Laura Kittmer
On November 15, the BC Wine Institute held its 12th Annual Winemakers & Viticulturalists' Forum at Walnut Beach Resort in Osoyoos. Led by Master of Wine Rhys Pender, 85 winemakers and viticulturalists from around the province gathered to discuss the 2017/2018 growing season from winter through harvest. Responses to an industry-wide survey curated by the BCWI were also collated, together, to form the BCWI’s annual Vintage Report.
So, what can we expect from the 2018 Vintage?
The 2018 vintage was a moderate vintage, cooler than the five-year average but in line with the long-term norms for most wine regions of British Columbia. The wines are elegant with restrained alcohol levels, crisp acidity and fresh, clean and intense fruit flavours that should age well.
The winter of 2017/2018 was a mild one for British Columbia’s vineyards with no reported cold temperature damage to buds or vines. The winter did leave its mark on the growing season as high snowfall levels in the mountains led to large amounts of snowmelt and water in the soils which meant many vineyards in the Okanagan Valley and Similkameen Valley didn’t have to irrigate all spring.
A cool spring resulted in a slightly later than average bud break. By the time of flowering the vintage had caught up with warm temperatures and dry conditions allowing for ideal flowering conditions and the potential for a large crop. Keeping up with sprays for preventing powdery mildew and managing vigour were the key challenges throughout the late spring and into the beginning of summer.
June was moderate with the real heat coming in July when many days exceeded maximum temperatures of over 35C. Even with the hot weather, temperatures were not high enough for the vines to shut down allowing for continued fruit development.
August was slightly cooler with temperatures dropping towards the end of the month. A two to three-week period with smoke coming from wildfires caused extensive blocking of sunlight which slowed photosynthesis and delayed veraison occurring up to a week later than average in some areas.
September was the coolest on record in many areas, extending the growing season and allowing for increased flavour development with slow sugar accumulation and the retention of crisp acidity from the mild days and cool nights. The classic long, dry, sunny fall reappeared in October with warm, sunny days finishing off the ripening period.
The long, moderate growing season saw large clusters and healthy fruit without any shrivel resulting in a large, healthy crop for most growers and amongst most varieties.
A cooler vintage than in recent years, growing degree days (GDD) for 2018 were between 70 to 135 cooler than the recent five-year average across the Okanagan Valley and Similkameen Valley.
The maritime climate of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Fraser Valley is always completely different than the interior vineyards and 2018 was no exception. On Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands the GDD was practically right on the long-term average, while in the Fraser Valley it was a warmer year than average.
On the Islands, bud break occurred in early May. Some rain in June affected the flowering process and lowered yields slightly. The smoke from the forest fires also reached the coastal regions and affected the amount of sunlight exposure for a few weeks but a long, warm, dry fall made for ideal harvest conditions. Overall quantity is down from recent vintages but quality high in 2018.
The other interior regions of BC saw similar patterns to the Okanagan and Similkameen with cooler overall temperatures and mild smoke cover blocking sunlight and making for a delayed, moderate growing year.
The Thompson Valley region had a mild winter with no reported cold temperature damage. 2018 was cooler than recent vintages with 1293 GDD in Kamloops, 137 lower than the five-year average. In the Shuswap GDD was just 1006, 149 lower than the five-year average and similar to the vintages of 2010 and 2011. In the Kootenay region it was a moderate vintage with 1288 GDD in Creston, slightly above the long-term average. Lillooet saw its coolest vintage, similar to the 2012 and 2013 vintages. Rolf de Bruin of Fort Berens said this was the longest harvest they’ve had starting on September 12 and not finishing until November 2.
A mild start to the 2018/2019 winter meant only one short opportunity in early December occurred to pick icewine by the time of publication with seven wineries harvesting an estimated 121 tons. If the mild conditions continue, 2018 vintage icewine may be a rare and special commodity.
Overall the 2018 vintage is one of freshness and elegance with slightly cooler temperatures in most regions making wines of vibrant acidity, lower alcohol and intense fruit character. High quality was ensured by the classic long, sunny fall with warm days to ripen the fruit balanced with cool nights to maintain the characteristic crisp BC acidity.