather as B次元官网网址渞eally peculiarB次元官网网址� during an apperance at the Township 7 winery on 16th Avenue at 212th Street on Sunday, June 25.

B次元官网网址淲e had a wet cool spring,B次元官网网址� Schreiner explained, B次元官网网址渟o the grapes were delayed two to three weeks to get into the stage where they were flowering.B次元官网网址�

That meant the vines didnB次元官网网址檛 have a chance to become B次元官网网址減roperly dormantB次元官网网址� before temperatures fell to a B次元官网网址渒illing temperature,B次元官网网址� Schreiner summarized.

B次元官网网址淰ines need a few weeks to B次元官网网址榞o to sleep,B次元官网网址� for the the sap to retreat to the roots, and if it hasnB次元官网网址檛 retreated, and it gets cold, the vines will kind of burst. Just like itB次元官网网址檚 like your pipes in your house, if it gets cold, and they freeze the pipes over.B次元官网网址�

A lot of vines were B次元官网网址渒illed outright,B次元官网网址� Schreiner said.

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A report commissioned by Wine Growers British Columbia said the B次元官网网址渨orst fearsB次元官网网址� of a potential crop loss have been realized with a 54 per cent reduction in 2023 and 45 per cent of total planted acreage suffering what Miles Prodan, president and CEO of Wine Growers British Columbia, called B次元官网网址渓ong-term irreparable damage.B次元官网网址�

B.C.B次元官网网址檚 wine industry is appealing to the provincial and federal governments for help, asking for a dedicated grant to support crisis relief, additional funding for the Perennial Crop Renewal Program, and alignment of the provincial crop insurance program to cover B次元官网网址渦nique climate-change related eventsB次元官网网址� such as the cold snap.

Township 7B次元官网网址檚 Karman hopes consumers will help struggling smaller B.C. wineries by making purchases.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e going to need us to be buying these bottles of wine, to kind of keep that revenue flow going for the next few years,B次元官网网址� Karman remarked.

B次元官网网址淚 think what we can do as the consumers, is ultimately show our support and shop local.B次元官网网址�

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