Tasting rooms at wineries across B.C. may reopen this summer, but chances are things wonB次元官网网址檛 look the same.
On Thursday (May 14), over 60 stakeholders with the BC Wine Institute met virtually to brainstorm ways winery owners can safely ease back into normality.
Taking the protocols suggested by the B.C. government for restaurants, the institute is now developing a list of suggested best practices which will be presented back to industry, and to government, for review.
Re-defining how wineries think about tasting rooms could be key for their recovery, according to the BC Wine Institute. In addition, a reservation system, and allowing product sampling outside, have been suggested as ways to both satisfy health protocols and improve the experience for the consumer.
Will all staff in the serving room wear a mask? Will winery visitors be required to wear masks? The institute president says this may be up to the individual establishment.
B次元官网网址淲e believe that as long as we can provide a safe environment, and respect those tenants of COVID, we should be good,B次元官网网址� said BC Wine Institute president, Miles Prodan.
B次元官网网址淔or us we actually see it as being a positive; if we do this properly, we can cover off what we need to do for COVID, but we can also provide a really great education experience to our visitors.B次元官网网址�
Prodan told Black Press Media that he believes thereB次元官网网址檚 some trepidation and worry with grape growers about what reopening will look like; some are worried protocols may take away from the overall wine tasting experience.
He explained that wineries will have to slow down, limit the amount of people allowed in at a time, and respect social distancing protocols.
B次元官网网址淲hat we see happening is perhaps a reservation system, where you book in advance,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淵ou come in, you sit down, somebody meets you, whatB次元官网网址檚 called a curated experience, where they bring the wine to you.
B次元官网网址淭hey sit down and they spend some time actually going through the whole wine experience.B次元官网网址�
The institute came up with the following recommendations for best practices, to help B.C. wineries recover, which will be presented to industry next week:
- Encourage outdoor experiences
- Educate more consumers about B.C. wine
- More intimate relationships and customer knowledge
- More wine club members
- Tiered tastings experiences, (tastings of varying length, complexity, to attract a wider audience)
- More control over the flow of visitors; where they go, while respecting social distancing protocols.
Impact of closures on B.C. wineries
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic an order has been in place prohibiting wineries from serving wine, however, they have been able to continue selling it. Some wineries in the South Okanagan said in conversation with the Western B次元官网网址 that the tasting room accounts for between 35 and 75 per cent of their annual revenue.
B次元官网网址淭he ability to serve wine in a tasting room is critically important for us,B次元官网网址� said Prodan.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e in deep, deep trouble,B次元官网网址� said Quinta Ferreira owner, John Ferreira. B次元官网网址淓specially if this COVID thing keeps our wine shops closed, where do we get the money from?B次元官网网址�
Prodan echoed this statement.
B次元官网网址淕enerally the rule is, the smaller you are in size of winery, the more dependant you are on a winery visit,B次元官网网址� said Prodan.
Wineries have been promoting online sales since tasting rooms closed but this hasnB次元官网网址檛 been working for all businesses.
Quinta Ferreira, a family-owned winery located in Oliver, is a smaller-scale business which relies heavily on tasting room visitors. Ferreira said it accounts for 75 per cent of their revenue. They have been producing fruit since 1979 and wine since the turn of the century.
B次元官网网址淧eople that are out there, they kind of stick to their wine club, so they donB次元官网网址檛 venture into others. So if you donB次元官网网址檛 have a big wine club, like the big outfits, we canB次元官网网址檛 compete with the big outfits, weB次元官网网址檙e in deep, deep trouble.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 mid-May, and most wineries are either suckering, trimming focused on removing unwanted leaf growth, or planting new vines.
Ferreira called upon the B.C. government to further assist farmers through the summer.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 basically the only way thatB次元官网网址檚 going to keep us going,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚s if they cover us for the 75 per cent of our labour. Because weB次元官网网址檙e not getting any money. We send out the odd case here and there, but itB次元官网网址檚 not enough to cover the expenses.B次元官网网址�
Just around the corner, Ferreira said growers will have to start bottling, which means a further investment to purchase the bottles.
B次元官网网址淎nd whereB次元官网网址檚 the money?B次元官网网址� he questioned.
COVID-19-related worker shortages affecting small businesses
As growing season has begun, worker shortages due to COVID-19 has also challenged fruit growers.
For Ferreira, his regular workforce of year-round workers help, but only account for about 50 per cent of his workforce. Right now he has five workers, but could use ten.
The Oliver winery relies heavily on seasonal workers to make up their workforce, and May is usually the month they start to arrive in town.
B次元官网网址淎nd I donB次元官网网址檛 see too many of them around,B次元官网网址� said Ferreira.
The Loose Bay Campground, a seasonal facility catering to mainly agricultural workers in Oliver, is open for the summer and accepting visitors who must be assessed before entering the premisis.
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Although the Western B次元官网网址 was not able to gain access to the campground, several cars, including some from Quebec, were seen arriving at the site. It is unknown how many are staying there currently.
