While Summerland and the rest of the Okanagan Valley is dealing with the third harsh winter in a row, the chair of Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive says the effects of the recent cold weather are not yet known.
“It’s too early to tell,” said Christine Coletta, chair of Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive, the organization representing wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries in the community.
The winter of 2023 to 2024 started off with mild temperatures, but in early January, the community had to deal with heavy snowfall, followed by temperatures significantly colder than usual.
A year earlier, the community and the region had to cope when snow and cold temperatures came suddenly at the end of October, 2022. That winter took a toll on wineries and vineyards throughout British Columbia, although Summerland was not affected as severely as other wine-growing areas in the province.
Unusual temperatures and weather patterns were also observed a year earlier when the temperature topped 20 C on Dec. 1, 2021, followed by below-normal temperatures later in the month.
Coletta said wineries will be monitoring their vineyards to determine if there is bud damage from the recent cold temperature.
However, she is optimistic about the coming year. She said the vines were able to shut down before the cold weather came. By comparison, the cold temperatures of the winter of 2022 to 2023 came before plants had been able to adjust.
The three consecutive cold winters have taken a toll on wineries, and inventory is depleted at some wineries.
She said wineries are working to be proactive and to anticipate possible weather and climate anomalies.
“We’re really limited as to what Mother Nature brings us,” she said. “I’m optimistic that it won’t be as impactful as last year.”
Christa-Lee McWatters, chair of the Wine Growers of British Columbia, also said it is too early to know the effects of the recent cold weather, although she anticipates there will be some damage from the recent cold weather.
She said the cold temperatures of last winter had happened suddenly, before the vines had gone into dormancy. The recent cold weather this year came after the plants had been dormant, and may have a less severe effect on the vines, she said.
She added that in recent years, 54 to 59 per cent of vines in the region will need to be replanted because of weather-related damage.
In addition, there have been numerous instances of unusual weather events in recent years, including sudden cold spells, the 2021 heat dome, flooding and more. These and other events may result in changes in how grapes for wine are grown, she said.
“Climate change is definitely a real thing,” she said. “We can’t just ignore it.”