No Bountiful Harvest for Shuswap Wineries
Winemaker James Clark with Sunnybrae Winery’s Marechal Foch Grapes.
By Jo Boxwell
In a good year, harvest time for Shuswap wineries occurs between September and late October, when many tonnes of red and white grape varieties such as Ortega, Siegerrebe, Kerner, Zweigelt and Pinot Noir are collected from acres of healthy vines. Unfortunately, 2024 is not one of those years. Local wineries are looking at harvests that will take days, not weeks, to complete. Production has been significantly hampered across the Southern Interior for the second consecutive year as a result of extensive bud damage caused by winter cold snaps.
Red wine lovers who source their wines locally will be familiar with Marechal Foch; the rich, dark red French hybrid grape that is grown across the region due to its hardiness. This tough survivor is the silver lining of the 2024 harvest in the Shuswap. James Clark, the winemaker at Sunnybrae Winery, explained that they would normally expect to bring in about 30 tonnes of grapes from five varieties. For the 2024 harvest, they are anticipating just 10 tonnes of grapes, almost exclusively from the Marechal Foch.
In Tappen, owner Fei Ren described a similar situation at Recline Ridge Winery. “The cold temperatures are killing our plants for two years in a row,” she explained. They anticipate a very small white grape harvest contrasted by a decent production of the Foch, which only represents about 20%-30% of their typical total production across all varieties.
Marechal Foch grapes
On the north side of the lake at Celista Estate Winery, a total loss of white grape production will leave vintner Jake Ootes with approximately 33% of a typical yield, all from the Marechal Foch. Jake has learned that even the seemingly dependable Foch cannot always be relied upon. He lost his entire crop of the hardy red grape in 2023 when weeks of wildfire smoke damaged the fruit.
Some wineries have benefited from grants and insurance, but grants can be difficult for business owners to access, and insurance payouts do not come close to covering the losses the wineries have incurred. That is compounded by the fact that managing dead and unproductive vines requires a lot of effort for no reward. “We’ve had the ongoing expense managing and taking care of the vineyard even though we don’t get a production out of much of it,” Jake explained. The BC government recently allowed wineries to purchase grape juice from other regions in order to produce wine this year, but that also adds to the expense. A 2022 surplus will be helping Recline Ridge bottle wine, while Sunnybrae and Celista wineries plan to buy grape juice from producers in BC and Washington State to supplement their shortfalls.
Despite the many challenges they face, from cold snaps to heat domes and wildfire impacts, local businesses remain hopeful about the future. James at Sunnybrae said, “As long as we don’t get a third frost in a row, I’m pretty optimistic about things.” He attends industry events to learn about potential solutions, and added, “We are still waiting for industry experts to advise on future steps but for now have worked to recover the varieties we have planted.” Researchers at the University of British Columbia’s Wine Research Centre are working on ways to mitigate climate change impacts. A group at the University of Saskatchewan is developing a spray that may help protect grapevines from the cold.
The best way to support local wineries is to buy local. Before picking up a bottle of Australian Shiraz, try a local Ortega or a Marechal Foch. Jake Ootes said, “We try to provide the best service possible with the best wine that we can possibly make, and I have to compliment our local people because they do support us.”
All three wineries will be open in October and can fulfill orders during the winter months. More information about how to purchase their wines as well as upcoming events can be found on their websites.
Recline Ridge September 2024 - vine damage.
(photos by Jo Boxwell)