B次元官网网址淎griculture in the South Okanagan is key to food security, and economics in the area,B次元官网网址� said Town of Oliver mayor Martin Johansen.
Farmers having the ability to get their crops harvested in a timely manner, when theyB次元官网网址檙e ripe, and get them handled appropriately by motivated people who know what theyB次元官网网址檙e doing, he said is invaluable.
B次元官网网址淲orkers coming here, whether itB次元官网网址檚 foreign workers coming from Mexico, or domestic farm workers coming from other provinces, theyB次元官网网址檙e key to the whole process working, and key to the economic stability in the whole South Okanagan.B次元官网网址�
COVID-19 especially challenging for small businesses
Sukh Bajwa, owner of Eau Vivre winery in Keremeos, said they also rely heavily on walk-in traffic to make ends meet.
Sales on shelves have been challenging as well. A smaller, newer winery to the area, Bajwa admitted many consumers tend to choose the product of a more well-known winery, over his.
In their third year of operation, the business is focuing on new ways to promote their name and prepped hard to make 2020 their best year yet, but when COVID-19 hit, it took the wind of their sales.
Asked what the key to recovery is, Bajwa said they will simply have to, B次元官网网址渞ide the wave.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淗opefully tasting rooms will open soon, IB次元官网网址檓 hearing positive feedback on that. And then hopefully people will support us,B次元官网网址� he said.
With wineries being closed for two months, Bajwa theorized that reopening could bring with it a wave of support from the community.
B次元官网网址淢aybe weB次元官网网址檒l be better off by the end of the year, or maybe we wonB次元官网网址檛 beB次元官网网址� weB次元官网网址檒l just have to brace ourselves and hope that we are doing the right stuff, just wait and see,B次元官网网址� he said.
Despite challenging financial times, Bajwa said he supports the governments decision to shut everything down.
B次元官网网址淚 support the decision that they did shut everything down,B次元官网网址� he said.
By the same token, Bajwa said that some believe it was an overreaction.
B次元官网网址淵ou canB次元官网网址檛 really say much about it, I think our government did the right thing, we just have to work with it.B次元官网网址�
He said we will never know the alternative result, and for this, heB次元官网网址檚 glad.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 so glad that we will never know about it, it could have been way worse, or it could have been nothing. ThatB次元官网网址檚 something that I donB次元官网网址檛 even want to know,B次元官网网址� said Bajwa.
Reinventing the tasting room
A reinvented tasting room, Prodan explained, could satisfy both provincial health protocols, and give consumers a better experience in their visit.
This iniative, he said could serve as a way for wineries to also reinvent some traditional practices, which could benefit them in the long run. He said the opportunity to reset is a positive thing.
B次元官网网址淭hese are things that weB次元官网网址檝e been talking about for years, about how do we improve the winery experience, and this could help to facilitate that,B次元官网网址� said Prodan.
An issue that the BC Wine Institute plans to raise with government is how a winery license currently works with regards to tastings.
Currently only in tasting rooms can wineries serve samples, something Prodan said needs to change. Allowing tastings outside on the winery property, he suggested could more easily allow patrons to be physically distanced, and improve their overall experience.
However, he said thereB次元官网网址檚 challenges with this.
B次元官网网址淓veryone wants to deliver the best experience that you possibly can, but that comes at an expense,B次元官网网址� Prodan explained.
Less traffic coming into the winery due to social distancing protocols, and increased cost to train staff on the education side of things, could make this idea of a winery experience impossible for some.
This challenge, Prodan explained, is compounded by the fact the majority of workers at wineries are seasonal. This could prove problematic when a grape grower considers investing in their wine education.
For this reason, proposals by the wine institute for industry, will simply be suggested best practices, and not mandatory. From the consumerB次元官网网址檚 perspective, not all will appreciate a reservation system. Some, Prodan suggested, may prefer to stick to a spontanous wine tasting on a sunny day. He said the institute respects this as well.
B次元官网网址淣obody wants these (best practice suggestions) to be mandatory,B次元官网网址� said Prodan. B次元官网网址淥ur role is about how to best market BC wine, and we think of this as one of the ways of doing thatB次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 not a one size fits all.B次元官网网址�
The key to bouncing back
Since the start of the pandemic, South Okanagan wine owners admitted wine sales online have increased slightly, and that support from the community has been steady.
In B.C., Prodan said the wine industry is fortunate.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e fortunate in the B.C. wine industry, we get tremendous support from locals,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏y far the majority of our wine is consumed within the province, people buy our wine and enjoy our wine.B次元官网网址�
In the meantime, Prodan explained, while wineries await opening, smaller businesses will need to continue to focus on direct to consumer (online) sales.
When wineries do eventually reopen, Prodan encouraged locals to expand their horizons, and visit a new winery.
B次元官网网址淲e (in the Okanagan) donB次元官网网址檛 have to rely on people coming from Vancouver or the Albertains, I mean we do, theyB次元官网网址檙e very important to us, but realistically we need to focus on our friends and neighbours.B次元官网网址�
editor@pentictonwesternnews.com
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