2023 Year in Review
BC Wine Country 2023 Year in Review: For all intents and purposes, 2023 had the makings of a fabulous vintage for BC Wine Country.
All regions reported a strong start to the growing season in the spring with average to above average temperatures and dry conditions, followed by universally explosive growth in the early summer throughout BC.
The heat through July and August was consistent and at times intense. Autumn was pleasantly warm and dry and harvest came extraordinarily early for most areas.
But it was not without its challenges.
Most notably, growers started off the season behind the eight ball due to a deep freeze in December 2022 that caused widespread damage in the vineyards. Despite the ideal conditions that followed, grape yields were down about 58 per cent.
It was also a merciless wildfire season in BC, with the McDougall Creek Wildfire taking centre stage due to its intensity and proximity within the densely populated Central Okanagan area in mid August. Though the physical threat to the large number of wineries nearby was minimal, thick smoke and advisories against travel to the region while the fires raged, kept visitors at bay and caused considerable hardship.
When the smoke finally cleared and the grapes were in the tanks and barrels, vintners were able to take stock of the season overall. While low yields are concerning with regards to inventory and profit, they usually spell great news for overall quality and 2023 was no exception.
Vintners described the fruit as ripe, with a deep flavour profile and balanced acidity. There appeared to be minimal taint caused by smoke by wineries closest to the fires.
While the Canadian wine industry is often synonymous with Icewine production, only four BC wineries registered to pick grapes to make the sweet nectar from the 2023 vintage. November and December were unseasonably warm. By the time the temperatures got cold enough to pick the frozen fruit January 11-15, 2024, only three wineries opted to do so and yields were shockingly low. Just 12 tonnes of grapes were harvested. The smallest crop previously recorded was in 2021, when 35 tonnes were picked.
