3 months ago
14 Some would describe British Columbia’s wine industry at the onset of the 2024 vintage using words like catastrophic, calamitous, and downright macabre.
But signs of hope appeared in late spring as buds formed on vines, some with grapes and most without. By mid-summer, more signs of recovery were evident as vines that had seemingly died began to show life once again, with bright green blooms filling vineyards.
British Columbia’s wine industry has had a troublesome couple of years dealing with wildfires, extreme cold snaps, climate change, and evolving travel trends. January’s devastating deep freeze severely damaged or killed this year’s crops, leaving many vineyard owners hanging on by a thread.
Another blow was dealt in May when a provincial rule to limit short-term rentals to a homeowner’s principal residence plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling came into force in the province. Small towns like Summerland, 50 kilometers south of Kelowna, experienced a drastic drop in foot traffic to wineries this summer due to a limited number of hotels and accommodations available.
Renowned for its lakes, beaches, and wineries, the Okanagan Valley draws large crowds annually. In 2023 alone, the Kelowna area accounted for over two million overnight visits, as reported by Tourism Kelowna. According to the agency, the tourism industry generates an annual economic impact of $2.4 billion in the Central Okanagan.
During a weeklong trip to Summerland in the peak of summer travel season along the fabled Bottleneck Drive, I anticipated encountering far fewer crowds and finding empty tasting rooms. Foot traffic at many of the wineries was 40% below average, according to six of the seven wineries I visited. However, three cideries I stopped in at — Millionaires’ Row Cider Co., Summerland Heritage Cider Company, and NOMAD Cider — all reported above-average visits this season.
Image Credit: Casandra Karpiak
My two-bedroom suite accommodations at Summerland Waterfront Resort were at full capacity, and the hefty nightly rates didn’t seem to deter anyone from visiting. Shaughnessy’s Cove, next to the hotel, was packed with people soaking in the sun and enjoying the unobstructed views of Okanagan Lake.
Lightning Rock Winery was the first stop on my Summerland wine tour. It is a small winery producing 2,500 cases annually. The winery took an optimistic approach to pruning after the deep freeze, leaving many of the shoots to see how they would develop and propagate. What they can expect for the 2025 vintage will be determined next February, but they are realistic, knowing there are still some big calls to be made.
Lightning Rock is no stranger to tough times. The winery officially opened in 2019, coinciding with the onset of the pandemic. Fortunately, its outdoor tasting setup and stunning views of Okanagan Lake proved to be a perfect fit for these challenging times.
The option to bring grapes in from across the border has the winery excited about new collaborations. The first chardonnay grapes hit their crush pad earlier this month from Washington, and Pinot Noir was harvested from Devries Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills, Washington.
BC wineries can utilize grapes and grape juice from outside the province for their 2024 vintages without incurring extra fees. This follows a temporary rule change by the provincial government in response to the damage inflicted on local vineyards by this past January’s sudden drop in temperature.
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch is granting wineries exemptions from the requirement to produce a minimum of 4,500 liters of wine on-site annually. This exemption is applicable on a case-by-case basis for those affected by crop failures.
In the past, wineries faced a substantial markup of nearly 90% on the first $11.75 of a wholesale bottle of wine, or per liter, followed by an additional markup of nearly 30% when using grapes sourced from outside the province.
Image Credit: Stephanie Seaton
At nearby Lunessence Winery, I had my first taste of Vin Gris. This elegant, copper-toned, full-bodied white wine is crafted entirely from Gamay Noir grapes. Its distinctive hue is achieved by gently allowing the juice to contact the grape skins during the pressing process at harvest.
Lunessence has been hosting the highly popular Dim Summerland pop-up series, featuring artisanal dumplings crafted by Van Doren Chan and steamed on the Lunessence patio. Guests can have fun pairing Lunessence wines, including the superb Vin Gris.
Now in its third consecutive year, the event has garnered an impressive following. Tickets sell out swiftly upon the announcement of dates, with 12 events hosted this past summer. “It’s the kind of cuisine you can’t get up here. There’s a lot of people either from the coast or Alberta so it’s kind of nice to have it here,” comments General Manager Cameron Walker.
While Walker reported a 33% drop in winery visits in July, the patio was bustling on the early August day I visited. “It’s not a lot of reservations anymore, which is good. It’s the way people want to wine tour generally. You don’t want to know that for five hours, you’re on a tight schedule. They can see our patio from the road, and they just pop in and see what it’s all about,” continues Walker.
Image credit Nathan Penner – One Eye Shut Media
While winery visits are down at Dirty Laundry Vineyard, the patio has a large local draw, which keeps regular foot traffic moving. With its quirky branding and unique tasting room, Dirty Laundry has become an iconic destination in the Okanagan Valley.
Pizza, smoked meat dishes, beer, and cider are all served on the expansive patio, shaded by a pergola of grape vines and cooled with misters. The winery features a playful and cheeky theme, paying homage to its past as an infamous brothel and laundry business in the late 1800s.
But beyond the fun and games, Dirty Laundry is also serious about producing quality wines. Its flagship wine, Hush Rosé, was the number-one selling BC VQA wine in BC for many years. This past June, the winery took the top spot on The Top 50 wines in BC list with their 2022 Gamay.
“We were really lucky to win this award. It was surprising because normally in that competition, it’s always been a Syrah or Riesling. Gamay or Pinot don’t usually show up all that well. Everyone was just shocked,” shares winemaker Mason Spink.
