Carie Jones
For wine regions across British Columbia, an overall cooler 2019 vintage compared to recent years, punctuated by sunlight and clear skies resulted in wines with juicy and vibrant fruit, crisp acidity, balanced alcohol levels and ripe tannins in the red wines, all with the freshness synonymous with BC wine.
British Columbia is like no other place on earth when it comes to growing grapes. The unique combination of extreme heat and cold, often on the same day, results in intense, fruit-driven, fresh and structured wines. Add to that, the region's diverse terroir, and you have an exceptional combination for producing remarkable wine.
On November 29, 2019, the BC Wine Institute (BCWI) held its 13th Annual Winemakers & Viticulturalists' Forum at Penticton Lakeside Resort in Penticton. Led by Master of Wine Rhys Pender, 64 winemakers and viticulturalists from around the province gathered to discuss the 2018/2019 growing season from winter through harvest. Prior to the forum, the BCWI collected responses from an industry-wide survey and collated these together to form the 2019 Vintage Report.
The winter of 2019 began with an unseasonably warm January, followed by a cold February which resulted in an overall lower yield for many wineries and required extra judicious vineyard management throughout the growing season. However, beautiful spring and summer weather provided excellent growing conditions, with vines progressing according to schedule.
A promising start to September saw many of the earlier ripening varieties harvested in perfect condition and on schedule for expected harvest dates. However, a change in weather in the second week of September brought cooler temperatures with small amounts of rainfall which slowed ripening and prolonged the harvest for later ripening grape varieties. The result was slightly lower sugar levels in the grapes and plenty of time for tannin development, giving the 2019 vintage beautiful elegance and freshness.
By the beginning of October, winemakers and grape growers celebrated the return of beautiful autumn conditions, which continued ripening until an early frost on Thanksgiving weekend signalled the end of the growing season for most wineries throughout the province.
The highly coveted and sometimes elusive Icewine had a brief harvesting window of the required -8°C in November and January, which allowed some cooler sites to harvest a small number of Icewine grapes. The BC Wine Authority reported 15 wineries picked an approximate 205 metric tonnes making 2019 the second smallest harvest on record since the turn of the century.
As with every vintage, 2019 had its own unique personality, requiring extra heart, tenacity and strategic vineyard management from BC winemakers and grapegrowers to overcome Mother Nature’s challenges. The result? Crisp, elegant and fruit-forward wines with lower alcohol levels that beautifully express BC's distinctive terroir and climate.
View the full 2019 Vintage Report on WineBC.com.