Winery visits may be down compared to previous years, but the patio was buzzing in early August. Special events like the Wine & Brine dinner featuring maritime lobsters served fresh by local Rock Fortin sell out quickly. Sangria Sundays, a new addition to the winery’s event calendar, have also been very popular.
A recent visit by contestants on Amazing Race Canada had some cheeky fun airing out their dirty laundry. Teams chose between two challenges: Press, which required them to collect and stomp enough grapes to produce 1.5 liters of juice, and Undress, where they needed to memorize a long clothesline of quirky garments and recreate it exactly on the opposite side of the vineyard.
Wine may draw people to the winery, but the unique experiences and events like these keep them coming back for more.
One of the more eye-opening experiences along Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive (and there were many) is the vast operations at Okanagan Crush Pad and Haywire Winery. This sprawling 320-acre farm encompasses grape varieties from Chardonnay to Syrah and everything in between, with close to 40 vintages.
The winery’s state-of-the-art facility became a valuable resource for smaller farmers unable to afford their own infrastructure for grape harvesting, offering them a place to process their crops. More importantly, it provided crucial financial diversification, helping Okanagan Crush Pad navigate the unpredictable fluctuations of BC’s wine industry.
Now boasting four wine labels—Haywire, Narrative, Free Form, and Garnet Valley Ranch—the company is flourishing and has reached its capacity. It is unable to process any fruit beyond its own vineyards. However, as a certified BC Wine Authority laboratory, it can do wine testing for many of the local vineyards.
Haywire started with 3,000 cases. Its largest producing year was 50,000 cases. The winery has engaged in yeast trials with UBC’s Wine Research Centre since 2013. The findings from their research have led them to identify and name their own yeast strain that grows naturally in the winery, one that isn’t in the lab’s database of more than 12,000. It’s another way to diversify, creating a unique yeast that can one day be sold commercially.
After January’s damage to the vineyards, winemaker Matt Dumayne remains hopeful of having between 50 and 80 percent crop next year. “As horrible as it sounds, it’s given us a decade to really look at the soil profiles and what works where. So if something has died, we can put better options in there.”
After massive vintages in 2018 and 2019, there is no need to source grapes from down south this season. “We’re selling anywhere from 18 reds to 23 whites or rosé, so we have the inventory. We’ve grown our wine club tenfold in the last year.”
Image Credit: BestEverGuide
A quick drive ten minutes down the road to Garnet Valley Ranch finds a completely different vibe. The winery is co-owned by Okanagan Crush Pad owners Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie, a design and construction project manager who oversaw the building of the impressive facility at Haywire.
Garnet Valley Ranch takes a small-batch approach to winemaking, with only 350 cases produced yearly. Their philosophy revolves around sustainable farming practices and minimal intervention in the winemaking process, resulting in wines that truly reflect their terroir.
“The entire property is 320 acres, and we have 64 planted. We could probably go up to 80 in total, but we’re not going to manipulate the earth. Our primary goal is to enhance the land and leave it in a better condition than what we found it,” continues Dumayne.
The vineyard blocks, situated at elevations ranging from 1,968 to 2,230 feet (600 to 680 meters) above sea level, represent the highest vineyard site in the Okanagan Valley.
The intimate tasting room limits the number of daily visitors to minimize the impact on the ranch.
Guests attending wine tastings have the option to elevate their experience with an e-bike or horseback ride, stopping at iconic viewpoints to savor the beauty of the untamed landscape. Wine club members can get the full experience by renting an Airstream to stay on the property, enjoy swimming and fishing in the pond or observe 75 species of birds.
Alongside the vineyards, LocalMotive Farms nurtures field crops, the Okanagan Valley Oasis Lavenders cooperative and a flourishing beehive contribute to the area’s agricultural diversity.
The 2021 Garnet Valley Ranch Chardonnay is a standout. Estate-grown Chardonnay grapes were whole-cluster pressed and aged in a mix of concrete and stainless steel, resulting in a wine with bright golden hues and complex aromas of tropical fruits, melon, and citrus. This Chardonnay offers a dense yet balanced palate, with a delicate acidity and a lengthy, mineral-driven finish.
Image Credit: Jon Adrian.
Another notable Chardonnay was at neighboring winery Solvero—the name means ‘truth in soil’—which shares a similar philosophy as Garnet Valley Ranch about minimal intervention. Solvero boasts a stunning new tasting room with a beautiful outdoor seating area and a small but carefully crafted wine offering.
Solvero’s focused portfolio showcases terroir-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in their purest form, reflecting its core mission. At Solvero, they craft distinctive wines that perfectly capture the essence of this remarkable location.
Their 2022 Chardonnay is fruit-forward, with flavors of yellow apple, Asian pear, and lemon zest complemented by hazelnut and vanilla. After building for ten years, Solvero opened its tasting room in the spring of 2024.
Sadly, the block of Chardonnay didn’t produce anything in 2023 due to that year’s deep freeze, and there won’t be any production for the 2024 vintage. “We are light on Chardonnay for the foreseeable future, but our first two vintages, 2021 and 2022, are probably the biggest green flag about what’s happening in the Garnet Valley,” explains President and Vineyard Manager Matt Sartor.
“It’s super exciting the quality of these two wines, and it’s really, really exciting what this valley might be able to do with Chardonnay.”
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